Hunan chicken is a Chinese dish that is sweet and spicy. This dish consists of deep fried chicken pieces coated with a sweet and spicy sauce. Peanuts and green onions are added to the mix for even more flavor. The sauce is tomato based and uses ingredients such a tomato paste, chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar. Most of the spice comes from chili and garlic sauce, you can add more if you like your food extremely spicy. You could also add red pepper flakes. If you don’t have a deep fryer, the chicken can be cooked in a wok or deep skillet as well. Just add a couple inches of oil and fry. Serve with rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
1 egg
¼ cup cornstarch
Sauce-
¼ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves (minced)
½ cup green onions (sliced)
½ cup roasted peanuts
Oil (for frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl whisk together egg and cornstarch until smooth. Add chicken pieces tossing to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in another medium bowl combine chicken broth, chili garlic sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
Step 2: Heat a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Deep fry chicken in batches until fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees) and golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: Add a tablespoon of oil to a wok and heat to medium high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Pour in the sauce and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peanuts to the sauce. Place the deep fried chicken pieces into a large serving bowl. Pour in the sauce and toss to coat. Top with green onions.
(Makes 2 Servings)

Ever since I was a kid, I have enjoyed hot dogs with macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately, using boxed mac and cheese can be rather disappointing; so I decided it was time to make a casserole that consisted of sliced hot dogs and homemade mac and cheese. You can use whatever type of hot dogs you like; I always prefer the all-beef hot dogs. This recipe is very easy, the mac and cheese is first cooked on the stove top, and then mixed with the sliced hot dogs and baked in the oven for about 30 minutes. This casserole makes a great dinner for any night of the week. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 cups elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
2 ½ cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 hot dogs (sliced)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Cooking spray

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the elbow macaroni until cooked but still a little chewy (about 8 minutes). The macaroni will finish cooking when it is being baked. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: While the macaroni is cooking. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes while whisking constantly. Add the milk, slowly, a little at a time while whisking. Whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the cheddar cheese and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

Step 3: Add the macaroni and sliced hot dogs to the cheese sauce. Mix well. Lightly spray a 9×13” casserole dish. Pour the macaroni mixture into the casserole dish, place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the top begins to brown.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Seafood lovers are sure to enjoy this hot crab dip. This dip combines ingredients such as crab meat, mayonnaise, and cream cheese. The dip is first baked in a baking dish, then put into a bread bowl and baked again. The bread bowl is totally optional; you can just serve the dip right out of the casserole dish if you want. You can also use any type of crab meat you want; canned crab, imitation crab, or if you really want to get serious, fresh crab. I personally used canned lump crab meat. This is a very easy recipe to prepare, the total baking time is just 30 minutes. This is another great appetizer and perfect for the Super Bowl. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
11 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat (drained, and flaked)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 (1 pound) loaf, crusty Italian bread

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, chopped onion, mayonnaise, crab meat, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spread the mixture into a 1 quart baking dish. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, cut a circle in the top of the bread and scoop out the inside to create a bread bowl. Tear the removed bread into pieces for dipping.
Step 3: After 20 minutes, remove the crab dip from the oven and stir well. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed out loaf. Place the bread bowl and the pieces of torn up bread onto a baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.
(Makes 8 Servings)

These slow cooked pulled pork sliders make a great appetizer for game day or any gathering. The pork roast is mixed with BBQ sauce and various other ingredients and then cooked in the slow cooker for 5-6 hours. The pulled pork is then put onto slider buns and topped with coleslaw. The coleslaw recipe is very simple and only uses a few ingredients. If you want to save time, you can just buy a bag of shredded cabbage and carrot mix from the store. This recipe will make enough to feed a lot of people. You should be able to get at least 20 sliders out of this recipe. If you want, you can cut the recipe down a bit by getting a smaller pork roast. This is another great recipe to prepare for the Super Bowl. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast
1 cup barbeque sauce
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 extra large onion (chopped)
2 large garlic cloves (crushed)
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
20 slider buns (split)
butter (as needed)
Coleslaw-
1 small head cabbage (shredded)
3 medium carrots (shredded)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the pork roast into the slow cooker and pour in the barbeque sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the roast shreds easily with a fork.
Step 2: Take the roast out of the slow cooker, and shred using two forks. Place the shredded meat back into the slow cooker and toss with the juices.

Step 3: To make the coleslaw- In a large bowl combine shredded cabbage and carrots. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Mix well, and pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.
Step 4: Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Spread the inside of both halves of the sliders buns with butter. Place buttered side down into the skillet and toast until golden brown. Spoon pulled pork onto the bottom half of a slider bun, spoon on coleslaw with a slotted spoon, and place on the top half of the bun.
(Makes 8 Servings)

Jack Daniel’s BBQ chicken wings make a delicious appetizer. This recipe uses boneless chicken wings, which are nothing more than cut up chicken breasts. If you want to use bone-in chicken wings you may do so as well. The real highlight of this recipe is the Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce. Jack Daniel’s whisky gives this BBQ sauce an amazing flavor. The BBQ sauce can be made ahead of time and put into the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend. Making the BBQ sauce in advance will also save time when you are ready to cook the chicken wings. The boneless wings are double dipped in a seasoned flour mixture and then fried in the deep fryer. These are perfect for football season. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
Oil (for deep frying)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce-
1 small onion (diced)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
½ cup Jack Daniel’s
2 cups ketchup
¼ cup vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium saucepan combine onion, garlic, and Jack Daniel’s. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 7 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add ketchup, vinegar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, liquid smoke, pepper, and salt. Mix well and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree in a food processor or blender. At this point the sauce can be refrigerated for at least 24 hours. You can also use it right away on the wings.
Step 2: Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. In a small bowl whisk together egg and milk. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, and then roll in the flour mixture. Repeat so that each piece of chicken is double coated. Refrigerate the breaded chicken for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Fry chicken in the hot oil in batches until the outside is nicely browned and the juices run clear (about 5 minutes per batch). The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all of the chicken is gone.
Step 4: Mix cooked chicken pieces with the BBQ sauce and serve.
(Makes 4 Servings)

These French dip burgers make a delicious dinner or they can also be made into sliders and served as an appetizer. These burgers are topped with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms. The mushrooms are sautéed in garlic and butter. There is no need for a slow cooker in this recipe. The Au Jus is made in the pan using water, vegetables, and better than beef bouillon. You can either cook the burgers on the stove top or you can grill them, it’s your choice. Serve with French fries. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2lbs ground beef
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 slices Swiss cheese (each slice cut into 4 squares)
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons butter
12 slider buns
butter (for spreading)
Au Jus-
2 cups water
1 tablespoon better than bouillon beef base
2 teaspoons better than bouillon beef base
1/2 stalk celery
1/2 small onion
1 pinch thyme
salt and pepper (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To make the Au Jus- in a saucepan combine water, beef base, celery, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Strain and place into small bowls for serving.
Step 2: Shape ground beef into 12 patties and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the burger patties and cook, turning once, until fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees). During the last few minutes of cooking top each patty with 2 of the sliced Swiss cheese squares.
Step 3: While burgers are cooking melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.
Step 4: Split the slider buns in half and butter the cut side of each half. Place face down in a fry pan over medium heat and cook until browned on the bottom. Place each hamburger patty onto a slider bun, top with sautéed mushrooms, and place on the top half of the bun. Serve with Au Jus.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Shells and cheese make a great dinner or side dish. This recipe is perfect if you have little time and are looking for an easy meal. These shells and cheese can be prepared in about 30 minutes. No baking is required because everything is done on the stove top. This recipe does not use expensive cheeses, only shredded cheddar. In my opinion cheddar cheese adds the perfect flavor and no additional cheeses are needed. There is a good chance a lot of these ingredients you already have on hand so you will not have to do much shopping. You can pretty much use whatever type of pasta you like; shells, macaroni, rontini, ect. This recipe can easily be doubled if you want to make more. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
8 ounces shells  medium shells
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
sliced green onions (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook shells according to package directions.
Step 2: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly add the milk and cook while stirring until the mixture becomes somewhat thick. Stir in the cheese until melted. Remove from heat.

Step 3: Drain shells and add them to the cheese sauce. Stir to coat. Top with green onions for serving if desired.
(Makes 4 Servings)

French fries always make a great appetizer and they are even more delicious loaded with bacon and cheese. These bacon and cheese fries are French fries topped with bacon, nacho cheese sauce, creamy ranch dressing, and green onions. This is not much of a recipe but more of an idea on how to make some delicious fries. You can either cook the French fries in the deep fryer or bake them in the oven. For the bacon, there are a few methods you can use to cook it; on the stove top, in the oven, or in the microwave. For a detailed explanation on how to do each, see my article on How to Cook Crispy Bacon. This recipe makes a great appetizer for the Super Bowl. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (32 ounce) package French fries
1 (15 ounce) can nacho cheese sauce
6 slices bacon
½ cup green onions (sliced)
creamy ranch dressing

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Heat a large fry pan to medium low heat. Add bacon strips and cook turning once until crispy (about 10-15 minutes). The bacon is done when it has reached a deep brown color. Drain on paper towels. Once bacon has cooled crumble it into bits.
Step 2: Cook the French fries in the deep fryer or bake in the oven according to package directions. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: In a small sauce pan heat nacho cheese sauce until heated through. Divide fries evenly and place onto individual plates for serving. Top with creamy ranch dressing, nacho cheese sauce, crumbled bacon, and green onions.
(Makes 6 Servings)

You pretty much cannot have a game day party without hot wings. These hot chicken wings are both sweet and spicy. The sauce is basically a sweet buffalo sauce. It combines hot sauce, butter, and honey. The wings are first seasoned with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. The wings are then brushed with honey while grilling, tossed with the sauce mixture, and then placed back onto the grill for a couple minutes. You can adjust the amount of heat by the type of hot sauce you use and the amount of cayenne pepper you season the wings with. These honey hot wings go great served with blue cheese dressing. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2lbs chicken wings (tips discarded)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
1 cup honey
½ cup butter (melted)
½ cup hot sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat an outdoor grill to medium heat and lightly grease grill grate. Wash wings and pat dry with paper towel. Season the wings with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
Step 2: Place chicken wings onto the grill and cook the wings until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees (about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the wings). Brush the wings with ½ cup of the honey while they are cooking.

Step 3: In a small sauce pan melt the butter over low heat (you can also melt it in the microwave). Pour the butter into a large bowl and mix in the remaining ½ cup of honey and the hot sauce. Remove the wings from the grill and immediately toss them in the hot honey butter sauce to coat. You can serve them like this or return them to the grill and cook 1 minute per side to set the sauce.
(Makes 6 Servings)

This pizza dip makes a great appetizer for parties. It takes all of your favorite pizza ingredients and puts them into a hot dip.  Anyone who enjoys pizza is sure to love this recipe. Best of all, It is not very hard to make; a cream cheese mixture is spread onto the bottom of a glass dish, topped with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and pizza sauce. The dip is then topped off with more cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, and black olives. You can add additional toppings as well such as chopped onion and mushrooms. The dip can then either be baked in the oven or it can be cooked in the microwave. This goes great with sliced French baguette bread or tortilla chips. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
2 tablespoons green bell pepper (chopped)
2 ounces pepperoni sausage (chopped or sliced)
2 tablespoons black olives (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese with oregano, parsley, and basil.
Step 2: Spread the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 inch glass pie plate (or shallow oven-safe/microwave-safe dish). Sprinkle ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of the parmesan cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over the top of the cheeses. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of parmesan and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese over the top of the sauce.  Top with pepperoni, green pepper, and black olives.

Step 3: Cover and microwave for 5 minutes. You can also place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
(Makes 16 Servings)