Lettuce Wraps

1 lbs. ground chicken or ground pork (I use ground sausage from by the bacon.)
8oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanut, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into rounds
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 pkg Lee Kum Lee Panda brand sauce for Lettuce Wraps in the Asian section at the grocery store

Heat oil over high heat in a large frying pan or work. Add meat and stir fry for 3 minutes or until browned. (I personally don't use the oil because it adds way too much grease for our liking.)
Add all vegetables, peanut and water chestnuts.
Stir fry for an additional 2 minutes.
Add 3/4 pouch of sauce and bring to a simmer.
Add green onions and peanuts.
Scoot the mixture into a lettuce cup.
Drizzle the remaining sauce on top.

* We love lettuce wraps and these definitely didn't disappoint. There wasn't much talking going on between me and my man because we were too involved with eating these good wraps! I will be repeating this one again soon!

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

5 lb russet potatoes 1/2 cup butter 8 oz cream cheese, cubed 1 cup sour cream 2 cups cheddar cheese, divided 2.8 oz jar real bacon pieces (or 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled) 4 green onions, sliced thin 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Peel and chop potatoes, place into a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Test a larger piece by piercing with a fork to make sure they're cooked through and tender. Remove pot from heat, drain potatoes and place back in pot. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Smash potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, it's ok if there are still chunks. 
Stir in butter and cubed cream cheese. Keep stirring until completely melted. Add in sour cream, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, 3 sliced green onions, salt, and bacon pieces (reserve 1/4 cup bacon pieces for topping). 
Spread into a greased 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar, bacon pieces, and sliced green onion over top. 
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.
* I am actually not a fan of mashed potatoes but I couldn't get enough of these. I served these with the Monterey Chicken and they were a huge hit!
Recipe from Mostly Homemade Mom

Easy Parmesan Knots

1 tube (12oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 c canola oil
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (I used the green can stuff that you put on pasta)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1. Roll each biscuit into a 12" rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2" apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400* for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture.

* These were SO easy but looked and tasted like I made them from scratch. They were the perfect addition to our Chili's Monterey Chicken or just about any meal. They would be awesome with a pasta meal as well. 

Recipe & Picture from Real Mom Kitchen

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 cup sunflower seeds 
1 (16 oz) bag coleslaw mix 
2 packages Beef Top Ramon dry, save the packets 
1 bunch green onions chopped 
2 cups cooked and diced/shredded chicken (I refrigerated this after I cooked & shredded it until it was cold.)

SAUCE
1 cup peanut oil 
1/2 cup sugar 
1/3 cup white vinegar 
2 packets beef seasoning from Top Ramon packages listed above

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss sunflower seeds, coleslaw, chopped green onions and chicken.
2. Smash Top Ramon packets with fists until they are crushed into small pieces. Reserve beef packets for sauce. Add Top Ramon pieces to salad and toss to evenly distribute.
3. In blender, combine peanut oil, sugar, vinegar and beef packets. Blend until evenly mixed.
4. Toss the dressing and salad together until coated with dressing and you reach desired flavor.

* This was amazing! My husband and I both could not get enough of this salad! The flavor was perfect and this was a super easy recipe. The most time consuming part was boiling and shredding the chicken. There was a small portion leftover that I refrigerated and ate for lunch the following afternoon and it was still just as good. I can't wait to make and eat this one again!

Recipe from Chef In Training
Photo from Amber's Delectable Delights

Baked Oven Fries

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste (I used regular salt and didn't measure it they were still delicious!)
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste (I didn't measure)

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

* These fries were wonderful! My family could not get enough of them including my 2 picky eaters! They take a bit of time but are totally worth it. We make these a couple times a month now cause they are just too good.

Recipe & photo from Annie's Eats.

Oven Broiled Corn On The Cob

1) Preheat broiler.
2) Place corn on the cob still in their husks on a baking sheet.
3) Place pan a few inches below broiler for 10 minutes.
4) Flip corn over and cook 10 minutes more. (The husks will become black.)
5) Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
6) Remove husks and enjoy!

* I will never make corn any other way! I have always boiled my corn in some sugar on the stove top except for rare occasions on the BBQ during the summer. Thanks to an awesome tip from my friend, we have fallen in love with this cooking method! The corn was so flavorful, moist, and so much easier to eat than boiling it in water. The kernels were not filled with water and the silk came off so much easier when peeling the husks away. You can not go wrong with this delicious and easy corn!

Recipe from Sarah Huffaker
Photo from HubPages

Five Cup Salad

1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sour cream

Mix together and chill for several hours.

* We loved this simple and super fast salad. It was the perfect addition to our Easter dinner.

* Recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook
* Photo from Mom to 3, Wife to 1

Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Fried Rice

1 to 1-1/2 lbs ground beef (I used 1 lb and it made 14 meatballs)
3/4 cup oats

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix ingredients and form into 12 2-inch balls. Place in casserole dish, cover with sauce (recipe follows) and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sauce for meatballs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tsp mustard

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Fried Rice

1/4 lb. bacon

1 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced celery

1 bell pepper, diced (I used 1/2 each of a red and green pepper.)

3 Tbsp soy sauce

3 cups COLD, cooked rice (I cooked mine before I started everything else so it was warm and turned out fine when heated through with everything.)

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and sauté vegetables in bacon fat. Add rice and soy sauce until heated through. Crumble bacon on top and stir all together.

* We were a bit hesitant to try this in our house since we are not fans of meatballs but they were simply amazing! The meatballs and sauce had such a delicious flavor. The rice was so simple to make and it turned out incredible. Neither my husband or myself could get enough of this meal! This recipe is a keeper for sure!

* Photo and Recipe from See Jane Cook!

Grandma's Sour Cream Potatoes

6 large potatoes, cooked in jackets, peeled, and grated into baking dish

Mix together and fold into potatoes:

1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups diced ham (optional)

Crush:
1 cup cornflakes
and mix with
1/8 cup melted butter.

Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 cups cooked white or brown rice
1 teaspoon lime zest, minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, finely minced
salt to taste

Toss lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro with the cooked rice. Serve warm or cold.