Sit down for a picnic-table meal with the Tribune

Dad burgers

Makes 1

Prep: 10 minutes

Grill: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 half pound of ground beef for each burger

1 package of Village Hearth gourmet sesame seed buns

1 loaf of Tillamook medium cheddar cheese

Cookies BBQ Sauce

Hunt’s Ketchup

French’s Mustard

Directions

My now-deceased stepdad used to grill these big burgers in the summer. They taste best — or at least remind me of my youth — if there is breeze off a lake while eating outside. Take about a half pound of ground beef into the palms of the biggest hands in the family. Pat the meat back and forth in the palms into the shape of a really fat patty, but not flat like a burger patty. It’s pretty much the natural shape two hands would form when they come together. Sometimes, Dad would add seasonings, such as pepper, Worchestershire sauce, chunks of pepper and onion or whatever he was in the mood for. I usually just cook the beef like it is. Place the patties on a grill with medium to low heat for about the time it takes to drink a beer and a half, maybe two. That could be as little as 30 minutes or as much as 50, depending on how high the heat is. They ball up as they cook. Slice the cheese thickly and place them on the burgers when they are nearly done. I like to top the burgers with Cookies BBQ Sauce, but most folks prefer ketchup and mustard.

— Tim Engstrom

 

Simple stuffed mushrooms

Makes about 30

Prep: 20 minutes

Grill: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup of bacon or bacon bits

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 package of button mushrooms (about 30 mushrooms)

1 8 ounce block of cream cheese

Directions

Wash mushrooms and carefully pull out the stems without ripping the sides of the mushroom. Do not submerge mushrooms in water as they are very absorbent. Then pat the mushrooms dry. In a microwave safe bowl soften the cream cheese. Start with 30 seconds, but more time may be necessary to make it soft enough to stir with a spoon. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/4 cup of bacon bits to the cream cheese. With a spoon, fill the mushrooms with the mixture. Sprinkle remaining bacon bits and cheese over the top of the filled mushrooms. To cook on the grill, drizzle the outside of the mushrooms with olive oil and turn every couple of minutes. Cook about 15 minutes or until tops are golden. These can also be cooked indoors by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and cooking for 20 minutes.

— Brandi Hagen

 

Fruit kebabs

Makes 24

Prep: 20 minutes

Grill: 2 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 small seedless watermelon

1/2 large canteloupe

1/2 large honeydew melon

1/2 cup honey, warmed

2 Tablespoons minced fresh mint

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Cut melons into small cubes of the same size, or you could use a melon baller and scoop small spheres out of each melon. Preheat grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat. Thread one of each fruit onto 24 six-inch wooden skewers. In a small bowl, stir together warmed honey and mint.

Coat grill with the olive oil and cook skewers, turning them often, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, drizzle with the honey and mint mixture.

— Kelli Lageson, recipe from Rachael Ray Magazine

 

Bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles

Makes 4 servings

Prep: 8 minutes

Grill: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed to 4- to 5-inch-long tips

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

A few grinds of black pepper

Four slices center cut bacon or pancetta

Chopped chives or scallions, optional garnish

Directions

Lightly coat asparagus spears in extra-virgin olive oil. Season the asparagus with black pepper. Divide the total number of spears by four. Use a slice of bacon to wrap each bundle.

Place bundles on hot grill and cover. Cook 10 to 12 minutes until bacon is crisp and asparagus bundles are tender.

— Sarah Stultz, recipe from Rachael Ray Magazine

 

Grilled potatoes

Makes 4 servings

Prep: 25 minutes

Grill: 25 minutes

Ingredients

4 potatoes

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

course ground pepper

garlic salt

Directions

Clean the potatoes. Cut them in both directions to make eight pieces. Boil them on the stove for five minutes so it doesn’t take quite as long on the grill. Drain the water. Dump potatoes into large mixing bowl. Coat all sides of potatoes with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle salt, course ground pepper and garlic salt on top. Stir together with spoon to spread evenly. Wrap in foil. Toss on grill for 25 minutes or until cooked.

— Micah Bader