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Dinner

Blog Chef dinner recipes take center stage at your table. We specialize in simple, delicious dinners with a comfort-food slant.

Gumbo recipe

    Traditionally served over rice, Gumbo is a heartfelt, classic Louisiana dish that is usually enjoyed during the colder seasons. As the colder months are approaching,… Read More »Gumbo recipe

    Pad Thai

    Pad Thai

      Pad Thai is a dish that has its origin in Thailand. The dish isn’t an ancient one and belongs to 1930s. Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the then… Read More »Pad Thai

      Pesto

      Pesto recipe

        Pesto recipe is originated from the Genoese word which means ‘to crush’ and it is a sauce used from the 16th century by crushing garlic,… Read More »Pesto recipe

        Blackened chicken breast with lemon slices

        Blackened chicken recipe

          Blackened chicken is so easy to make and prepare for dinner. The truth is with just a simple combination of spices you can prepare delicious and flavorful boneless chicken. Chances are you already have most or all of these spices on hand, which makes this an amazing recipe to prepare with ingredients you already have in your pantry. This chicken does have a little kick to it from black pepper, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. If you want less spice you can reduce the amount of these ingredients. The chicken is coated with the blackened seasoning and then fried in the pan. I like to serve this recipe with wild rice. Enjoy.

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          Lamb Gyros

          Lamb gyros recipe

            Lamb Gyros
            I always enjoy Gyros from my favorite restaurants and have always wanted to make them at home. You don’t even need a rotisserie. This is a great recipe to make lamb gyros with no rotisserie. Instead, the lamb is baked in the oven meatloaf style, sliced, and then placed under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp the edges. The lamb is mixed with ingredients such as garlic, onion, and fresh thyme and then processed in a blender. I found the flavor of the meat to be spot on with what I typically get from restaurants. The meat is placed into a loaf of pita bread or naan and then topped with yogurt sauce, chopped onion, and diced tomato. Enjoy.
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            Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese

            Pulled pork Mac and cheese recipe

              Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
              If you want to step your mac and cheese game up try adding delicious BBQ pulled pork into the mix. There is just something about pulled pork and homemade mac and cheese that is truly amazing when they are in combination. You can easily make BBQ pulled pork by just adding a pork roast to the slow cooker, cooking it for several hours, shredding it and then mixing it with your favorite bbq sauce. The mac and cheese are easy to prepare and uses two different kinds of cheese—mozzarella and cheddar. Enjoy.
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              Chicken tamale bake with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream

              Chicken tamale bake recipe

                If you have a craving for a delicious Mexican style casserole why not give this chicken tamale bake a try. Homemade cornbread is topped with enchilada sauce and shredded chicken and then loaded with cheese. You can use the meat from a rotisserie chicken to save a good amount of time. You will certainly want to top this casserole off with anything that you like on taco dishes such as sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomato, and olives. Enjoy.

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                Smoky Mac and Cheese

                Smoky Mac and cheese recipe

                  Smoky Mac and Cheese
                  There are a lot of different ways to make homemade macaroni and cheese but the smoky version is always a good option to go with dinner. What exactly makes this mac and cheese smoky you might ask? We are using two different types of cheeses– smoked Gouda and smoked cheddar. Preparing this dish is simple enough and it certainly beats anything that you will find in the store. It starts out with a little flour and butter being cooked in the pan and then milk is added and cooked until thick and bubbly. After that just add some cheese and seasonings, mix it with the pasta and this delicious side-dish is ready. Enjoy.
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                  Baked Bone-in Chicken Breasts

                  Baked bone-in chicken breasts recipe

                    Baked Bone-in Chicken Breasts
                    Baked bone-in chicken breasts have a lot more flavor than boneless skinless breasts. I have started using split breasts that are bone-in with the skin-on more and more lately. This chicken is cooked in the oven to perfection. A lot of the flavor in this dish comes from garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper. The chicken is easy to prepare and you can serve it with a variety of different side dishes. You can pound the chicken with a heavy cast iron skillet to thin it out a bit so it will reduce the cooking time. If you can find chicken breasts that are smaller, that would be a good option. Enjoy.
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                    Slow Cooker Pork Ragu

                    Slow cooker pork ragu recipe

                      Slow Cooker Pork Ragu
                      A delicious meat sauce to serve over cooked pasta is pork ragu. You can prepare pork ragu on the stovetop but I prefer the slow cooker. Just simply throw all of the ingredients into the crock pot, let it cook, shred the meat and it is ready to serve. The ragu gets a lot of flavor from red wine, tomatoes, garlic, carrot and onion. You can use whatever type of pasta you want to this recipe but I used pappardelle. I like to serve this recipe with garlic bread on the side. Enjoy.
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                      Chicken caesar sandwich on cutting board

                      Chicken Caesar BLT recipe

                        Chicken Caesar BLTS are great to prepare for lunch or dinner. The chicken is seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and then either grilled or baked. You can use your favorite brand of Caesar dressing for this recipe. The sandwiches are loaded with the grilled chicken, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and parmesan cheese. I like to serve these sandwiches with chips. Enjoy.

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                        Chicken tetrazzini casserole topped with a golden cheese layer

                        Chicken tetrazzini recipe

                          Chicken tetrazzini is a casserole consisting of linguini, chicken, and a white sauce topped with cheese. This is a very easy casserole to make. The sauce is basically just a combination of cream of chicken soup, sour cream and chicken broth. This recipe calls for cooked chicken and is a great way to use up leftover chicken or you can also use the meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken. The cheeses are mozzarella and parmesan. I like to serve this casserole with garlic bread. Enjoy.

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                          Carnitas Street Tacos

                          Carnitas street tacos recipe

                            Carnitas Street Tacos
                            Why spend money on expensive street food when you can make something just as delicious right at home in the slow cooker. These Carnitas street tacos taste amazing just like from your favorite food truck. To make this recipe a pork roast is rubbed with a seasoning and added into the slow cooker which ingredients such as orange juice and lime juice and then cooked and shredded. The shredded meat is placed onto a baking sheet and broiled until brown and a little crisp. The meat is served on corn tortillas with queso fresco cheese, cilantro and green onion. Enjoy.
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                            Hot Dogs with Onion Rings

                            Hot dogs with onion rings recipe

                              Hot Dogs with Onion Rings
                              These hot dogs with onion rings are great to serve for the upcoming NFL season and can easily be prepared on the grill. The hot dog are topped with onion rings, coleslaw and bbq sauce. This is more of an idea than a recipe and you can use whatever type of BBQ sauce you like, as well as whatever coleslaw you enjoy. I like to serve these hot dogs with French fries. Enjoy.
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                              Gyro Brat Hoagies

                              Gyro brat hoagies recipe

                                Gyro Brat Hoagies
                                The NFL preseason is upon us and that means it is that time of year again for gameday food. These gyro brat hoagies are a perfect recipe to serve for game day. The brats are first grilled and then sliced and placed on toasted hoagie rolls with sauce and onion and tomato. The sauce is a combination of sour cream, cucumber, garlic and parsley. I like to server these gyro brat hoagies with French fries. Enjoy.
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                                Ground Beef Taquitos

                                Ground beef taquitos recipe

                                  Ground Beef Taquitos
                                  Using ground beef in taquitos is a so much quicker than making them with shredded beef and they still taste amazing. The ground beef is seasoned with a homemade taco seasoning and then spooned into corn tortillas along with Monterey jack cheese. These taquitos are baked in the oven. You will want to warm the corn tortillas up before trying to roll them otherwise they will break apart. You can use a microwave or a skillet to warm them. You can top these taquitos with any of your favorite taco ingredients such as lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and guacamole. Enjoy.
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                                  Santa Fe Chicken

                                  Santa Fe chicken recipe

                                    Santa Fe Chicken
                                    Santa Fe Chicken is marinated grilled chicken topped with sundried tomatoes, black beans, cheese and cilantro. The chicken is marinated for only about 10 minutes in lime juice, seasoned with salt and pepper and then grilled. If you don’t have a grill you can also cook this on the stove top. Enjoy.
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                                    Carnitas burrito bowl with rice and veggies

                                    Carnitas burrito bowls recipe

                                      Carnitas burrito bowls combine all of your favorite ingredients from a carnitas burrito only without the wrap. This is a delicious and healthy Mexican dish that is great to prepare for dinner or lunches. These bowls consist of shredded pork, corn, black beans, cilantro lime rice, and guacamole. You can also add cheese if you want, I prefer queso fresco. The carnitas is prepared in the slow cooker and get a lot of flavor from ingredients such as lime juice, orange juice, and garlic. Enjoy.

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                                      Cajun Shrimp Wraps

                                      Cajun shrimp wraps recipe

                                        Cajun Shrimp Wraps
                                        If you are looking for a seafood wraps that is a little spicy than this recipe is perfect for you. These Cajun shrimp wraps consist of Cajun shrimp, cheese, rice, lettuce, and garlic aioli. The shrimp is sprinkled with Cajun seasoning and then fried in the pan. The garlic aioli is a combination of mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For the wraps you can use whatever flavor you like, I would recommend either plain or sun-dried tomato. I like to serve these wraps with chips. Enjoy.
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                                        Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

                                        Grilled chicken street tacos recipe

                                          Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
                                          These grilled chicken street tacos are a perfect dinner to prepare on the grill during the summer. This recipe consists of marinated grilled chicken, cilantro, and red onion on corn tortillas. You can add additional ingredients such as black beans and queso fresco cheese. A squeeze of lime juice tops these tacos off nicely. The marinade gives the chicken a lot of flavor from ingredients such as vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, and ancho chili powder. I would recommend marinating the chicken for at least 6 hours for a good amount of flavor. Enjoy.
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                                          Balsamic Dijon Pork Chops

                                          Balsamic dijon pork chops recipe

                                            Balsamic Dijon Pork Chops
                                            Pork chops are an easy and inexpensive dinner to prepare on the grill during the summer. These balsamic Dijon pork chops are grilled and then brushed with a sauce. The sauce is a combination of balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and a few different spices. I like to use boneless pork chops but using bone-in is fine as well. I like to serve this recipe with a cold pasta salad. Enjoy.
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