Cream cheese wontons are a Chinese appetizer. They go great with any Chinese dish. Cream cheese wontons are commonly found at Chinese restaurants all over. They consist of wonton wrappers filled with cream cheese, crab, green onions, and seasonings. For the best results you will want to fry these in the deep fryer but they could be fried in a pan as well. If you want to fry in a pan, just add about an inch of oil. I like to seal the wontons with beaten egg. This keeps them from breaking open in the deep fryer. You will want to make sure they are well sealed. These are best served with sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
12 ounce cream cheese (at room temperature)
50 wonton wrappers
1 cup imitation crab (chopped)
2 green onions (minced)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts (drained and minced)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 egg (beaten)
oil (for frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: in a medium bowl cream the cream cheese together with crab, green onions, water chestnuts, garlic powder, and soy sauce. In a separate bowl, beat 1 egg.
Step 2: Lay out a wonton wrapper in the shape of a diamond. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling into the center of each wrapper. Brush the opposite corners of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the edges over to form and triangle and seal.

Step 3: Heat oil in the deep fryer to 375 degrees. Deep fry in bathes (turning once if needed) until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
(Makes 10 Servings)

These are just like the Wonton Taco’s from Applebee’s appetizer menu. These tacos consist of stir fried chicken, coleslaw, red onion, green onion, and cilantro. The best part about these tacos is the chicken. The chicken is marinated and stir fried in a teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, stir fry sauce, and sesame dressing mixture. This combination goes together extremely well. The coleslaw is tossed with additional sesame dressing. The hardest part about this recipe is frying the wonton wrappers. It can be a little tricky and it is something you will want to do last. If you don’t want to mess around with the wontons the chicken goes great over rice. This makes a great appetizer. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into small chunks)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons stir fry sauce
8 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame dressing
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 cup coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame dressing
10 wonton wrappers
oil (for frying)
4 tablespoons green onions (sliced)
4 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
4 tablespoons red onion (diced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a bowl or sealable plastic bag. Combine stir fry sauce, Asian toasted sesame dressing, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Add chicken and mix well with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 2: In a medium bowl toss coleslaw mix with 2 tablespoons of Asian sesame dressing. Set aside.
Step 3: Heat olive oil in a wok over high heat. Add chicken with the marinade and stir fry until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove from the wok and transfer to a bowl. Add about 1/2 inch of oil to the wok over medium high. Fold the wonton wrappers into a triangle formation but do not seal. Place into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on one side. Turn once and fry until golden brown on the other side. Drain on paper towels.
Step 4: To make tacos- place a small amount of the chicken mixture into the bottom of the fried wonton. Top with coleslaw mixture, green onion, cilantro and red onion.

These baked scallops are perfect for dinner and go great with pasta. This is my first time working with scallops so I was a little nervous as to how they would turn out, but the end result was satisfying. However, I do wish I had access to fresh scallops as the frozen ones are not nearly as good. This recipe uses bay scallops which are smaller and sweeter than sea scallops. The cooking process is very simple, the scallops are topped with a breadcrumb mixture and then baked in the oven. If you are wondering about the noodles in the picture, they are simply linguini tossed with alfredo sauce and topped with Italian parsley. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs bay scallops (rinsed and drained)
4 tablespoons butter (melted)
½ cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried parsley
3 garlic cloves (minced)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the melted butter into the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Distribute scallops evenly over the butter in the dish.
Step 2: In a medium bowl combine bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the scallops.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake until scallops are firm (about 20 minutes).
(Makes 4 Servings)

Anyone that enjoys different types of hot dogs must give these nacho dogs a try. This is another great recipe for game day. These hot dogs are topped with nacho cheese, guacamole, salsa, chopped onions, and pickled jalapenos. The guacamole is made from scratch but you could also buy it in the store if you want to save some time. For the hot dogs, I would recommend getting all beef hot dogs. These can be grilled or boiled, your choice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 all beef hot dogs
4 hot dogs buns
1 (9 ounce) container nacho cheese dip
¼ cup onion (chopped)
pickled jalapeno slices
salsa
Guacamole-
2 ripe avocados (flesh scooped out and pitted)
¼ cup cilantro
the juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove (minced)
salt (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To make guacamole- in a large bowl add avocados. Add lime juice and mash together with a fork. Stir in garlic, cilantro, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Step 2: Heat an outdoor grill (or in indoor grill pan) to medium-high heat. Grill hot dogs until they are slightly charred on the outside. Heat nacho cheese dip according to package directions.
Step 3: Place hot dog buns onto the grill and grill until lightly toasted. Place grilled hot dogs onto the buns. Top with nacho cheese, guacamole, onion, salsa, and jalapeno slices.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Hamburger sliders are great for game day. If you are not familiar with these they are nothing more than mini-hamburgers. With that being said these make a great addition to any football season party. The best part about this recipe is the Chipotle mayonnaise. This spicy burger sauce combines ingredients such as mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo and lime juice.  Of course every burger needs cheese, so I decided to top these with sliced cheddar. I also topped the sliders with pickles but you could add onion, tomato, or whatever you enjoy on hamburgers.

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs ground chuck
slider buns (or dinner rolls, ect)
salt and pepper
sliced cheddar cheese
dill pickle slices
Chipotle Mayonnaise-
1 cup mayonnaise
1 chipotle chili (from chipotle in adobo sauce)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
½ lime (the juice of)
salt and black pepper (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: to make chipotle mayo- in a food processor combine mayonnaise, chipotle chili, adobo sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Step 2: Form ground chuck into small patties. Season with salt and pepper. Place patties into a large skillet and fry until browned on one side (about 4 to 5 minutes), flip and fry for another 4 minutes on the other side or until fully cooked. During the last few minutes of cooking top with cheese slices.
Step 3: Place sliders onto the bottom half of a bun. Top with pickles and chipotle mayonnaise.
(Makes 6 Servings)

When I am looking for something quick and easy to cook in the deep fryer breaded chicken tenders are always one of my best options. The chicken tenders are first marinated in buttermilk and garlic and then rolled in a breadcrumb and flour mixture. You can add additional seasonings as well such a black pepper, paprika, onion power, ect. I also made my own honey mustard sauce to dip these chicken tenders in. The result was delicious. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (sliced into strips)
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
oil (for deep frying)
Honey Mustard Sauce-
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon lemon juice

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To make honey mustard sauce- in a bowl whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Store covered in the refrigerator until needed. In a large bowl (or resealable plastic bag) add the chicken strips. In a small bowl combine egg, buttermilk, and garlic powder. Pour the mixture over the chicken strips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Step 2: In a large plastic bag mix together flour, breadcrumbs, salt, and baking powder. Drain the chicken of the buttermilk mixture and discard the buttermilk mixture. Place chicken in the bag with breadcrumbs, seal and shake tossing to coat.
Step 3: Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Deep fry chicken tenders in batches until golden brown and the juices run clear (the internal temperature of the chicken needs to have reached 165 degrees). Drain on paper towels.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Hash brown casserole is one of the easiest and most delicious types of casserole you will find anywhere. This recipe combines frozen hash browns with sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and various other ingredients. It is perfect as a side dish, as main course, or it makes a great breakfast dish. This recipe is very simple, just combine all of the ingredients into a baking dish, place into the oven and bake. It cannot get much easier than that. If you are the type of person that requires meat in your dishes, you could add some cubed ham into the mix. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2lbs frozen hash browns
½ cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 (10 ¼ ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
½ cup onion (peeled and chopped)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11 x 14 inch baking dish with cooking spray (or lightly grease with olive oil or butter).
Step 2: In a large bowl combine hash browns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into the casserole dish.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the top has browned.
(Makes 6 Servings)

There is nothing as good as a simple and easy Chinese chicken stir fry. As you know I am a huge fan of using a deep fryer to fry my Chinese food but nothing beats the convenience of stir frying in a wok. This is a very basic stir fry recipe; it uses few ingredients and will only take a little time to prepare for dinner. You can add any vegetables you want to this stir fry such a broccoli, green pepper, onion, mushrooms or just about anything you enjoy. This recipe uses chicken thighs but you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts as well. The chicken is first marinated and then fried in the wok with the marinade. Oyster sauce is then added at the end of the cooking process. This is a great stir fry recipe for beginners or anyone that enjoys Chinese food. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1” pieces)
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
2 tablespoons fresh ginger (minced)
2 tablespoons fresh garlic (minced)
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl (or sealable plastic bag) combine honey, soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and black pepper. Add chicken and toss with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight.
Step 2: Heat vegetable oil in the wok over high heat. Add chicken with the marinade and stir-fry until the chicken pieces are fully cooked (about 7-8 minutes).
Step 3: Reduce heat, add the oyster sauce and stir in until the chicken pieces are coated with it.
(Makes 2 Servings)

After doing some searching I have finally found what I consider to be the best baked macaroni and cheese recipe out there. I have tried others that were good but were also extremely expensive. This recipe is very simple and only uses 1 type of cheese, which is cheddar. The process for making this is very easy. The noodles are first boiled in a pot, and while the noodles are boiling a cheese sauce is prepared in the pan. The cheese sauce is basically a combination of cheddar cheese, milk, and cream. The noodles and sauce are mixed, placed into a baking dish and topped with buttered breadcrumbs. If you are searching for an excellent mac and cheese recipe, give this one a try!

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
½ teaspoon salt
ground black pepper (to taste)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs (buttered)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook macaroni noodles according to package directions and drain. Set aside.
Step 2: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Use a whisk to stir until well blended. Pour in the milk and cream stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes while stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes while stirring. Add cheddar, a little at a time and stir in until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Add macaroni noodles to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs over the top of the macaroni. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
(Makes 4 Servings)

A good pizza sauce recipe is essential to any good homemade pizza. I have posted a lot of pizza recipes on this blog but never a sauce. This is a tomato based pizza sauce.  It is very easy to make and as simple as combining just a few ingredients. Parmesan cheese is one of my favorite ingredients in this sauce. It gets a little sweetness from honey and a little heat from dried red pepper flakes. This will make enough to cover 1 large pizza. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 ounces warm water
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons honey
¾ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a small bowl combine tomato paste, warm water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt. Make sure to break up any clumps of cheese.
Step 2: Allow the sauce to sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Spread over pizza dough.