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Appetizers and side dishes

Wisconsin fried cheese curds recipe


    Real Wisconsin fried cheese curds are a delicious appetizer. These cheese curds are dipped in a beer batter and then fried. The batter uses ingredients such as flour, beer, milk, and eggs. You can fry these in a deep-fryer or a large pot. This recipe is easy to prepare and the flavor is amazing. You can serve these cheese curds with ranch dressing. Enjoy.
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    Slow cooker kielbasa bites recipe


      These slow cooker kielbasa bites are an excellent appetizer to prepare for the super bowl. This appetizer is very easy to prepare. The kielbasa is sliced and placed into the crockpot with bbq sauce and sweet chili sauce. You can also just prepare this in a saucepan if you are short on time. I like to serve these on toothpicks. Enjoy.
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      Philly cheesesteak fries recipe


        A delicious topping for loaded French fries are the ingredients of a Philly cheese steak sandwich. These fries are topped with sliced steak, green pepper, onion, and cheese whiz. The steak is thinly sliced and then cooked on the stovetop with peppers and onions. You can really season the steak however you like but I used a combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. You can also use whatever type of French fries you like for this recipe. To make things easy frozen French fries are always a good option. Enjoy.
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        Chili cheese dog dip recipe


          This chili cheese dog dip is the perfect appetizer to add to any super bowl party! This recipe is pretty much pigs in a blanket with a chili cheese dip. Little smokies are wrapped in crescent rolls and placed into a cast iron skillet and a chili cheese dip is added into the center and baked to perfection in the oven. You can also prepare this in a baking dish such as a pie dish. The chili cheese dip is a combination of canned chili, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Enjoy.
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          Blackened shrimp nachos recipe


            Pan-fried blackened shrimp are sure to take your nachos to the next level. These blackened shrimp nachos are perfect to prepare for game day. The shrimp are coated with homemade blackened seasoning and then fried in the pan. The nachos are topped with Mexican cheese blend, pico de gallo, crema, lettuce, the blackened shrimp and green onion. If you want to up the heat a little, you can add some hot sauce to these nachos. Enjoy.
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            Bacon ranch potato foil packets recipe


              You can fire up the grill to prepare these bacon ranch potato foil packets. These foil packets make a great side dish to serve with your grilled meat. The potatoes are sliced and then mixed with ranch dressing, garlic powder, salt and pepper and placed into the foil packets with bacon and cheese. The foil packets are placed onto the grill and cooked for about 20-25 minutes or until tender. Top with fresh parsley once they are cooked. Enjoy.
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              How to roast pumpkin seeds

                How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
                You can save the seeds from your pumpkins this year and make a delicious snack. If you are wondering how to roast pumpkin seeds, it is actually very easy. Just scoop the seeds out of your pumpkin and separate the seeds from the pulp, toss them with butter and seasonings and then roast them on a baking sheet. It is that easy. You can leave some of the pulp on the seeds if you want, it will only add flavor, you just want them to be easy to toss with the butter. You can also rinse them to remove the pulp if you prefer. Enjoy.
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                Zucchini and feta frittata recipe

                  Zucchini and Feta Frittata
                  This zucchini and feta frittata are delicious to serve for breakfast or dinner. For this recipe, you will want to use a pie dish or a cast iron pan. The frittata is loaded with shredded zucchini, feta and Monterey jack cheese, and potato. The potato is precooked on the stovetop and then mashed with a fork and mixed into the other ingredients. After that, the oven does most of the work for you. You will want to make sure you get the moisture out of the zucchini, otherwise, it will be watery. Enjoy.
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                  Biscuits and gravy pot pie recipe

                    Biscuits and Gravy Pot Pie
                    Sausage gravy is great to serve over biscuits but why not take it to the next level and put it in a pot pie? It makes perfect sense. This recipe is easy to prepare and uses 2 premade pie crusts and homemade sausage gravy. The gravy is prepared on the stovetop and gets a lot of flavor from breakfast sausage, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. I like to serve this with breakfast items such as hash browns and scrambled eggs. Enjoy.
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                    Ham and hash brown casserole recipe

                      Ham and Hash Brown Casserole
                      With just a few simple ingredients you can easily prepare this delicious ham and hash brown casserole. This casserole can be served by itself for dinner or can be prepared for a side dish. Preparing this casserole is easy enough, ingredients such as ham, hash browns, sour cream and cream of chicken soup and mixed into a bowl and then placed into a baking dish. The casserole is then topped with additional cheese and baked to perfection in the oven. Enjoy.
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                      Hillbilly fries recipe

                        Hillbilly Fries
                        These hillbilly fries are loaded with country gravy, cheese, bacon and green onion. This recipe makes things easy by using frozen French fries but I like to make my own country gravy. If you want to save even more time you could always use the packaged stuff. These fries make a great appetizer and are perfect to prepare for the upcoming football season. Enjoy.
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                        Lemon poppy seed fruit salad recipe

                          Lemon Poppy Seed Fruit Salad
                          Lemon poppy seed fruit salad makes a great side dish for the summer. You can bring this fruit salad to parties or prepare it at home to impress your guests. I made this salad for the 4th of July this year as part of my cookout. This salad uses only 3 different types of fruit—pineapple, strawberries, and kiwi. You can add additional fruits as well such as fresh blueberries. The fruits are sliced and placed into a bowl and then tossed with lemon juice, sugar and poppy seeds. You can use honey instead of the sugar if you choose. Enjoy.
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                          How to roast potatoes

                            roast potatoes
                            Preparing roast potatoes do require a little bit of work but it is well worth it. These potatoes come out of the oven crispy and have amazing flavor. The potatoes are first boiled in a pot and then placed onto a baking sheet and baked in the oven until crispy. The potatoes are then tossed with a cooked garlic and rosemary mixture and fresh parsley. These potatoes make a great side dish to include in all kinds of meals. Enjoy.
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                            Cracker barrel hashbrown casserole recipe

                              Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
                              Here is a copycat recipe for the Hash Brown casserole at Cracker Barrel restaurant. This is an amazing dish to prepare as a side dish to go with pretty much any type of meat. I decided to prepare seasoned boneless pork chops to go with this dish. The process to preparing this casserole is simple—just combine all of the ingredients (except for a little bit of the cheese) in a large bowl and then place the mixture into a baking dish, top with the remaining cheese and bake to perfection! Enjoy.
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                              Panera Bread broccoli cheese soup recipe

                                Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup
                                Here is a copycat recipe for the broccoli cheese soup from Panera Bread. This is a delicious soup that can be prepared quickly and is easy to make. The soup uses vegetables such a broccoli, carrot and onion and the base is chicken broth, milk and heavy cream. The soup gets a lot of flavor from cheddar cheese which is stirred in at the end and a little kick from crushed red pepper flakes. I like to serve this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy.
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                                Olive garden chicken and gnocchi soup recipe

                                  Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
                                  This is a copycat recipe for the chicken and gnocchi soup at Olive Garden. This is my favorite soup to get every time I go to Olive Garden and I love to eat it with breadsticks. This soup consists of ingredients such as cooked chicken, potato gnocchi, chicken broth and a half and half. A lot of the flavor comes from celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and thyme. This soup takes a little time to prepare because a lot of the ingredients need to be chopped. Enjoy.
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                                  Shanghai wings recipe

                                    Shanghai Wings
                                    Here is a recipe for the Shanghai wings with wasabi ranch dressing just like at Chili’s restaurant. If you have never had this appetizer at Chili’s, it is basically breaded fried chicken coated with a ginger-citrus sauce and then served with a wasabi ranch dressing. These wings have an Asian flavor to them. The sauce gets a lot of its flavor from fresh ginger, soy sauce, lemon juice, and lime juice. If you want to save some time to buy breaded boneless wings from the store and coat them with the sauce. For the Wasabi-ranch dressing, green food coloring is optional. This is another great recipe for the Super Bowl. Enjoy.
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                                    Refried bean dip recipe

                                      Refried Bean Dip
                                      This refried bean dip is an excellent appetizer to prepare for parties. This dip is very easy to make and tastes delicious. The dip is served hot and baked in the oven. A lot of the flavor comes from taco seasoning. Preparing this dip is very easy, refried beans are mixed with taco seasoning, sour cream, and cream cheese and then placed into a baking dish and topped with shredded cheese and baked to perfection. You can top this with delicious taco ingredients if you want such as lettuce, tomato, and black olives. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy.
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                                      Pizza fries recipe

                                        Pizza Fries
                                        Pizza fries are a quick and easy appetizer to prepare. This is more of an idea than a recipe and is perfect to serve for your Super Bowl party. Waffle fries are topped with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni and then served with pizza sauce. If you want you can put the sauce right on the fries before the cheese but I like my fries crispy so I used the sauce for dipping. No frying is required just bake the fries in the oven and then top with pizza ingredients. Enjoy.
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                                        Fried ravioli recipe

                                          Fried Ravioli
                                          Fried ravioli is perfect to serve as an appetizer. This recipe consists of ravioli that are breaded and then fried in oil and served with marinara sauce. You can use whatever type of ravioli for this recipe you like. I used beef and cheese. The ravioli should be thawed and not frozen. This recipe is easy to prepare and only consists of a few ingredients. You can use either a deep-fryer or a deep skillet partially filled with oil to cook the ravioli. I like to top these with parmesan cheese. Enjoy.
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                                          Fried chicken poutine recipe

                                            Fried Chicken Poutine
                                            You can take your poutine to the next level by adding fried chicken. This poutine consists of fried chicken, fries, country gravy, bacon and cheese curds! There are a few different components to this recipe and it is a lot of work but it is so delicious. The chicken is breaded in a seasoned flour mixture and then fried. The gravy gets a lot of flavor from some of the seasoned flour mixture and chicken bouillon. To make this recipe easy, you can use frozen French fries. This is a great recipe for football parties. Enjoy.
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                                            Cranberry BBQ meatballs recipe

                                              Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
                                              These cranberry bbq meatballs are simple to make and delicious. These meatballs make a perfect appetizer for game day and go great served for dinner as well. The meatballs are prepared and then baked in the oven and then mixed with the cranberry sauce. The sauce is just a combination of cranberry sauce and bbq sauce. You can use your favorite brand of bbq sauce or even make your own if you want. I like to serve these meatballs with mac and cheese. These also go great served over rice. Enjoy.
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                                              Swedish meatballs recipe

                                                Swedish Meatballs
                                                Swedish meatballs are a classic dish that consists of meatballs that are fried in the pan and served with a homemade gravy over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. This is one of the better Swedish meatball recipes that I have tried. This recipe uses common ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand. The meatballs are prepared and then fried in butter and olive oil, then gravy is prepared in the same skillet. The gravy is a combination of beef broth, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. I like to serve these meatballs over egg noodles. Enjoy.
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                                                How to make crispy hash browns

                                                  Crispy Hash Browns
                                                  Perhaps you have made hash browns before but have had a hard time getting them crispy. This tutorial on how to make crispy hash browns is perfect for you. The secret is that you need to rinse the starch out of the potatoes and squeeze the moisture out. The oil also needs to be nice and hot to get them browned and crispy. The potatoes are shredded using a grater and then rinsed and drained and mixed with ingredients such as egg and flour. The hash browns and then cooked in hot oil until nice and browned. These hash browns make a great addition to any breakfast. Enjoy.
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                                                  Chipotle pico de gallo recipe

                                                    Chipotle Pico de Gallo
                                                    Here is a recipe for the pico de gallo salsa just like at Chipotle Mexican Grill. This salsa goes on great on all kinds of different Mexican foods such as Tacos, burritos and quesadillas. This recipe is a simple combination of tomato, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper. The salsa is seasoned with lime juice and salt for additional flavor. I really like the amazing flavor that this salsa adds to burritos! Enjoy.
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                                                    Kfc Mac and cheese recipe

                                                      KFC Mac and Cheese
                                                      I always enjoy getting the mac and cheese from KFC as a side dish to go with the fried chicken. This copycat recipe for KFC mac and cheese makes a great side dish to go with dinner. This mac and cheese is fully prepared on the stovetop, no baking is required. A combination of Velveeta and shredded cheddar is used for the sauce. I like to serve this recipe with fried chicken. Enjoy.
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                                                      Creole fried shrimp recipe

                                                        Creole Fried Shrimp
                                                        These creole fried shrimp are delicious to serve for dinner any night of the week. The shrimp are coated with an egg and spice mixture and then rolled in a combination of flour, cornmeal and various seasonings. The shrimp are fried in hot oil after being breaded. For the best results, I would recommend using a deep-fryer but you can fry the shrimp in a deep pot as well. Once the shrimp are fried they are served with a sriracha dipping sauce. If you can get shrimp that are already peeled and deveined that would be a lot easier because they will be ready for breading with minimal effort. Some good options for sides would be rice or fries. Enjoy.
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                                                        Skillet breakfast nachos recipe

                                                          Skillet Breakfast Nachos
                                                          Here is a very simple way to prepare breakfast nachos. These nachos are loaded with scrambles eggs, bacon and cheese. The ingredients are prepared individually and then layered in a skillet and placed into the oven and baked for a few minutes. You can add additional ingredients to this recipe if you choose. A good option may be to use some cooked chorizo sausage in place of the bacon. These are great to serve as an appetizer. Enjoy.
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                                                          Jalapeno chicken wing sauce recipe

                                                            Jalapeno Wing Sauce
                                                            Here is another delicious recipe for bone-in or boneless chicken wings, jalapeno wing sauce. This wing sauce has a unique flavor from the jalapeno pepper sauce. I like to prepare this sauce to go on boneless chicken wings and it is great to serve for Super Bowl parties. The sauce is prepared on the stovetop and is a combination of ketchup, brown sugar, jalapeno pepper sauce, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. This sauce is easy to prepare and only requires combining all of the ingredients in a saucepan and simmering for a few minutes. Enjoy. If you do not have jalapenos then you can try some of the jalapeno substitutes mentioned here.

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                                                            Sweet thai wing sauce recipe

                                                              Sweet Thai Wing Sauce
                                                              Here is a recipe for a sweet Thai wing sauce. This wing sauce has both the flavors of sweet and sour and tastes absolutely amazing. You can use this sauce on either bone-in or boneless chicken wings. It is also great to dip chicken nuggets in. The sauce gets a lot of its flavor from Thai chili sauce and ingredients such as rice vinegar, peanut butter, and ginger. The fresh cilantro that is mixed into the sauce when it is done cooking really adds a nice flavor. The sauce is fully prepared on the stovetop and can be served immediately. If you need a good wing breading recipe, you can use the breading from my post on How to Make Boneless Chicken Wings. This is a great recipe to prepare for the upcoming Super Bowl. Enjoy.
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                                                              Totchos recipe

                                                                Tater Tot Nachos
                                                                Totchos are what is created when you bring tater tots and nachos together. These patches are tater tots that are baked in the oven and topped with taco meat and cheese. What I like about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare. Totchos are a perfect appetizer to serve at parties. You can top these tater tot nachos with just about anything that goes good on tacos. Some good options would be salsa, sour cream, lettuce, and tomato. Enjoy.
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                                                                Pretzel chicken bites recipe

                                                                  Pretzel Chicken Bites
                                                                  These pretzel chicken bites make a great appetizer or dinner. The chicken is cut into small chunks and then coated first in flour, then dipped in egg and then rolled in crushed pretzels. The best part about this recipe, the chicken is baked and not fried! The pretzels may be a little difficult to crush. A good option would be to crush them with a rolling pin. You can also use a food processor or blender to break them up into fine chunks. I used the blender to crush them but I made sure not to blend too much because I wanted some pieces of pretzel left and not just fine crumbs. These chicken bites go great served with honey-mustard dipping sauce. Enjoy.
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                                                                  Sausage and Herb stuffing recipe

                                                                    Sausage and Herb Stuffing
                                                                    If you are looking for a delicious stuffing recipe for the holidays, this one is perfect. I prepared this sausage and herb stuffing for Thanksgiving this year and it was a big hit. What makes this stuffing so amazing is the use of fresh herbs such as sage, rosemary and parsley and the use of sweet Italian sausage. This recipe uses pre-made stuffing cubes to help save time and makes this dish easy to prepare. Onions, garlic, and celery are sautéed in butter and then added to the bread cubes along with various ingredients. The sausage is cooked in the same skillet as the celery and onion mixture. Once the ingredients are mixed with the stuffing cubes, the dish is placed into the oven and baked until golden brown on top. The top of the casserole should be brown and crunchy. Enjoy.
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                                                                    Kfc coleslaw recipe

                                                                      KFC Coleslaw
                                                                      One of the best side dishes at KFC is their coleslaw. With this recipe, you can make your own KFC coleslaw right at home. Not only is this a great copycat recipe but it is perhaps one of the better coleslaws that I have tasted. A lot of the flavor comes from white vinegar, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and buttermilk. For the carrots, I used a cheese grater to shred them but you could also use a knife and slice them into very thin strips. For the best results, you will want to allow the coleslaw to be refrigerated for several hours or overnight to allow the flavor to develop before serving. This coleslaw makes a great side-dish. Enjoy.
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                                                                      Subway chipotle southwest sauce recipe

                                                                        Subway Chipotle Southwest Sauce
                                                                        Here is a recipe for the Chipotle southwest sauce from Subway restaurant. This sauce is one of my favorites to get on several of their subs. What is great about this recipe is that it mostly uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. To prepare the sauce simply mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and place into the refrigerator for an hour before using. This sauce goes great on sandwiches and wraps. The sandwich in the picture has pit ham, oven roasted turkey, bacon, provolone cheese, lettuce and pickles. Enjoy.Read More »Subway chipotle southwest sauce recipe

                                                                        Garlic bread pizza recipe

                                                                          Garlic Bread Pizza
                                                                          If you are looking for a really easy dinner to prepare, this garlic bread pizza is perfect for you. French bread is spread with a garlic and butter mixture and then topped off with pizza ingredients such as sauce, cheese and pepperoni. I like to slice the French bread in half or cut the French bread into individual slices. If you want to put a little extra work in you can even make your own pizza sauce. This recipe can also be served as an appetizer. Enjoy.
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                                                                          Bacon gravy recipe

                                                                            bacon gravy
                                                                            A great alternative to sausage gravy is bacon gravy. This gravy is great if you are looking to serve something different for breakfast or just have bacon on hand and not any sausage. The bacon is cooked in the pan until crispy and then the gravy is prepared using the bacon grease. The bacon grease adds a lot of flavor to this recipe. Bacon gravy is very easy to prepare and goes great served over biscuits. Chances are you already have the ingredients on hand to make this. I also like to serve it with eggs and hash browns. Enjoy.
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                                                                            Crab rangoon dip recipe

                                                                              crab rangoon dip
                                                                              This crab Rangoon dip makes a great recipe to serve for the Super Bowl. The process to preparing this dip is very easy… all of the dip ingredients are mixed in a bowl and then placed into a baking dish, topped with cheese and then baked. The dip gets a lot of its flavor from cream cheese, lemon juice and crab. If you would prefer you can use imitation crab instead of the canned crab meat, which is what I did. This dip is also served with homemade won ton chips. The chips are simply won ton wrappers that are cut into triangles and get baked in the oven for a few minutes. Enjoy.
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                                                                              Black bean dip recipe

                                                                                black bean dip
                                                                                This black bean dip is a healthy alternative to using refried beans in your dip. Dip recipes make a great appetizer to serve for your Super Bowl party. This recipe combines black beans with sour cream, jalapeno peppers, cheese and diced tomatoes to create a delicious and slightly spicy dip that goes great served with tortilla chips. The beans, chilies and sour cream are blended in a food processor until smooth and then placed into a baking dish. The dip is served warm and is baked in the oven. The dip is topped off with cheese, tomato, cilantro and green onion. Enjoy.
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                                                                                Carne asada fries recipe

                                                                                  Carne Asada Fries
                                                                                  These carne asada fries make a delicious appetizer. The fries are loaded with carne asada steak, cheese, guacamole and sour cream. The steak is marinated in ingredients such as lime juice, olive oil, cilantro and garlic. The steak is then grilled but it could also be fried in the pan. I like to save time by using frozen French fries but if you would prefer you could make your own. Any type of unseasoned French fry will work this recipe—steak fries, restaurant cut fries, etc. Another good topping option for this recipe would be some fresh pico de gallo. Enjoy.
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                                                                                  Wonton soup recipe

                                                                                    Wonton Soup
                                                                                    One of my favorite soups to get at Chinese restaurants is Wonton soup. Wonton soup consists of wontons that are filled with a pork mixture and then cooked in either chicken broth of water. This recipe cooks the wontons in water because the dish can be served as leftovers. If the soup is allowed to sit the wontons will make the soup cloudy, thick and starchy. If you intend to serve the soup immediately, the wontons can be cooked right in the broth. The broth really only consists of chicken stock and sesame oil. You can add additional ingredients to the broth for a little more flavor such as soy sauce. Soy sauce will also give the broth a darker color, if that is what you prefer. Wonton soup is great to serve for lunch or with any Chinese dinner. Enjoy.
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