Stuffed burgers, blueberry treat add summer flavor during a lake vacation

It may sound silly, but one of the pleasures of spending a week in Michigan City, Ind., is Al’s Supermarket.

It’s a short drive from the lake house, and the meat and deli counters are, well, meant for beach bums like us who want to splurge just a little bit while we’re away from our everyday grind.

That means we always pick up some of Al’s stuffed hamburgers. They’re huge and filled with things like bleu and Cheddar cheese. They go on the grill along with toasted pretzel buns.

I don’t attempt to make them at home because they’re a special treat I associate with summer and Lake Michigan.

But I did come across a yummy recipe that food writer Linda Cicero at the Miami Herald tried and enjoyed. It comes from Kerrygold, the Irish maker of cheese and butter made from milk from grass-fed cows.

Place ground beef in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix gently, just until combined. Don’t over-mix, or burgers will be tough.

Divide beef into 12 equal portions. Flatten each into a thin patty about 4-inches in diameter.

Place 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese in center of 6 patties, leaving a border around edges. Cover each with another patty. Pinch edges to seal, then pat top of each patty to flatten. Gently pat sides of stacked patties to make a uniform-looking burger. Refrigerate stuffed patties for at least 10 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Preheat grill to medium-high; clean and oil grates. Grill burgers until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings and condiments.

Makes 6 servings, each (minus bun) with 468 calories, 29 grams fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 27.5 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 711 mg sodium.

Blueberries are the No. 1 fruit this time of year up north, so my sister typically buys about 40 pounds each season. We eat them out of hand, but also freeze them. In one week we managed to put them in lemonade and pancakes.

I found this recipe from Gold Medal Flour and thought it was different enough from the typical bread loaf or cobbler/crisp to try.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all filling ingredients except pineapple and blueberries with spoon until well blended.

Fold in pineapple and blueberries. Spread in ungreased 8-inch square pan.

2. In a small bowl, mix all topping ingredients except butter. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles resemble fine crumbs. Sprinkle over blueberry mixture.

3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, mix brown sugar and cornstarch. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 2/3 cup; stir into brown sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Serve over warm dessert.

Tips: If you have time, garnish this home-style dessert with fresh blueberries and small wedges of fresh pineapple. Also, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, thawed and well drained, can be substituted for the fresh blueberries.

Makes 9 servings, each with 360 calories, 17 grams fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 52 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 4 grams protein.

This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 9:05 AM with the headline "Stuffed burgers, blueberry treat add summer flavor during a lake vacation."