Brat Burgers with Fennel Mustard Seed Slaw

One of the best parts of cooking from scratch is that you know exactly what is in the food you eat. This has never been truer than with sausage. While it’s a great food, there are often questions as to what is actually in there. These brat burgers are made from pork shoulder and delicately spiced with juniper berries and fragrant cardamom pods. The fennel slaw on top will make your mouth water.

If you are new to making sausage, this recipe is a great one to start with because you don’t need to fuss with any casings. If you prefer not to grind your own pork, you can mix the spices in this recipe into 80% lean pre-ground pork.

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Grilled Potato Salad

This potato salad was always going to be a little unconventional, but when I decided to assemble it at plating instead of in a bowl, the “deconstructed” dish became much more unique. You can toss it all in a bowl for easier serving if you like. Simply cut up the bacon and eggs into small pieces and gently toss it all together.

Perfectly-grilled petite potato halves are crispy on the outside and flaky-tender on the inside. The dressing is spiked with paprika and chipotle powder for a deeper flavor and a little kick while sliced baby bell peppers deliver a bright flavor highlight.

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Honey-Caramelized Peaches with Vanilla Mascarpone Ice Cream

You can thank Chef Alton Brown for inspiring this dish with his Honey Plums, but the Vanilla Mascarpone Ice Cream may just be the real star here. The cold ice cream plays off the warm peaches in the same way the richness of the cheese is a counterpoint to the brightness of the fruit flavors.

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Grape and Ricotta Pizza with Thyme, Bacon and Honey

This pizza became an instant favorite with the neighbors and makes a great appetizer. Smoky bacon, sweet honey and savory thyme all work together with the fruity flavor from the red grapes. A little bit of sea salt brings it home. If your solution for cooking involves baking times longer than 5 minutes, add the grapes after the pizza is baked rather than before.

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Grilled Vegetable Pizza

Celebrate summer produce with a delicious vegetable pizza. Zucchini, yellow squash and red onions all take on a roasted flavor over the open flame of the grill. A quick red sauce brings fresh tomatoes to the party.

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Fiery Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I call it “Fiery” not only because it brings the heat, but also because of the smoky flavors of chipotle chiles and the fire-marked corn. This pizza is absolutely loaded with flavor. For less spicy palates, you can try halving the amount of chipotles and Serrano.

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Mixed Berry Pizza

This pizza is almost like an upside down cobbler and makes a perfect finish to a summer pizza party. Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries blend with a creamy mixture of mascarpone and crème fraîche with a touch of honey.

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Ginger Shandy Beer Cocktail

Beer cocktails are a growing trend, but they have actually been around quite a while. The Black and Tan and Snakebite are both traditional beer cocktails. So is the Shandy. This cocktail is a refreshing twist on the classic formula.

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Cherry Peach Pale Ale Beer Cocktail

Explore the more elaborate side of beer cocktails using a home made cherry and peach infused gin. The gin will take a few days, so plan ahead for this one.

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Tomato and Cucumber Summer Salad with Grilled Corn

A perfect July 4th cookout deserves a perfect summery salad. Fresh produce flavors meld with lemony balsamic vinaigrette and mellow feta cheese. Make the salad in advance and keep it in the refrigerator while grill action is taking place.

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Liberty Burgers

The name is not just about the holiday. These burgers were inspired by the classic cheese steak sandwiches of Philadelphia – home of the Liberty Bell. Start with Choice ground beef and top with provolone cheese and grilled peppers and onions. Served on a toasted Italian roll, these burgers will put everyone in a good mood for the evening fireworks.

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Smoky Three Cheese Macaroni

This is not kids’ macaroni and cheese. The mahogany-colored top says it all — this is a smoky and flavorful side dish for grown-ups. You can cook it before starting on the burgers. If kept covered with foil and wrapped in a towel, it will still be warm enough for serving when the burgers are ready. The creative approach to smoking can be applied to almost any baked dish you desire… even on a gas grill.

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Caprese Salad with Grilled Tuscan Bread

One of the best fates that can befall a tomato is to be joined by fresh mozzarella and basil in a simple salad. Adding a slice of perfectly-grilled bread and a drizzle of balsamic reduction elevates the traditional Caprese Salad to give an honored place on Dad’s table for his special day. Reducing the balsamic intensifies the sweetness and complexity.

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Alder-Planked Filet Mixed Grill

Cooking food on a wooden plank imparts a subtle flavor that varies with the species of wood. It also can be a much more forgiving cooking technique than placing food directly over the fire. There are no flare-ups and the indirect cooking approach slows down all the action.

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Coffee-Rubbed Beef Back Ribs

Great-tasting ribs in under an hour… you can’t beat that.

Our Quick and Aromatic Barbecue Ribs recipe from a past Memorial Day showed you how to make great pork ribs in about 2 1/2 hours, much less time than the traditional approach.

This year, we’re showing you how to make some great beef ribs in just 30 to 40 minutes time. Done right, they will have the texture of a nice ribeye steak — we’re not looking for “fall-off-the-bone tender” ribs but something meatier. A barbecue rub with ground coffee gives the ribs an earthy barbecue flavor.

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Tequila Baked Beans

Baked beans are one of the most traditional sides for serving with ribs, but these aren’t traditional baked beans. They are a big departure from the norm. They are sweet. They can be a little spicy. And they are delicious. Tequila adds an herbaceous flavor that I am at a loss to describe. The agave nectar used instead of the more traditional molasses carries right along with the tequila theme.

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Blueberry and Goat Cheese Salad with Mixed Baby Greens

Fresh blueberries are one of the best ingredients summer brings to our tables. Bursting with flavor, they are joined by caramelized pecans, mellow goat cheese and a quick and easy blueberry vinaigrette dressing.

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Blueberry Margaritas

If you’re making the salad and the beans in this issue, you already have all of the ingredients on-hand for making these refreshing margaritas. Here’s to an efficient shopping list!

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Teriyaki Burgers with Spicy Broccoli Slaw

The East-Meets-West flair of these burgers will delight your guests. By itself, the slaw is intense and spicy on the tongue. On the burgers as a condiment, however, it has just the right zing. The teriyaki caramelizes on the outside of the burgers for a sweet and savory crust.

These are some seriously good burgers, but don’t take my word for it. When I cooked these for the team at the Kalamazoo plant our plant manager declared it a “Forty Dollar Burger!”

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Green Goddess Dressing over Iceberg Wedges

Author: Michael Chiarello
Servings: 5
Course: Sides

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