pei wei's crab wontons {winner!}

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Pei Wei's Crab Wontons from Lauren:

1 can (6-7 oz) white crab meat

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

2-3 sliced green onions

1/2 T garlic powder

Splash of soy sauce

Wonton wrappers

Cooking oil

Mix the first five ingredients into a paste. Spoon mixture into wonton wrappers and fold corners into center. If they aren't sticking together, wet your finger tips and press seam together. (Too much water will mess it up, so you just want wet fingertips, not entire splashes of water). Fry the wontons in one inch of hot oil until browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour dipping sauce.

panera's stove top mac and cheese.

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Panera's Stove Top Mac and Cheese from Jenni:

Ingredients:
16 oz. pipette pasta or other small pasta shapes
4 T unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour (Use less flour and more cream)
2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half and half
4 oz white American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces (Didn't even use this because the kind I bought tasted gross)
8 oz extra sharp white Vermont, cheddar, shredded
2 tsp - 1 T Dijon mustard (adjust according to your tastes)
1 tsp Kosher salt (I added a lot more salt and pepper to taste)
1/4 tsp hot sauce (like Frank's)

In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 1/2 minutes whisking constantly.

Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes.

Remove sauce pan from heat and by the handful, stir in the cheeses allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more. Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce.

Return to the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta. Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through. Serve hot in bowls with spoons.

pei wei's vietnamese salad rolls.

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Pei Wei's Vietnamese Salad Rolls from Michelle:

I don't have measurements for any of this. I just eyeballed it. Think of it like a salad with the cabbage as the main ingredient and everything else as the mix-ins.

Ingredients

Rice Wrappers, King Soopers - Asian Aisle (also known as spring roll skins)

Green Leaf Lettuce (or Bib Lettuce)

Napa Cabbage, shredded

Green Onions, chopped

Mint, chopped

Carrots, cut into about 1" matchsticks

Peanuts

Chicken, diced (I used about 6 chicken tenders that had been drizzled with soy sauce, honey, garlic powder and red pepper flakes and then cooked through)

*Pei Wei's have rice noodles in them. I didn't like the consistency when I tried to prepare them, so I leave them out.

Lime Vinaigrette

2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)

1 1/2 tsp water

1 T sugar

1 tsp. salt

pepper

3 T oil

Combine everything but oil in a small jar and shake until sugar and salt are dissolved. Then add oil and shake well.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

2 T soy sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar

2 T brown sugar

4 T peanut butter

1 tsp chipotle Tabasco

1 tsp honey

1 tsp sweet chili sauce (Asian aisle)

1 tsp lime vinaigrette

Mix all salad ingredients except lettuce. Dip rice wrapper in warm water until soft (about 1 minute). Place wrapper on plate. Stack 2 pieces of lettuce in the center. Cover with a large handful of the salad mixture. Drizzle with lime vinaigrette. Then fold the two sides in and roll (like a burrito). Repeat until desired amount of rolls are made. Do not let rolls touch each other, they will stick. Dip in Peanut Sauce and/or Sweet Chili Sauce.

ruth's chris sweet potato casserole.

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Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole from Heidi:

For the crust:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 stick butter melted

For the Sweet Potato mixture:
3 cups smashed sweet potatoes (peeled, boiled and mashed)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter, (1/2 cup), melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed.

Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.

maggiano's salad.

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Maggiano's Salad from Jocelyn:

Romaine lettuce
1-2 tomatoes
3 green onions
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup blue cheese
bacon
avocado

Dressing:
1/8 cup dry mustard
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/8 cup crushed garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
salt to taste

Assemble and dress to your liking.

applebees blondie brownie sundae.

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Applebees Blondie Brownie Sundae from Brittany:

Dough:

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup flour, sifted

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 T vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped white chocolate (or white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again. Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside.

Add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until mixed well. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Use a toothpick or for to test. Serve warm with ice cream and Sauce.

Sauce:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

2 T real maple syrup

Combine, microwave for 30 seconds just before serving.

johnny carino's bowtie festival pasta.

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Johnny Carino's Bowtie Festival Pasta from Randi:

1 oz. melted butter

1 tsp chopped fresh garlic

1/8 cup diced red onion

1/8 cup cooked bacon

1/4 cup diced roma tomatoes

3 oz sliced cooked chicken

1 oz. heavy (whipping) cream

3 oz. alfredo sauce (recipe follows)

1/8 cup asiago cheese

1/2 tsp. salt, pepper and garlic salt

10 oz. pre-cooked bowtie pasta

ALFREDO SAUCE

1 quart heavy whipping cream

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 T black pepper

1/4 cup whole milk

In a heated saute pan combine butter, garlic, onions, bacon, tomatoes, chicken and spice mixture.

When onions begin to turn translucent, add heavy cream and Asiago cheese.

Once cheese and cream have reduced by half, add Alfredo sauce and bow tie pasta. Toss until well combined and remove from fire. Allow to cool for a few minutes so the cheese and sauce thicken.

Alfredo Sauce:

Saute heavy cream, milk and black pepper to a consistent boil. Remove cream mixture from heat and fold in parmesan cheese. Store completed sauce in refrigerator until use.