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

Grilled chicken for tacos recipe

    Grilled Chicken for Tacos
    Shredded chicken is great but if you are looking for something different for tacos, try grilling the chicken. For this recipe you can either use chicken breasts or chicken thighs. The chicken is marinated in a homemade taco seasoning and lime juice mixture and then grilled and sliced for tacos. Chances are you probably have a lot of ingredients on hand for this recipe already since it uses very common spices. You can top these tacos with your favorite condiments such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, guacamole. Enjoy.
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    Carne asada quesadillas recipe

      Carne Asada Quesadillas
      Carne Asada quesadillas are loaded with delicious grilled carne asada steak and cheese and to make things even better there is a avocado-lime sauce for dipping. The steak gets a ton of flavor from the marinade. You will want the steak to marinade for at least 6 hours to allow the flavor to develop. Once the steak has finished marinating it is grilled and sliced and then used to make the quesadillas on the stovetop. If you want you could grill the quesadillas as well and not use the stove at all. The avocado-lime sauce is delicious for dipping or you could use it as a spread when preparing the quesadillas. Enjoy.
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      Breakfast skillet recipe

        Breakfast Skillet
        If you need a quick and easy one pan breakfast dish, this breakfast skillet is exactly what you are looking for. This skillet is loaded with hash browns, bacon, eggs, cheese and green onions. The hash browns are cooked in oil in the pan until browned and then the remaining ingredients are added and the pan is placed into the oven and baked to perfection. You can easily double this recipe if you want to make two pans and serve more people. Enjoy.
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        Cheesy chicken burritos recipe

          Cheese Chicken Burritos
          These cheesy chicken burritos are loaded with seasoned Mexican chicken, beans, cheese, Pico de Gallo and lime rice. This recipe does require a little bit of work to prepare all of the ingredients but it is delicious. The chicken is prepared in the slow cooker with taco seasoning and salsa. The Pico de Gallo is just a simple combination of tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, onion, salt, and lime juice. The lime rice gets a lot of flavor from cilantro and fresh lime juice. To make things even better these burritos are rolled up and then grilled in a pan to help the cheese and add a little crunch. 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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            Stuffed chicken caprese recipe

              Stuffed Chicken Caprese
              This stuffed chicken caprese consists of chicken stuffed with both fresh and sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, and cheese. The chicken is coated in a balsamic glaze. The glaze is just a simple combination of garlic, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar. The chicken is first stuffed with the ingredients, then fried in the pan and placed into the oven to finish the cooking process. This dish is great to serve for dinner and is not very difficult to prepare at all. I like to serve this stuffed chicken caprese with wild rice. Enjoy.
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              Tuna noodle casserole recipe

                Tuna Casserole
                Tuna noodle casserole is very simple and easy to prepare. This recipe combines cooked egg noodles with cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, tuna, and peas. The casserole is topped off with shredded cheese and French fried onions for a nice crunch. You can use rotini in place of the egg noodles if you want. If you are looking for a quick and easy casserole dish that uses tuna, give this one a try. Enjoy.
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                Chicken Parmesan manicotti recipe

                  Chicken Parmesan Manicotti
                  The ingredients and chicken parmesan go great stuffed into manicotti shells. These chicken parmesan manicotti are loaded with shredded chicken, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese. The stuffed manicotti shells are topped with a homemade sauce and then baked in the oven. This recipe gets a lot of flavor from seasonings such as basil and oregano. I like to serve this dish with garlic bread on the side. 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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                    Kettle chip crusted chicken recipe

                      Kettle Chip Crusted Chicken
                      You can use kettle chips as a delicious coating for breaded chicken. This recipe is so easy to prepare and only consists of eggs, chicken and kettle chips. You can use different flavored kettle chips to make this chicken dish taste different every time. I have only tried a couple of flavors but my favorite so far is BBQ. Best of all, the chicken is baked and not fried. You can crush the kettle chips by placing them in a ziplock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. You can also put them into a food processor. The chicken is dipped first in the beaten egg and then rolled in the kettle chips and then baked in the oven. I like to serve this recipe with rice. Enjoy.
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                      How to make beef pot pie

                        How to Make Beef Pot Pie
                        If you want to know how to make beef pot pie, it is fairly simple to prepare. This recipe uses cubed beef, vegetables and a sauce made from ingredients such as beef broth and Guinness. The ingredients are first simmered on the stovetop and then placed into a pie shell and baked to perfection. You can really add whatever vegetables you like to this recipe such as mushrooms and corn. It does require a little bit of work to prep all of the vegetables. If you want to save time you can buy cubed stew meat from the store. This recipe will make 2 (9 inches) pot pies if you only want to make one, cut the ingredients in half. If you don’t want to use the Guinness, you can substitute extra beef broth instead. Enjoy.
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                        Manicotti with meat sauce recipe

                          Manicotti with Meat Sauce
                          This is a recipe for manicotti with meat sauce that is baked in a casserole dish. The manicotti is stuffed with ricotta cheese, fresh oregano, and parmesan. The sauce is just a simple combination of ground beef, garlic, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings. The manicotti is topped off with a layer of shredded parmesan cheese. It is a little bit of work to stuff the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells but it is worth the effort. I like to serve this recipe with garlic bread. Enjoy.
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                          How to make stromboli

                            Stromboli
                            If you want to know how to make Stromboli, this recipe is exactly what you are looking for. Making Stromboli is very easy and using store bought ingredients helps to speed up the process a lot. This recipe uses pizza ingredients such as sauce, pepperoni, and Italian sausage. A premade crust is laid on out a flat surface and then topped with sauce, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and cheese and then rolled up and baked to perfection. I like to serve this Stromboli with additional pizza sauce on the side. Enjoy.
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                            Green chicken enchiladas recipe

                              Green Chicken Enchiladas
                              If you are looking for a delicious chicken enchiladas recipe with a homemade green sauce, this dish is perfect for you. In this recipe, shredded chicken is rolled in corn tortillas and then topped with a homemade green enchilada sauce, Mexican crema, and cheese. The green sauce is made from scratch and uses ingredients such as tomatillos, chili peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Preparing the sauce does require a little bit of effort but it is so much better than using the canned stuff from the store. I like to serve these with rice on the side. Enjoy.
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                              Sloppy Joe French bread pizza recipe

                                Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza
                                Using French bread as the crust for this sloppy joe French bread pizza makes it so easy to prepare. French bread is topped with prepared sloppy joe meat and cheese and then baked to perfection in the oven. The sloppy joe meat consists of ingredients such as ground beef, bell pepper, onion, and tomato sauce. For the cheese, I used a blend of Colby and Monterey jack but several other types of cheeses such as cheddar would be great as well. I like to serve this sloppy joe French bread pizza with a salad on the side. Enjoy.
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                                Chili cheeseburger bake recipe

                                  Chili Cheeseburger Bake
                                  This chili cheeseburger bake is loaded with delicious ingredients. To be honest, it is actually more like a taco bake without any tortillas. The casserole is layered with a taco meat and vegetable mixture, refried beans and taco sauce, chili cheese flavored frito chips and tons of shredded cheddar cheese. This casserole is easy to prepare and you can easily double it to serve a lot of people if needed. You can top this off with your favorite chili or taco ingredients. Enjoy.
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                                  Pineapple grilled chicken recipe

                                    Pineapple Grilled Chicken
                                    Grilled chicken is great when you combine it with the flavor of pineapple. The chicken is first marinated in a pineapple juice mixture and then grilled and brushed with the reserved marinade. The marinade gets a lot of flavor from the pineapple juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. This recipe is easy to prepare and if you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use an indoor grill pan instead. If you want even grill up some pineapple slices to go with this. I topped this dish with grilled diced pineapple chunks and sliced green onion. Enjoy.
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                                    Slow cooker beef ragu recipe

                                      Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
                                      This beef ragu can be easily made in the slow cooker. Just brown the beef on the stove top add it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients and let it simmer all day. This is a simple recipe that uses common ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand. This ragu gets a lot of its flavor from the classic onion, garlic, celery and carrot combination. The sauce is tomato based using both crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Once the beef chunks have finished cooking in the slow cooker, they are shredded and then returned to the sauce and it is pretty much ready to serve. The noodles are cooked and then tossed with the sauce in a pan. I like to serve this recipe with garlic bread. Enjoy.

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                                      How to make beer brats recipe

                                        How to Make Beer Brats
                                        If you have ever wanted to know how to make beer brats this recipe is perfect for you. Beer brats are very easy to prepare and you only need 3 ingredients… bratwurst, beer, and onions. The brats are first simmered in a pot with beer and sliced onion and then placed onto the grill and browned. You can really use whatever type of beer you want but I like to use a good dark beer. With these brats I used Guinness. You can serve these on buns with the sliced onions and mustard. Enjoy.
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                                        Grilled soy ginger chicken recipe

                                          Soy ginger chicken
                                          This soy ginger chicken is marinated and grilled to perfection. This dish is easy to prepare, healthy and delicious. The chicken is marinated in ingredients such as soy sauce, fresh ginger, orange juice, garlic, and sesame oil. After the chicken has finished cooking it is topped off with homemade mango salsa. The salsa is just a combination of fresh mangos, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice. If you don’t have a grill using an indoor grill pan will work instead. Enjoy.
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                                          BBQ ranch burgers recipe

                                            BBQ Ranch Burgers
                                            These BBQ ranch burgers get a lot of flavor from ranch dressing mix and prepared bbq sauce. The burgers are topped with ranch guacamole. You can either grill these burgers on an outdoor grill, cook them in the frying pan or on a griddle. The ground beef is mixed with ingredients such as ranch dressing, bbq sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and minced onion. I like to serve these burgers with French fries. Enjoy!
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                                            Bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole recipe

                                              Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
                                              This bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole combines the ingredients of a cheeseburger with tater tots. What is great about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare. Ground beef is brown in a skillet and then mixed with seasonings and ketchup and mustard. The ground beef mixture is placed into a baking dish and topped with bacon, tater tots, and cheese. Once the dish has finished baking you can top it with your favorite cheeseburger condiments such as diced tomato and pickle. Enjoy.
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                                              Easy grilled chicken marinade recipe

                                                Grilled Chicken Marinade
                                                I always love a simple and easy marinade for grilled chicken. This marinade is so simple and only consists of 3 ingredients which you probably already have on hand. This marinade consists of olive oil, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. You can substitute different kinds of vinegar if you wish such as rice vinegar or white vinegar. Just mix all of the ingredients in a bowl add to the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator.
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                                                Bacon wrapped cheese stuffed hot dogs recipe

                                                  Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs
                                                  These bacon wrapped cheese stuffed hot dogs are great on the grill. This recipe consists of very few ingredients and is simple to prepare. The hot dogs are sliced and stuffed with cheese and then wrapped with bacon. The hot dogs are then grilled and brushed with BBQ sauce. You will probably want to use precooked bacon for this recipe because it will cook faster. You can use whatever type of BBQ sauce you want for this recipe. Enjoy.
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                                                  Turkey stuffed peppers recipe

                                                    Turkey Stuffed Peppers
                                                    These turkey stuffed peppers are a delicious and healthy meal. This recipe consists of bell peppers that are sliced in half and then stuffed with a seasoned ground turkey and rice mixture and topped with shredded cheddar cheese. The stuffed peppers are baked in the oven until tender. The meat mixture gets the flavor from tomato sauce, garlic powder, cumin, and cilantro. These stuffed peppers are a great way to make use of peppers from your garden. Enjoy!
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                                                    Chicken Caesar burgers recipe

                                                      Chicken Caesar Burgers

                                                      In this recipe, the ingredients of a delicious chicken Caesar salad are combined with a burger. Grilled chicken burgers are served on a toasted ciabatta roll and topped with Caesar dressing and romaine lettuce. The Caesar dressing gets a lot of flavor from ingredients such as lemon, garlic, and anchovy. Parmesan cheese is mixed into the ground chicken to keep the patties from drying out while cooking. If you don’t have an outdoor grill you can use either a griddle, frying pan or an indoor grill pan. Enjoy.
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                                                      Sausage stuffed manicotti recipe

                                                        Sausage Stuffed Manicotti
                                                        Sausage stuffed manicotti are delicious served for dinner with garlic bread. The sausage mixture is a combination if Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, egg, and parmesan, provolone and mozzarella cheeses. Stuffing the manicotti does require a little bit of effort but it is worth it. You can use whatever type of spaghetti sauce you want for this recipe or even make your own. You can even make your own sausage if you want, give this cudighi recipe a try! Enjoy.
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                                                        Slow cooker ground beef tacos recipe

                                                          Slow Cooker Ground Beef Tacos
                                                          Yes, you can make ground beef tacos right in the slow cooker and no browning of the meat is needed. The raw hamburger along with various seasonings are placed into the crockpot and cooked on low for several hours. What is great about this recipe is the texture that the tacos have. Chances are you already have most of the ingredients for this recipe on hand. These tacos and are slightly spicy from the cayenne pepper and chipotle powder—both of these ingredients are optional but I really like the nice smoky flavor the chipotle powder gives to this taco meat. The meat can also be used for burritos. Some great toppings are guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Enjoy.
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                                                          Chorizo enchiladas recipe

                                                            Chorizo Enchiladas
                                                            Making breakfast enchiladas with chorizo sausage is delicious. The chorizo adds a unique flavor and a little spice to this dish. The enchiladas are stuffed with cooked chorizo, eggs, hash browns, and cheese. The enchiladas are topped off in a casserole dish with a sauce. The sauce is nothing more than a simple mixture of green enchilada sauce and heavy cream. A little bit of work is required to prepare all of the individual ingredients but it is worth the effort. I like to top these enchiladas with sliced green onion and diced tomato. Enjoy.
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                                                            Denver omelet recipe

                                                              Denver Omelet
                                                              The Denver omelet is perfect to prepare for breakfast. This omelet consists of cooked ham, green pepper, onion and cheese. There is some debate about if a Denver Omelet has cheese in it but I had to put it in mine. This recipe is enough to make one omelet but the ingredients can easily be doubled or tripled to make more. The ham and veggies are cooked right into the egg mixture and then cooked in a non-stick skillet, topped with cheese and folded or rolled up into an omelet. I like to serve this omelet with toast on the side. Enjoy.
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                                                              Taco lasagna roll ups recipe

                                                                Taco Lasagna Roll Ups
                                                                Classic Italian lasagna roll-ups are great but when you add Mexican ingredients they are even better. This recipe consists of lasagna noodles that are topped with taco meat, cottage cheese, and parmesan cheese and rolled up. The rolled noodles are placed into a baking dish on top of the salsa and then topped off with queso cheese sauce and Mexican cheese blend. A little bit of work is required to roll the lasagna noodles but it is well worth the effort. You can top these Mexican lasagna roll-ups with whatever ingredients you like such as sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and black olives. Enjoy.
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                                                                Guacamole chicken burgers recipe

                                                                  Guacamole Chicken Burgers
                                                                  Guacamole chicken burgers go great on the grill or in a frying pan. The chicken burgers have sort of a taco flavor to them, are topped with cheddar cheese, cilantro, and guacamole. A lot of the flavor in the chicken burgers comes from cilantro, garlic, lime juice, paprika, and cumin. The shredded cheddar cheese is an important ingredient and helps to keep the burgers from becoming dry. For the guacamole, you can save time by buying it premade from the store. I love to make my own though because it tastes so much better. This is a great recipe for summer and if you want a try a burger that is a little different. Enjoy.
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                                                                  Roadhouse burger recipe

                                                                    Roadhouse Burger
                                                                    Burgers on the grill are a great option for dinner during the summer. This roadhouse burger is loaded with Swiss cheese, garlic mayo, bacon, caramelized onions, an onion ring, and a toasted onion bun. The garlic mayonnaise is just a simple combination of mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. The garlic mayonnaise really adds an amazing flavor to this recipe. I used frozen onion rings for this recipe and cooked them in a deep-fryer. You could also bake them in the oven or even make your own. I like to serve this burger with French fries. Enjoy.
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                                                                    Dragon chicken recipe

                                                                      Dragon Chicken
                                                                      Dragon chicken is an Indo-Chinese dish that consists of breaded, fried chicken mixed with a spicy red sauce. This recipe is great because it uses common ingredients that are easy to find and many which you may already have on hand. The chicken is coated with a seasoned cornstarch and egg mixture, then fried and tossed with a sauce. The sauce gets a lot of flavor from garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sugar. Red pepper flakes are added for the spice. You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes based on your taste. If you like a milder dish, you will want to use significantly less. You can either use dark meat or white meat chicken for this recipe. I like to serve this chicken on top of brown or white rice. Enjoy.
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                                                                      How to make a quesarito

                                                                         

                                                                        How to Make a Quesarito
                                                                        This is a great recipe if you are looking for a tutorial on how to make a quesarito. The quesarito started as a secret menu item at Chipotle and was later added as a regular menu item at Taco Bell. This recipe is more like the one you would find at Taco Bell as far as the ingredients go but it could be adapted as a copycat recipe for either restaurant. The quesarito is basically a quesadilla that is wrapped up into a burrito. This burrito is stuffed with taco meat, cilantro-lime rice, chipotle sauce, and sour cream. The best way that I found to prepare the quesadilla is to microwave the cheese between two tortillas wrapped in paper towels. Once the tortillas come out of the microwave, the cheese is melted and the tortillas are soft and easy to roll into a burrito. The burritos can be browned in the pan but that is totally optional. There is a lot of work involved in this recipe but you can save time by using things such as packaged taco seasoning. Enjoy.

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                                                                        French onion chicken recipe

                                                                          French Onion Chicken
                                                                          This French onion chicken is cooked in a skillet and topped off with a sauce, caramelized onions and gruyere cheese. The chicken is seasoned with spices such as Herbs de Provence, granulated onion and garlic. The sauce is a combination of white wine and beef stock. Fresh thyme really adds a nice flavor to this recipe. The chicken is first cooked in the pan and then transferred to the broiler to melt the cheese. You can serve this recipe with mashed potatoes or rice. Enjoy.
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                                                                          Meatballs with mushroom gravy recipe

                                                                            Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy
                                                                            I love serving meatballs with gravy and mashed potatoes for dinner. The meatballs use your normal meatball ingredients like breadcrumbs and eggs and are fried in a butter and oil mixture. The mushroom gravy gets a lot of its flavor from ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. If you are in need of a good mashed potato recipe to serve with these meatballs, try my garlic mashed potatoes. 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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