Category: Main Dishes

Cheddar Ranch Chicken Burgers

You gotta add flavor when you make chicken burgers. And boy, do these cheddar Ranch chicken burgers add flavor. I almost thought about giving up on beef hamburgers after my first bite. Juicy. Nicely cheesy. Ranchy. Just flat-out yummy. The toppings are up to you. I went with some of my favorites, like lettuce and tomato and bacon. Heck, they’re great with just Ranch dressing!

Cheddar Ranch Chicken Burgers

Is It Hot In Here?

As they are, these cheddar Ranch chicken burgers are delicious. There’s no reason to change a thing. Ever. But… If you like a little kick, a little heat, in your burgers, there’s no reason not to add some (or a lot)! Add a few pinches of red pepper flake or cayenne. For color and heat, mince up a jalapeno or two (seeded or not, up to you) and add to the chicken mixture. And yeah, you can use pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar. Now we’re talking a little heat!

Or just make them the way they are. They’re delicious!

And yes, you can make these with ground turkey instead!

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Also try my black bean teriyaki burgers!

Cheddar Ranch Chicken Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cheddar Ranch Chicken Burgers

There's no reason to change a thing about these delicious burgers!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken burgers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 361kcal
Author Inspired by a recipe from Cookiespedia

Equipment

Ingredients

For the chicken patties

For the burgers

  • vegetable oil for cooking the patties
  • 8 hamburger buns toasted as desired
  • Ranch dressing
  • toppings your favorites, such as shredded lettuce, tomato, cooked bacon, sliced onion

Instructions

For the chicken patties

  • Place all of the patty ingredients into a large bowl.
  • Combine the ingredients using your hands. Get everything well-distributed.
  • Form the patties into 8 equally-sized patties. They'll be about 5 ounces each. Place onto parchment paper until ready to cook.

For the burgers

  • Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Alternatively, the patties can be cooked on an outdoor (or indoor) griddle.
  • Add some oil.
  • Working in batches as needed, cook the patties for 6-8 minutes per side. They should be nicely browned and cooked through.
  • Slather the cut sides of the buns with Ranch dressing.
  • Add the cooked patties and your desired toppings.

Notes

For a spicier version, add a few good pinches of red pepper flake or cayenne to the chicken mixture.
These burgers are also great topped with fresh guacamole!

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 690mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Chicken Pizza Burgers

Something happened when I had these chicken pizza burgers. It’s not like they were the first chicken burgers I’ve ever made. But these were different. I started to re-think my usual beef smash burgers. Maybe it’s time to make more chicken burgers, I thought. If they’re all going to be this fantastic, I need to look at chicken burgers a bit differently. They’re going from a “I guess I should make them” to a “I want to make them”!

Chicken Pizza Burgers

Hold The Pizza

Honestly, you could skip the ‘pizza’ part of these chicken pizza burgers. The patties are great on buns with a little mayonnaise or spicy mustard. Maybe a slice of pepper jack cheese. Oh sure, don’t get me wrong, they’re crazy good with pizza sauce and pepperoni. But they’re also great without all that.

I also think the chicken mixture would be great as meatballs. Just cook them up, place them on sub rolls, top with pizza sauce and some cheese, and devour!

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Also try my (beef) pizza smash burgers!

Chicken Pizza Burgers
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Chicken Pizza Burgers

Great with or without the 'pizza' toppings.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken burgers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 426kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place chicken, garlic, parsley, red pepper flake, salt and pepper into a medium mixing bowl.
  • Gently combine the ingredients and form into 4 equally-sized patties. If the mixture is too wet and does not make patties easily, add bread crumbs a little at a time and mix.
  • If you have the time, place the patties onto wax paper, cover and refrigerate overnight. This helps the flavors blend better and the patties to firm up, especially if you've added bread crumbs.
  • If you are cooking in a skillet, heat oil in a large skillet and add the burgers. Cook 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown.
  • If you are cooking on a griddle, add some oil to hot griddle over medium heat. Cook the patties 5-6 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown.
  • Right before you remove the patties top them with the cheese, pepperoni and sauce and let heat for another minute.
  • Transfer patties to burger buns and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 879mg | Potassium: 899mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Easy Fish Stick Tacos

A few years ago I made SpaghettiOs deviled eggs. They were a hard sell but I stand by them. They were good! Well, here we go again, but with some easy fish stick tacos. And yeah, they’re good. And I’ll stand by these too. If these had been around in my college days I would’ve lived off of them. They’re easy. Crunchy. And kinda spicy. If I want them to be, that is. And I do because these need a little kick in my opinion. This isn’t fancy fru-fru food. Not even close to it. But it’s still good!

Don’t Overthink This

These are exactly what you think they are. Fish sticks on a tortilla. No fancy fresh-caught fish. No pickled something-or-other. And no sauce fermented for 6 months in the back of your fridge. This is easy at its best. Easy fish stick tacos make for a quick lunch. Or dinner. Or snack. And yeah, a little something to tide you over after a few drinks. You know what I mean.

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And seriously, make some SpaghettiOs deviled eggs too.

Easy Fish Stick Tacos
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Easy Fish Stick Tacos

These are exactly what you think they are.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword fish tacos, quick fix
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 175kcal
Author Inspired by a recipe from The Cooking Guy

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 frozen fish sticks whichever brand you prefer. depending on the size you may want more. or less.
  • ½ cup sour cream or more, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons your favorite hot sauce or more, to taste
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup green cabbage shredded. you can also use a coleslaw mix
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the fish sticks per the box instructions.
  • Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-high heat for 10-15 seconds per side.
  • Combine the sour cream and hot sauce and divide between the tortillas.
  • Add the cabbage and the fish stick(s) and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Egg Roll In A Bowl

And like that, it was gone. This egg roll in a bowl (er… plate) didn’t last long at all in our house. It was understandable, really. We’re both egg-roll-aholics. These have the same flavors, they’re just easier to make. Yeah you can buy those frozen egg rolls. And some are actually decent. But they’re kinda small. I think the serving size is one egg roll. One egg roll? What? Nah, I’ll make this instead. Just as yummy and I get more!

Egg Roll In A Bowl

Low Carb. Or Almost.

If you leave off the wonton strips this egg roll in a bowl is a low-carb dish. If you add just a few it’s not a crazy carby dish. If you go nuts with them, you’ve got carbs. It’s your call. I think it kinda needs a little crunch. Roasted peanuts would work too. I happen to like the flavor of wonton strips. And the crunch. So that’s what I used!

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Also try my smoked cabbage rolls.

Egg Roll In A Bowl
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Egg Roll In A Bowl

Tastes just like the real thing and so much easier to make!
Course Main
Cuisine Asian
Keyword bowl, egg rolls
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 238kcal
Author Inspired by a recipe from Small Town Woman

Equipment

  • Wok or a large skillet

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the sausage and cook until halfway browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
  • Add the onion and cook another 3-5 minutes until just soft.
  • Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Remove the sausage mixture from the wok to a plate or bowl.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the wok.
  • Add the slaw mix and cook until it just starts to wilt, stirring often, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the rice vinegar and soy sauce. Stir.
  • Add the sausage mix. Stir.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir.
  • Transfer to plates and garnish with green onions and wonton strips, if desired.

Notes

Serve with additional soy sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Baked Italian Grinder Sandwich

I’m a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. So when it comes to time to make a sandwich, I’m not looking for finger sandwiches. I want meats. And toppings. And lots of both. That’s why I make this baked Italian grinder. I’m not leaving the table hungry after this. I’m leaving happy. Real happy.

Baked Italian Grinder Sandwich

We Have The Meats

Load up your baked Italian grinder sandwich the meats and cheeses you like. I listed some of the ‘classic’ ones in the recipe. You do you. I like the hot Italian pack from Aldi but most grocery stores have a decent selection. You can go ‘not-so-Italian’ too if you want. Heck, bologna? You bet. Rotisserie chicken? Sure. You can’t go wrong with this salad. The dressing is great. The rest will follow.

I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

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Also try my ham and cheese grinder.

Baked Italian Grinder Sandwich
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Baked Italian Grinder Sandwich

A perfectly-satisfying sandwich experience!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword baked, sandwich
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 701kcal
Author Inspired by a recipe from Easy Family Recipes

Equipment

Ingredients

For the sandwich

  • 1 loaf French bread
  • 3 tablespoons butter softened
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan grated
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 slices ham thinly sliced
  • 8 slices pepperoni sandwich sized, thinly sliced
  • 8 slices salami sandwich sized, thinly sliced
  • 4 slices provolone cheese sliced

For the salad topping

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.

For the sandwich

  • Cut the bread in half lengthwise.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the butter, parmesan, garlic powder and salt. Spread over the top cut half of the bread. Load it up, use it all.
  • Layer the meats and then the cheese on the lower cut half of the bread.
  • Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until the bread is golden brown and the provolone is melted.

For the salad topping

  • While the grinder sandwich bakes, make the grinder salad topping by whisking together the mayonnaise, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Add the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and pepperoncini and mix.
  • When the sandwich is done baking, remove it from the oven and add the salad over the top of the melted provolone cheese. Load it up nice and thick, using all of the mixture.
  • Add the bread top and push down firmly with one hand while slicing into 4 equally-sized pieces.
  • Serve.

Notes

You can use any combination of deli meats that you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 2461mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 717IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 271mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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General Tso’s Chicken

Oh me. Oh my. This General Tso’s chicken made me so happy. The sauce hit the spot for me. Nicely sweet. And a little heat, too. Crunchy chicken bites. Served over rice. Nothing complicated, nothing fancy, but oh so delicious! I loved the sauce so much that I made a big huge batch and kept it in the fridge for a few days, using some for this chicken dish and some for deep-fried wings! Oh my!

General Tso's Chicken

Sweet Heat

I love the combination of sweet and heat in this General Tso’s chicken. You might not want so much spiciness in yours. If not, just cut back on the red pepper flake. But don’t leave it out. It adds a lot to this dish.

I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces for this dish. You can use chicken breasts too. Try and cut your chicken into equally-sized pieces so that they call fry evenly. Larger pieces will take longer to cook, obviously. You can also pull one out and test the temperature on it before deciding if yours are all ready.

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Also try some oriental chicken salad.

General Tso's Chicken
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

General Tso’s Chicken

Wonderfully sweet with a little heat, too!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword Chinese, deep-fried
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 222kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • rice cooked, for serving

For the sauce (I prefer to double the amounts)

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Stirring often, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Continue simmering, stirring, until the desired consistency is achieved. Keep warm until ready to use.

For the chicken

  • Heat 3"-4" of oil to 350 F in a Dutch oven or deep-fryer.
  • Place chicken into a bowl.
  • Add the cornstarch and toss the chicken to coat well.
  • Deep-fry the chicken 4-6 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces, until they reach 165 F.
  • Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  • Transfer chicken to a bowl and drizzle with the sauce. Stir gently to coat.
  • Serve over hot rice.

Notes

I like to double, and even triple, the sauce recipe because the sauce is so good!

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Big Game Italian Sliders

We have a confession. We didn’t even have a big game on the TV. I think we were watching a game show. That counts, right? Either way, no matter what we might be watching, these Big Game Italian Sliders are gonna make us happy. And they’ll make all of our guests happy too. Even if our team is down 35 points with 18 seconds to go, we’ll still be smiling. Well, about the food, at least!

Big Game Italian Sliders

We Have The Meats

These Big Game Italian Sliders don’t care what meats you use. Heck, go nuts. Make different ones. Have a slider bar. Do some turkey. Ham. Roast beef. Different strokes for different folks. They’ll disappear in no time no matter what.

If your salad mixture gets a little runny (hey, it’s got liquidy stuff in it!) you can press it in a strainer real quick before adding it the sandwiches. Or add more chopped lettuce to help ‘soak it up’. It won’t hurt anything to be a little drippy (I like to soak that stuff up with my bread). The drippings are mighty tasty too!

Sliders are the perfect game-watching food. Also try my (grilled or cooked in a skillet) Big Mac sliders!

Big Game Italian Sliders
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Big Game Italian Sliders

Perfect game-time eats!
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword sliders
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 663kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • In a bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, tomato, peppers, and jalapenos.
  • Add in 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise along with the Italian seasoning, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stir well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Cut the buns in half horizontally, trying to keep the two halves intact.
  • Transfer the bread to the baking sheet, with the bun bottoms cut-side up and the bun tops cut-side down.
  • Top the bun bottoms with the meats. Add cheese slices.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, just long enough to get the bread warm and a little toasted, and just starting to melt the cheese.
  • Add salad mixture to bun bottoms and spread out evenly, all the way to the edges.
  • Slather the cut-side of the bun tops with the remaining mayonnaise.
  • Place bun tops on the sandwich and transfer to a cutting board.
  • Cut into individual sliders and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1448mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1122IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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The Best Soup and Stew Recipes

Copycat Campbell's Bean and Bacon Soup

Cooler weather has arrived here in Indiana, and that means time to make our favorite big bowls of comfort food! Here are some of our favorite soup and stew recipes. Sure to fill you up and heat you up too!

1
Smoked Sausage Nacho Soup
Smoked Sausage Nacho Soup
I wouldn't change anything about this smoked sausage nacho soup.
Check out this recipe
2
Sopa De Fideo
Sopa De Fideo (Tomato Noodle Soup)
A wonderful traditional Mexican family dish.
Check out this recipe
3
Slow Cooker Hearty Sausage and Beans Soup
Slow Cooker Hearty Sausage and Beans Soup
This soup is packed with flavor, despite how simple it is to make.
Check out this recipe
4
Slow Cooker Kielbasa sauerkraut and Potato Soup
Slow Cooker Kielbasa Sauerkraut and Potato Soup
You can leave out the caraway seeds if they aren't your favorite.
Check out this recipe
5
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
Incredibly delicious comfort food!
Check out this recipe
6
The Best Vegetable Soup
The Best Vegetable Soup
Don't be shocked about the amount of dried basil. It might seem like a lot, but this recipe makes a LOT of soup.
Check out this recipe
7
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Perfect on a cold day, this soup is packed with fantastic onion flavor.
Check out this recipe
8
Mac and Cheese Soup
Mac and Cheese Soup
This soup was fantastic. It made for the perfect bowl of happiness on a cold, dreary winter’s day. Just the right amount of seasoning. Just the right of cheese. And oh so creamy smooth. I should’ve doubled the recipe.
Check out this recipe
9
Easy Kicked-Up Tomato Soup
Easy Kicked-Up Tomato Soup
You have those cans of tomato soup just sitting there in the pantry. It’s not bad soup. But those cans have been sitting there for a reason. That soups needs a little something.
Check out this recipe
10
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
This soup hit the spot, starting with an absolutely divine-tasting broth. Tender, flavorful chicken and a surprise… chickpeas… round out a big bowl of happiness.
Check out this recipe
11
Creamy Cheddar Soup
Homemade Creamy Cheddar Soup
Four servings? Ok, maybe. You’ll think that before you taste this creamy cheddar soup. After that first taste you’ll be thinking… only one serving! And all mine! 
Check out this recipe
12
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
No need to mess with making actual cabbage rolls, this soup combines all the same great flavors in a bowl without having to worry about stuffing boiled cabbage leaves. 
Check out this recipe
13
Creamy Pimento Cheese Soup
Creamy Pimento Cheese Soup
If no one had been looking, I would’ve just put down my spoon and picked up my bowl of creamy pimento cheese soup and poured it right into my mouth.
Check out this recipe
14
Cream of Celery Soup
Cream of Celery Soup
We both found this soup to be absolutely outstanding. It’s very creamy with just the right celery flavor. 
Check out this recipe
15
Celery and Cheddar Soup
Celery and Cheddar Soup
This celery and cheddar soup takes only a few minutes to put together, and just a few hours to cook in a slow cooker. When it’s done, you get to enjoy a creamy, smooth cheesy soup that has a wonderful hint of celery. 
Check out this recipe
16
Creamy Cheese and Tomato Soup
Creamy Cheese and Tomato Soup
This soup has just the right amount of tomato. And just the right amount of creamy cheese goodness. Every bite is perfectly rich in flavor.
Check out this recipe
17
Copycat Campbell's Bean and Bacon Soup
Copycat Campbell’s Bean and Bacon Soup
It really is "M'm m'm good."
Check out this recipe
18
Cheeseburger Soup
Cheeseburger Soup
This thick, creamy cheeseburger soup absolutely hit the spot on a really cold day here in Indianapolis. We’ve had temperatures well below zero for days now. Having a big batch of this soup on hand really helped warm us up!
Check out this recipe
19
Creole-Style Bean Soup
Creole-Style Bean Soup
You had me at ‘okra’. I love okra. Grilled, fried, sauteed, roasted… or tossed into this Creole-style bean soup. 
Check out this recipe
20
Alphabet Soup
Alphabet Soup
This simple soup was fun to eat. It certainly brought back childhood memories of a quick bowl of alphabet soup for a school day lunch.
Check out this recipe
21
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
To get such great mushroom flavor, this soup is packed with mushrooms, both fresh and dried that have been reconstituted. If you really, really love meaty mushrooms, then you’ll love this soup right out of the pot. 
Check out this recipe
22
Mexican Corn Soup
Mexican Corn Soup
This Mexican corn soup is a great way to showcase a good sweet corn. 
Check out this recipe
23
Chet's Trucker Stew
Chet’s Trucker Stew
I don’t know Chet. I don’t even know if Chet is a trucker. But I do know that Chet’s Trucker stew is amazing. 
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24
Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
Wonderfully tasty thick, hearty soup.
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25
Slow Cooker Spicy Kielbasa Cabbage Soup
Slow Cooker Spicy Kielbasa Cabbage Soup
Don’t let the ‘spicy’ part scare you. For us, at least, this soup did not come out overly spicy at all. The flavors mellow a bit as the soup cooks throughout the day.
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26
Cheddar Cheese Soup
Cheddar Cheese Soup
This soup is crazy good. Heavenly good. Creamy. A bit smoky thanks to the bacon. A just a slight kick of heat.
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27
Slow Cooker Spicy Spaghetti and Meatball Soup
Slow Cooker Spicy Spaghetti and Meatball Soup
I have a slow cooker (er, crockpot) for the same reasons everyone else does. I on occasion like a great, easy meal that I can toss into the pot and not have to fuss with
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28
Spicy Tomato Soup
Spicy Tomato Soup
Wow. Talk about the perfect bowl of soup for a cold day. This spicy tomato soup is just fantastic. Super tomato flavor, with a hint of basil, and a really, really nice spicy kick.
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29
Classic Hot and Sour Soup
Classic Hot and Sour Soup
I found this classic hot and sour soup to be so fantastic I couldn’t stop eating it. The broth is insanely tasty despite being so easy to make. There’s a great contrast between the woodsy mushroom and citrus lime flavors.
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30
Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey
Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey
The smoked turkey adds just the right something to this Lentil soup. The soup could stand on its own without it, it’s just that good, but add in the turkey and oh yes, soup happiness!
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31
Southwestern Turkey Soup
Southwestern Turkey Soup
It’s easy, it’s fast, and it is absolutely packed with great flavors. And it doesn’t matter how you cooked your turkey, whether it be smoked, fried, baked or roasted.
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32
Country Five Bean Soup Mix in a Jar
Country Five Bean Soup Mix in a Jar
I made a few of these Country Five bean soup mixes in a jar and gave them out as gifts. The soup is simple and tasty and quite hardy. I keep a few jars of the mix on hand for a quick and delicious soup any time.
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Extra-Tasty Fried Shrimp

One of my fondest childhood memories is of the (very rare) times my family would eat out. My favorite place was Western Sizzlin Steakhouse and I always got the deep-fried shrimp. I have loved fried shrimp ever since then. I make it often. And often, the batter was the star of the show. The shrimp, although great, didn’t bring a lot of flavor to the party. Well these extra-tasty fried shrimp do. Big time. Beneath the crunchy delicious exterior are delicious shrimp. These shrimp are my new love.

Extra-Tasty Fried Shrimp

Load ‘Em Up With Flavor

These extra-tasty fried shrimp are not hard to make. And they definitely disappear in no time at all. I highly recommend making extra. The dipping sauce is great too. But it’s kinda optional because the shrimp are great by themselves or with just ‘plain ole’ cocktail sauce (spicy is my fav!).

The shrimp do have a slight ‘kick’ to them thanks to the hot sauce but trust me, they are not spicy. If you’d like yours to have some more heat, add a few pinches of cayenne to the flour and batter. Not a lot, though. You don’t want to override the fantastic flavors.

The Presto Fry Daddy is perfect for making smaller batches of food. It only uses a few cups of oil and comes to temperature quickly. Clean-up is easy too!

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Dip your shrimp in some tasty Carolina cocktail sauce!

Extra-Tasty Fried Shrimp
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Extra-Tasty Fried Shrimp

Crazy tasty with a crunchy coating to boot!
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword deep-fried, shrimp
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 670kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the shrimp

For the dipping sauce (makes plenty for another batch of shrimp)

Instructions

For the dipping sauce

  • Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined and smooth.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the shrimp

  • Peel and devein the shrimp. You can serve them tail on or off, whichever you prefer.
  • In a large bowl combine all of the remaining ingredients except the flour, salt and oil.
  • Add the shrimp and submerge to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  • Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine.
  • Heat 2"-3" of oil to 350 F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.
  • Working in batches if necessary, remove the shrimp from the batter. Let any excess batter run off the shrimp but do not shake them.
  • Dredge the shrimp in the flour and transfer to the hot oil and cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
  • Transfer shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain.
  • Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Notes

You can skip making the dipping sauce and serve these yummy shrimp with cocktail sauce instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 3529mg | Potassium: 588mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 2800IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Spicy Frito Pie

Man oh man did this spicy Frito pie ever hit the spot. The weather took a weird turn for a few days and I needed something to warm me up. This dish did it. And oh was it ever so yummy. And very easy to make to boot. Usually, you might expect a Frito pie to be served as a casserole or even in a bag of Fritos. I kinda made mine more of a twist on nachos. No matter how you do it, the delicious meat sauce and cheese go great with crunchy salty corn chips.

Spicy Frito Pie

As Spicy As You Want It To Be

With just a few little changes, you can make this Frito pie mild or hot. First up, the taco seasoning. Easy enough to use a hot spice mix. Or not. I like to use my homemade version so I can change up the heat level depending on my mood for the day. For the tomatoes I used Rotel with habaneros. The hot stuff. Yeah baby. That got us going. And finally I added a few jalapeno slices just for good measure.

I like to heat and serve this dish using my fajita skillets. They’re great for keeping food hot and melting cheese. You can also make this dish on a plate. Just top the hot meat with the cheese. It’ll melt a bit and you don’t have to worry about using the oven. Up to you. It’ll be great either way.

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I’m kinda picky about my shredded cheese. I want it to be creamy. And I want it to melt nice and ooey gooey. That’s why I shred my own. The anti-caking agents used in the pre-shredded stuff prohibit good melting. It only takes a second (with the right tool) to shred it myself, and the results are worth it!

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Also try my delicious cowboy pasta!

Spicy Frito Pie
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Spicy Frito Pie

This dish is sure to disappear in no time!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 456kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Lightly brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you go.
  • Sprinkle the beef with the taco seasoning and stir.
  • Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until the beef is done and the vegetables are soft. Drain any excess grease.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes with their juices along with the Worcestershire, enchilada sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring to a simmer, stirring, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add a layer of chips to each skillet and top with the meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
  • Bake in the oven 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  • Be careful removing from the oven. The pans and their handles will be hot. Don't forget to use an oven mitt or glove.

Notes

Substitute pepper jack for the cheddar and add some jalapeno slices when serving for a more kicked-up version!

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 814mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 779IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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