Carl's Jr.® Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Ranch Dressing
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
dash dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

6 to 8 cups vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 chicken breast fillets
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices

1. Preheat 6 to 8 cups of shortening in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can also pan fry using a large frying pan, and just a couple cups of shortening.
2. To prepare the ranch dressing, combine all of the ingredients except the water and gelatin in small bowl. Mix the water with the gelatin in a small cup until all of the gelatin is dissolved.
Add this gelatin solution to the other ingredients and stir. Cover and chill the dressing until it's needed.
3. Beat the egg and then combine with 1 cup of water in a small, shallow bowl. Stir.
4. Combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in another shallow bowl.
5. Pound each of the breast fillets with a mallet until about 1/4-inch thick. Trim each breast fillet until it is round.
6. Working with one fillet at a time, first coat each fillet with the flour, then dredge it in the egg and water mixture.
Coat the chicken once again in the flour and set it aside until all of the fillets have been coated.
7. Fry the chicken fillets for 8 to 12 minutes or until light brown and crispy.
8. As chicken is frying, prepare each sandwich by grilling the face of the hamburger buns on a hot skillet over medium heat.
Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ranch dressing on the face of the top and bottom buns.
9. On the bottom bun, stack a leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice.
10. When the chicken is done frying, remove the fillets from the fryer and drain on paper towels or a rack for a couple minutes.
11. Stack one fillet on the bottom of the sandwich (on top of the tomato), then top it off with the top bun. Repeat the stacking process for each of the sandwiches.
Makes 4 sandwiches.

Red Lobster® Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp

Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash ground black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
dash allspice

Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup ranch dressing
1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
(or 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced cilantro)

5 pieces bacon
5 large shrimp
3 slices fresh jalapeno
1 ounce pepper jack cheese
Open the shrimp, put a jalapeno slice in there, a chunk of
cheese on top, and wrap it all up with bacon.

When skewering, be sure to face all the shrimp the right direction
-- like a tight little Rockettes kick line.

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Make the seasoning blend by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Set this aside.
3. Make the dipping sauce by combining the ranch dressing with cilantro in a medium bowl.
4. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium/high heat, but don't cook it all the way to crispy. You want undercooked bacon that, when cool, will easily wrap around the shrimp. Cook the bacon about 3 minutes per side, and don't let it brown. When the bacon is done lay it on paper towels to drain and cool.
5. Shell the shrimp, leaving the last segment of the shell and the tail. Remove the dark vein from the back of the shrimp, and then cut down into the back of the shrimp, without cutting all the way through, so that the shrimp is nearly butterflied open. This will make a pocket for the pepper and cheese.
6. Pour 1 cup of water into a small bowl. Add the shrimp and jalapeno peppers and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Shrimp should be starting to firm up and change color. Immediately pour the water out of the bowl, remove the jalapeno slices and pour cold water over the shrimp. Place the the shrimp and jalapeno pepper slices onto paper towels to drain off excess water.
7. Build the appetizer by cutting the jalapeno slices in half and removing the seeds. You should now have 6 jalapeno slices -- you'll need 5 of these. Place one slice into the slit on the back of a shrimp. Cut an inch-long chunk of cheese (about 1/4-inch thick), and place it on the jalapeno slice. Wrap a piece of bacon around the shrimp, starting where the cheese is. Start wrapping with the thinnest end of the bacon. Go 1 1/2 times around the shrimp and then cut of the excess bacon and slide a skewer through the shrimp, starting with the end where the cheese is and piercing the cut end of the bacon on the other side. Repeat with the remaining shrimp and slide them onto the skewer with the tails facing the same direction.
8. Put the skewer onto a baking sheet or broiler pan and sprinkle a very light coating of the seasoning blend over the shrimp, then broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown and the cheese begins to ooze. Serve over a bed of rice if desired.
Feed the left over bacon pieces to the dog while you scarf out on the shrimp.
Serves 2 as an appetizer.

UNO'S® DEEP PAN PIZZA

1 c Warm tap water (110-115ø)
1 t Active dry yeast
3 1/2 c Flour
1/2 c Coarse ground cornmeal
1 t Salt
1/4 c Vegetable oil
-----FILLING-----
1 lb Mozzarella, sliced
1 lb Sausage, removed from the
Casing and crumbled
1 cn Whole tomatos, drained and
Coarsely crushed
2 c Cloves, peeled and minced
3 ts Dried oregano,OR
5 Fresh basil leaves,
Shredded
4 tb Freshly grated Parmesan
Cheese

Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl and
dissolve the yeast with a fork. Add 1 cup of flour,
all of the cornmeal, salt, and, and vegetable oil. Mix
well with a spoon. Continue stirring in the rest of
the flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough comes
away from the sides of the bowl. Flour your hands and
the work surface and kneed the ball of dough until it
is no longer sticky.

Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl, sealed with
plastic wrap, for 45 to 60 minutes in a warm place,
until it is doubled in bulk. Punch it down and kneed
it briefly. Press it into an oiled 15-inch deep dish
pizza pan, until it comes 2 inches up the sides and is
even on the bottom of the pan. Let the dough rise
15-20 minutes before filling.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Cook
the crumbled sausage until it is no longer pink, drain
it of it's excess fat. Drain and chop the tomatos.

When the dough has finished its second rising, lay the
cheese over the dough shell. Then distribute the
sausage and garlic over the cheese. Top with the
tomatos. Sprinkle on the seasonings and Parmesan
cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes at 500 degrees. Then lower the
temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 25 to 35
minutes longer. Lift up a section of the crust from
time to time with a spatula to check on its color. The
crust will be golden brown when done. Serve
immediately.

The Soup Nazi's® Cream of Sweet Potato Soup

4 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each)
8 cups water
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons half and half
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
dash thyme
1 cup cashews (split in half)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes or until they are soft. Cool the potatoes until they can be handled.
2. Peel away the skin, then put the potatoes into a large bowl.
Mash the potatoes for 15-20 seconds, but you don't need to mash them until they are entirely smooth.
3. Spoon the mashed sweet potato into a large saucepan over medium/high heat, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

4. When the soup begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 50-60 minutes. Cashews should be soft. Serve hot with an attitude.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Seven Seas® Free Viva Italian Fat-Free Dressing

1 1/3 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon gelatin
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry nonfat buttermilk

1. Combine water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, onion, garlic, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, and gelatin in a small saucepan. Whisk to dissolve cornstarch, then set pan over medium/low heat.
2. Heat mixture until boiling, stirring often. When mixture begins to boil, cook for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.
3. Add vinegar and dry buttermilk to saucepan and stir.
Transfer dressing to a covered container and refrigerate--preferably overnight--before serving.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size – 2 tablespoons
Total servings – 12
Fat (per serving) – 0g
Calories (per serving) – 10

Tommy's® World Famous Hamburgers

Chili
1 pound ground beef (not lean)
1/4 cup flour plus 1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/3 cups beef broth
4 cups water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons grated (and then chopped) carrot
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 pounds ground beef
8 hamburger buns
16 slices Kraft cheddar cheese Singles
1/2 cup diced onion
32 to 40 hamburger pickles (slices)
8 slices large beefsteak tomato (1/2-inch thick)
1/4 cup yellow mustard
Strain the fat out of the meat with popular
and common kitchen gadgets

Roux. Something good can come from the French.

1. Prepare the chili by first browning the meat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Crumble the meat as it browns.
When the meat has been entirely cooked (7 to 10 minutes), pour the meat into a strainer over a large cup or saucepan.
Let the fat drip out of the meat for about 5 minutes, then return the meat back to the first saucepan. Cover and set aside.
2. With the fat from the meat, we will now make a roux - a French contribution to thicker sauces and gravies usually made with fat and flour. Heat the drippings in a saucepan over medium heat (you should have drained off around 1/2 cup of the stuff).
When the fat is hot, add 1/4 cup flour to the pan and stir well.
Reduce heat to medium low, and continue to heat the roux, stirring often, until it is a rich caramel color. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. Add the beef broth to the pan and stir. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, back at the other pan, add the water to the beef, then whisk in the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour. Add the roux/broth mixture and the other chili ingredients and whisk until blended. Make sure your grated carrot is chopped up to the size of rice before you add it.
4. Crank the heat up to medium high. Stir often until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the chili. Turn the heat down to medium low, and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick.
The chili should be calmly bubbling like lava as it simmers. When it's done cooking, take the chili off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before using it on the burgers. It should thicken to a tasty brown paste as it sits.
5. To make your hamburgers, you'll first divide 3 pounds of hamburger into 16 portions of 3 ounces each. Grill the burgers in a hot skillet or on an indoor griddle for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper on each patty.
6. Build the burgers by lightly toasting the faces of the hamburger buns. Turn them over into a hot skillet or a griddle on medium heat.
7. Place one patty onto the bottom bun.
8. Position two slices of cheese on the meat.
9. Place another beef patty on the cheese.
10. Spoon about 1/3 cup of chili onto the beef patty.
11. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of diced onion onto the chili.
12. Arrange 4 to 5 pickle slices on the onion.
13. Place a thick slice of tomato on next.
14. Spread mustard over the face of the top bun and top off your hamburger by turning this bun over onto the tomato.
Makes 8 burgers. (6 cups of chili.)

Wendy's® Chicken Caesar Fresh Stuffed Pita

Dressing
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon dry, unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely minced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
dash parsley
dash oregano
dash thyme
dash basil
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons egg substitute

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup carrot, shredded
4 pita breads
4 teaspoons shredded, fresh Parmesan cheese


1. Make the dressing by first dissolving the gelatin in the water. Heat the mixture in the microwave on high for two minutes or until it begins to boil rapidly. Add the vinegar, then whisk while adding the oil. Add bell pepper, salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire, black pepper, parsley, oregano, thyme and basil. Let dressing cool for about 15 minutes before adding cheeses and egg substitute. Whisk until slightly thicker, then chill. Overnight refrigeration makes the dressing thicker.
2. Preheat a barbecue or indoor grill to medium heat. Salt and pepper the chicken, then grill it for 5 minutes per side, or until done. Remove chicken from the grill and dice it.
3. While chicken cooks, prepare the salad by combining the romaine lettuce, red cabbage and shredded carrot in a large bowl and toss.
4. Prepare the sandwiches by first microwaving each pita for 20 seconds.
5. Fold each pita in half like a taco, then add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the romaine salad into the bread.
6. Add about 1/3 cup of diced chicken on top of the salad in the pita.
7. Pour about a tablespoon of dressing over each sandwich.
8. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of shredded fresh Parmesan on top of each one and serve.
Serves 4.

Koo Koo Roo® Santa Fe Pasta

1 16-ounce package Rotini pasta
4-5 quarts water

Dressing
1 1/4 cups V-8 juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cooked yellow corn kernels
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced green bell pepper

1 chicken breast fillet, cooked and diced

1. Prepare the pasta by bringing 4-5 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta to the pan, and when water begins to boil again, cook for 8-11 minutes. Pasta should be al dente, or mostly tender but with a slight toughness in the middle.
2. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
Cover and chill the dressing until you're ready to use it.
3. When pasta is done, pour it into a large bowl. Add the dressing, then toss.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta, and toss until combined.
Cover and chill for several hours before serving.
Serves 8.

Kellogg's® Cocoa Rice Krispies Treats®

It's the Rice Krispies Treat for all you chocolate lovers.

3 tablespoons margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons cocoa
6 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
non-stick cooking spray

1. Combine margarine and salt in a large saucepan over low heat.

2. When margarine has melted, add marshmallows and vanilla and stir until marshmallows have melted. Add cocoa and stir well. Remove from heat.

3. Add Cocoa Krispies and stir until the cereal is well coated with the melted marshmallow mixture.

4. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the dish and, using wax paper or lightly greased hands, press down until it's flat in the dish.
Cool. Slice into 16 bars.
Makes 16 bars.

Lone Star Steakhouse® Lettuce Wedge Salad

This unique presentation is not only easy to make, but also a
deliciously different way to serve your next salad.

Bleu Cheese Dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 cup crumbled bleu cheese
1 cup diced tomato (1 large tomato)
Do the wedge.


1. Use an electric mixer to combine all ingredients for bleu cheese dressing in a medium bowl.
2. Slice a head of iceberg lettuce into quarters through the stem end. Cut the stem off of the wedges and arrange each one on a plate.
3. Spoon about 1/4 cup of bleu cheese dressing over each lettuce wedge.
4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of crumbled bleu cheese over the dressing.
5. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of diced tomato over the top and serve.
Makes 4 servings.

I.H.O.P.® Country Griddle Cakes

nonstick spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup instant Cream of Wheat (dry)
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Apply nonstick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer set on
high speed. Mix until smooth.
3. Pour the batter by 1/3-cup portions into the hot pan and cook
pancakes for 1-2 minutes per side or until brown. Repeat with
remaining batter.
Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's® Poultry Magic®

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
dash cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in a covered
container. Sprinkle on any poultry to taste.
Makes 4 teaspoons.

Auntie Anne®'s Pretzels

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 tsp Yeast, 1/2 tsp Brown sugar, 1 tsp Salt, 1 1/2 c Water,
4 c Bread flour, 2 tsp Baking soda, 2 c Warm water, 1/2 lb Butter,
2 Tbsp Honey, White sugar Brown sugar.

Preparation:

Mix yeast, brown sugar, dash of salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Let sit for five minutes. Add bread flour.
Knead well. Let rise for about one hour. Grease baking sheet.
Mix baking soda and warm water. Take a piece of dough and roll and shape into a pretzel. The easiest way to shape is to roll into a rope, whatever size you prefer. Pinch ends of rope then bring ends of rope to other side of circle. Dip pretzels in
warm water and baking soda mixture and put on baking sheet.
Bake at 425F for about 12 minutes. While still hot, brush with melted butter and honey. Sprinkle with white and brown sugar (approx. half and half mixture).
Servings Size: 1