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Mexican pasta bake recipe

    Mexican Pasta Bake
    What I really enjoy about this Mexican pasta bake is how easy that it is to prepare. Most of the flavor in this recipe comes from green salsa. For the green salsa you can choose whichever brand that you prefer. The spiciness of the salsa you select is what is going to provide the heat in this recipe. If you are not a fan of spicy foods, I would recommend getting a mild salsa. The salsa is mixed with cooked pork sausage to give this dish even more flavor. The casserole is layered with noodles, the meat mixture and then Monterey jack cheese before being placed into the oven. After the casserole is done baking it is topped off with tomato wedges, sliced jalapeno peppers, and cilantro. The toppings really add a good amount of flavor to this recipe and the jalapenos provide a nice crunch. Enjoy.
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    Chicken taco salad with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and tortilla chips in a bowl

    Grilled chicken taco salad recipe

      During the summer months I usually like to prepare taco salads for dinner. Instead of the normal taco salad using ground beef, this recipe uses grilled seasoned chicken. The chicken gets a lot of its flavor from ingredients such as chili powder, cumin and ground coriander. If you do not have a grill you can bake the chicken or fry it on the stovetop. You can adjust the ingredients in this salad to your liking. I like black beans, tomato, corn and tortilla chips. I also like to add some shredded cheese into the mix. This salad uses a delicious cilantro-lime dressing to add even more flavor. Most of the flavors in the dressing comes from the cilantro and lime juice. This salad is a delicious recipe for summer. Enjoy.

      Chicken taco salad with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and tortilla chips in a bowl
      ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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      Chili con queso pasta bake recipe

        Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake
        Baked pasta dishes are one of my favorite casseroles to prepare because they usually always turn out good. This chili con queso pasta bake combines Mexican ingredients with penne pasta and hamburger in a casserole dish. This is sort of like a macaroni and cheese recipe. The noodles are mixed with a cheese and tomato sauce. I really enjoyed the flavor that the fire roasted tomatoes added to this recipe. The dish gets additional flavor from seasonings such as ground coriander, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. You can use other types of pasta as well if you do not have any penne—ziti or elbow macaroni are good options. Enjoy.
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        BBQ crunch dogs recipe

          bbq crunch dogs
          These BBQ crunch dogs are basted with homemade BBQ sauce, and loaded with romaine lettuce and crushed chips. This is a great recipe for summer grilling. The best part of these hot dogs is the homemade BBQ sauce which is a simple combination of just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand. The sauce gets a lot of its flavor from ketchup and honey. The sauce can also be prepared in advance, cooled and refrigerated until needed. For the chips, you can use whatever type of chips you would prefer, I used kettle cooked BBQ chips. The romaine lettuce can be replaced with cabbage if you choose. Enjoy.
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          Pork egg rolls recipe

            pork egg rolls
            If you are in need of an appetizer to go with your favorite Chinese dinner, this recipe for pork egg rolls is a good option. Preparing your own egg rolls does require a little bit of work but they are so much better than the frozen ones that you can get from the store. The egg rolls can be frozen so when you are ready to prepare your Chinese dinner, you can just pull them out of the freezer. When you go to cook them, you can cook them right from the frozen state, they should not be thawed first. These egg rolls are packed with delicious ingredients such as ground pork, carrot, cabbage and garlic. If you want to cut down on the prep time a little bit you can buy a bag of shredded cabbage and carrot and use that instead of chopping the head of cabbage and the carrots individually. Enjoy.
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            Bruschetta chicken recipe

              bruschetta chicekn
              A delicious BBQ chicken recipe for the grill this summer is bruschetta chicken. This recipe consists of marinated chicken breasts grilled and brushed with BBQ glaze and then topped with cheese and a bruschetta mixture. The bruschetta mixture is a combination of tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar, as well as other various seasonings. There are two different types of cheeses that add flavor to this chicken—parmesan and mozzarella. The BBQ glaze for this recipe is very simple and only consists of a few different ingredients, which chances are you already have on hand. These ingredients include ketchup, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and oregano. If you are looking for a delicious grilled chicken recipe for summer, give this one a try. Enjoy!
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              Honey mustard ham grilled cheese recipe

                honey mustard ham grilled cheese
                I really enjoy the flavor of ham served with honey mustard. This recipe takes black forest ham, Swiss cheese, a honey mustard sauce and adds these ingredients into a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. I like to prepare all different types of grilled cheeses for dinner because they are so easy to make. The sandwiches are best prepared on a griddle or in a skillet. I prefer a griddle because I can cook several of the sandwiches at once instead of in batches. This recipe uses sliced French bread but you can experiment with different types of bread if you would prefer. These honey mustard ham grilled cheese sandwiches are very easy to prepare and make a great lunch or dinner. Enjoy.
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                Close-up of salisbury steak meatballs on buttered egg noodles

                Salisbury steak meatballs recipe

                  These meatballs combine the ingredients of Salisbury steak to make a delicious and filling meal. The meatballs get a lot of flavor from ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and mustard. This recipe is easy to prepare and the most work that is involved is rolling the meatballs. The meatballs are served in a brown gravy that is a basic combination of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. The ingredients can easily be doubled if you want to serve a lot of people. These meatballs go great served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Enjoy.

                  Salisbury steak meatballs served over egg noodles with gravy
                  ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
                  Close-up of salisbury steak meatballs on buttered egg noodles
                  ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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                  Pulled pork grilled cheese recipe

                    pulled pork grilled cheese
                    The addition of pulled pork and macaroni and cheese to a grilled cheese might just create one of the best sandwiches ever. Pulled pork on a grilled cheese is great by itself but adding homemade macaroni and cheese onto the sandwich makes it incredible. The flavor of this grilled cheese is going to depend a lot on what type of BBQ sauce you use. You can either use your own homemade recipe, my recipe, or your favorite store brand. The pulled pork is prepared in the slow cooker and the macaroni and cheese is prepared on the stovetop. This recipe does require a little bit of work preparing the ingredients but the end result is delicious. Unless you are making a lot of sandwiches, chances are you will probably have a bit of leftover pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. You might want to save it for another use or serve them on the side. If you are looking for a different type of grilled cheese sandwich, be sure to give this one a try. Enjoy.
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                    Bacon meatballs recipe

                      bacon meatballs
                      These meatballs are loaded with great tasting ingredients such as applewood smoked bacon and cheese. What is really great about these meatballs is that they have a different flavor than most meatballs that I have tried. The meatballs get a lot of their flavor from the onion soup mix that is mixed into them. These meatballs are baked in the oven so no pan-frying is required. To make things even better, this recipe includes a homemade marinara sauce. The marinade sauce gets a lot of its flavor from fresh basil and oregano and a little heat from the crushed red pepper flakes. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a large crowd. Enjoy.
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                      Tortellini salad recipe

                        tortellini salad
                        With summer quickly approaching it is a good time to start thinking about ideas for cold salads. This tortellini salad makes an excellent side dish for summer cookouts, graduation parties, or any event. This salad combines cheese tortellini with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. The salad is tossed with Caesar salad dressing. I like to use a lighter Caesar dressing instead of the creamy kind because it gives the salad and different flavor and appearance. If you do not want to use Caesar salad dressing, Italian salad dressing would be a good option as well. If you need a delicious cold salad recipe for summer, give this one a try. Enjoy.
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                        Thyme butter recipe

                          thyme butter
                          This recipe for thyme butter goes great served on top of grilled steak. Making this butter is not hard at all, five ingredients are simply mixed together and then placed in the refrigerator until it is ready to be used. This butter gets a lot of its flavor from fresh thyme and Dijon mustard. Chances are you probably have almost all of the ingredients on hand to make this. This butter could be used for different types of meat such as chicken as well. If you are looking for a great topping for grilled steaks give this recipe for thyme butter a try. Enjoy.
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                          Close view of chicken caesar pasta salad mixed with romaine and pasta

                          Chicken Caesar pasta salad recipe

                            Adding pasta to chicken Caesar salad is a nice change from the classic Caesar lettuce salad. This recipe consists of grilled chicken with pasta and lettuce that is tossed with a Caesar salad dressing. The best part about this recipe is, of course, the homemade dressing. The Caesar salad dressing gets a lot of its flavor from ingredients such as lemon juice and minced anchovies. If you do not have a blender to prepare the dressing, whisking the ingredients together in a bowl will work fine. For the chicken, you can grill it or bake it in the oven. If you want to save time, the meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken will also work well. This makes a great cold salad for summer. I like to serve this chicken Caesar pasta salad with garlic bread. Enjoy.

                            Close view of chicken caesar pasta salad mixed with romaine and pasta
                            ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
                            Prepared chicken caesar pasta salad in a clear glass bowl
                            ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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                            Biscuits and gravy casserole recipe

                              biscuits and gravy casserole
                              Biscuits and gravy casserole is a great dish to prepare for breakfast or even dinner. Normally the sausage gravy would be served separately on top of biscuits but this recipe adds the gravy right into a casserole dish with the biscuits. The process to preparing this casserole is very simple— the gravy is first prepared in the pan and then poured over a layer of biscuits in the casserole dish. The gravy is then topped with oven more of the flaky biscuits and placed into the oven and cooked until golden brown. You can use different flavors of pork sausage for this recipe depending on your tastes. I like to serve this biscuits and gravy casserole with eggs and hash browns. Enjoy.
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                              Cocktail sauce recipe

                                cocktail sauce
                                You can easily purchase cocktail sauce from the grocery store but it is actually very easy to make your own. Cocktail sauce combines a few simple ingredients which you may already have on hand. This delicious sauce is a combination of ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. I prepared breaded shrimp for dinner and decided I wanted a dipping sauce to go with them. I did not have anything on hand so I decided to prepare this cocktail sauce recipe. This sauce goes great served with cooked shrimp or cooked breaded shrimp. Enjoy.
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                                Baked French fries recipe

                                  baked French fries
                                  It is not an issue if you do not have a deep-fryer because French fries can be easily prepared and baked in the oven. The process to making oven French fries is simple—the potatoes are sliced into strips and then tossed with various seasonings and olive oil and then baked in the oven. If you would prefer to peel the potatoes first that would be fine or you can leave the skin on. These fries get a lot of their flavor from garlic powder, paprika, pepper and parmesan cheese. Preparing French fries in the oven is also a healthier alternative to deep-frying. These fries to get served with sandwiches or hamburgers. Enjoy.
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                                  Poutine recipe

                                    Poutine
                                    Poutine is a dish that originated in Quebec, Canada. This dish consist of French fries that are topped with gravy and cheese curds. Although it is mostly popular in Canada it can also be found in certain parts of the United States as well. This Poutine recipe consists of homemade gravy and homemade fries. It does take a little time to prepare but it is definitely worth it! The gravy gets a lot of its flavor from ingredients such as beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. The fries themselves are made from russet potatoes and are deep fried twice. Cooking times for the fries may vary if you are cutting bigger pieces. Poutine makes a great side-dish or snack. If you can, it would be a good idea to try and time the cooking of the fries with the gravy—that way the gravy will not have to sit for that long before serving. Enjoy.
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                                    Meatballs with gravy recipe

                                      meatballs with gravy
                                      Preparing meatballs with gravy for dinner is a nice change up from the Italian-style meatballs. These meatballs use a homemade beef gravy instead of pasta sauce. The meatballs get a lot of their flavor from garlic and seasoned breadcrumbs. The gravy is just a simple combination of butter, flour, and beef bouillon and beef broth. There are a couple of different ways in which the meatballs can be prepared—you can either cook them on the stove-top or bake them in the oven. I prefer a combination of both. I like to brown the meatballs in the pan and use the brown bits to help flavor the gravy. These meatballs go great served on top of pasta or mashed potatoes. Enjoy.
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                                      Pork fried wantons recipe

                                        pork fried wontons
                                        One of my favorite appetizers to eat at Chinese restaurants is the pork fried wontons. These wontons are packed full of flavor because of ingredients such as soy sauce and sesame oil. The process to making this recipe is a little time consuming because you need to wrap all of the wontons individually—if you have someone to assist you, it should go a lot faster. Otherwise, this recipe is very easy to prepare. The ground pork is mixed with numerous ingredients and then placed into wontons wrappers. The wontons are then folded and fried in hot oil until fully cooked. If you do not want to use wonton wrappers, pot sticker wraps could work as well. There are a couple of different ways to fold these wontons. You can fold them into triangles like crab Rangoon’s or you can fold them into a bag shape. I like to serve these pork fried wontons with sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.
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                                        Big Mac sauce recipe

                                          big mac sauce
                                          The Big Mac from McDonald’s is perhaps one of the most well-known burgers across the country. What makes the Big Mac so special is the secret burger sauce that is used on it. The truth is you can make a sauce that tastes very similar to the sauce used on the Big Mac with just a few simple ingredients, several of which you may already have on hand. This sauce is just a combination of mayonnaise, French dressing, chopped onion, sweet pickle relish, vinegar, sugar, and salt. With this sauce you can make a burger that is much better than a fast-food restaurant could produce. Enjoy.
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                                          Slow cooker carnitas recipe

                                            slow cooker carnitas
                                            Making carnitas in the slow cooker is a great idea for a Mexican dinner. If you are not familiar with carnitas, carnitas are basically a Mexican pulled pork that is put under the broiler until the edges are crispy. This dish gets a ton of flavor from the juices that is it cooked in. The pork roast is very seasoned and then lime juice, orange juice, beer and salsa are poured over the roast. Once the roast has finished cooked it is shredded and then placed onto a baking sheet with some of the sauce. Once the pork has finished cooking in the oven it is ready to serve. You can use whatever type of beer you like, I used a good locally brewed dark beer for this recipe. You can serve this with tacos, burritos or just eat it by itself… it is that good! Enjoy.
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                                            Chicken sandwich with lettuce and curly fries

                                            Fried chicken sandwich recipe

                                              Why go to a fast-food restaurant when you can make a fried chicken sandwich at home? This fried chicken sandwich tastes much fresher and has greater flavor than any fast-food restaurant could produce. The best part about this sandwich is the dill pickle sauce. The dill pickle sauce consists of just four ingredients that blend perfectly to create an amazing flavor. The chicken patties are extra crispy due to a method of mixing the flour with a little bit of water. The chicken patties also have a great deal of flavor from seasonings such as cayenne pepper, sage, and thyme. Sage and thyme can be strong flavors and if you choose, you can leave them out of the seasoning mixture. These sandwiches go great served with French fries. Enjoy.

                                              Chicken sandwich with lettuce and curly fries
                                              ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
                                              Fried chicken sandwich with lettuce and curly fries
                                              ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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                                              Slow cooker Sunday gravy recipe

                                                slow cooker Sunday gravy
                                                This recipe for slow cooker Sunday Gravy might just be one of the best Italian recipes ever. This dish can be a little expensive and time consuming to make but it is well worth it in the end. There are three different types of meats that are in this dish—meatballs, boneless ribs, and Italian sausage. The slow cooker does most of the work but you will still have to brown the meat in the pan. You will notice that there are not many seasonings included in the ingredients list for the sauce because most of the flavor comes from the meat while it is being slow cooked. The pork really helps to give this dish a unique and delicious flavor. If you are looking to feed a large crowd this recipe will serve many people. The gravy goes great served on top of just about any type of pasta. Enjoy.
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                                                Chicken french bread pizza topped with shredded chicken and cheese

                                                Chicken French bread pizza recipe

                                                  It doesn’t get much easier than using French bread to make a delicious pizza for dinner. This recipe for chicken French bread pizza is perfect for those nights when you do not have much time to cook. Instead of taking the time to deal with a pizza crust, using French bread is so much easier. To make things go even faster, this recipe uses the meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken! The pizza gets most of its flavor from a garlic, Romano and butter mixture that is spread onto the bread halves before being topped with chopped chicken and cheese. If you cannot find Romano cheese grated asiago or parmesan will work in its place. If you are looking for a dinner that is both easy and delicious, give this one a try. Enjoy.

                                                  Sliced chicken french bread pizza served with fresh spinach
                                                  ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
                                                  Chicken french bread pizza topped with shredded chicken and cheese
                                                  ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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                                                  Provolone stuffed meatballs recipe

                                                    pProvolone Stuffed Meatballs
                                                    This is a copycat right for the provolone stuffed meatballs at Applebee’s restaurant. The meatballs are simmered in marinara sauce and then placed on top of alfredo noodles to serve. I thought the combination of both alfredo and marinara sauce kind of creates a flavor that is similar to a tomato cream sauce. The meatballs use 3 different types of meats—ground beef, ground pork and ground veal. If you would prefer you can use all ground beef. If you do not want to brown the meatballs in the pan you can brown them in the oven at 350 degrees F. and then finish them in the sauce. You could also fully cook them in the oven if you want. It should take about 25-30 minutes to bake them at 350 degrees F. Make sure that the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F. before removing them from the oven. Serve with garlic bread. Enjoy.
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                                                    Crab and artichoke dip recipe

                                                      crab_and_artichoke_dip_1
                                                      This crab and artichoke dip is a delicious appetizer to prepare to any part or event. If you are looking for a good dip recipe to serve for your upcoming Super Bowl party, you will want to give this one a try. This dip gets a lot of its flavor from the crab meat and the Asiago cheese. If you do not want to use Asiago cheese, Monterey jack or mozzarella will work as well. The process to making this dip recipe is very simple—all of the ingredients for the dip are mixed in a bowl and then spooned into a baking dish, the dip is then placed into the oven and baked to perfection. This dip is then topped with a fresh pico de gallo for even more great flavor! I really enjoyed the extra flavor provided by the pic de gallo but you could leave it out if you would prefer—this dip would still taste great. Enjoy.
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