Categories
Food

McDonald’s Secret Menu Items

If you like McDonald’s, you’ll love these secret menu items. I got to try three of these things—but you can do yours here.

The Secret Menu

  1. McGlory Fried Chicken

It takes a lot of cooking to get to where they get the best McGlory chicken; they’ve done the cooking in house. This is a perfect chicken dish. The sauce is deep-fried chicken, but no oil. It’s rich, buttery, and delicious—no matter where you get it.

  1. Chicken Potpie Pie

This is the dish the McDonald’s marketing department will tell you to never order because of the pie crust, but what a way to end your week. There’s nothing like a good pie. Get yours at your local store.

  1. Big Mac Mac & Cheese

If you’re going to order a Big Mac Mac Mac and cheese (or, in this case, a Big Mac Chicken and Cheese with Cheese on top), then go for it. This is the real deal—the Big Mac is cooked to perfection—it’s deep fried with the perfect amount of sauce.

  1. Chicken-Seared Macaroni & Cheese

If you want to make this macaroni and cheese for yourself, you can’t go wrong. The sauce is a bit salty at first, so be careful. I think the best part about this recipe is that you can just sprinkle them liberally with your favourite cheese. (I like Gruyère and Monterey Jack.)

  1. Chicken Breast with Ranch Dressing

What’s best for the chicken wing you’ve got stuck to the back of your eye, is to serve this dish to it. I love the chicken breast with ranch dressing.

  1. Chicken Breast with Bacon, Onions and Cheddar

This is my favourite chicken wing. It’s the one you see on the menus at many restaurants. I’m not talking about the one you get as a free meal. There are so many different things that make this wing stand out. I love it because the sauce on the breast is rich and creamy and the cheese is thick and buttery and not burnt, like so many other things. It’s not as spicy as I would like it to be, but I’ll admit I’m still a bit picky. (The bacon is a little smoky and I would have liked it a bit hotter.) It has a very soft, crispy exterior and a really tender meat inside. I love that this is a very simple dish because you can put your favourite things on top and then it just becomes the perfect chicken wing. It’s the perfect chicken wing.

  1. Chicken-Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Cheese, and Bacon

You may be surprised that the chicken breast and the cheese on top are so delicious. But, you’re not. The chicken breast and the cheese are the star of the show. The sauce is rich, buttery, and delicious. It is the most perfect combination of chicken and cheese I’ve ever had, and it’s also very easy
, because you just put the ingredients together and pour the sauce over them, but there is a little bit of work involved. I love to add a layer of ranch cheese for extra sauce and a layer of the cheese for some sort of flavour. So, you don’t want to add cheese before you start; you want to get as close as possible to your favourite cheese. That’s the best way to cook things.

  1. The Mac & Cheese with Shrimp

You don’t have to go to the McDonalds to try the Mac and Cheese with shrimp—they make it in a restaurant. This is probably why it’s so easy—you mix it up with some chicken and shrimp and it’s a good combination.

  1. McDouble Mac N’ Cheese

I love how easy this burger and cheese are: Just spread them over the bun and then just put it in the middle of the bun. You can serve it in a bun, as a sandwich, on a sandwich bun, in a bun as a sandwich (with meat or cheese), or on a bun as a side. It’s an all-time classic and, for me, you want to have one of every kind. If you don’t have a favorite sandwich bun, just use a regular bun or even a bag of chips.

  1. Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Onions

You probably know how to make this mac and cheese, right? It’s the most simple dish, and one of the easiest things to make. It’s very, very simple, except for some bacon. But that’s just what the sauce and cheese do. They are so good that I could eat them and have a full meal.

Categories
Food

Spice Up Your Chili Recipe With This Secret Ingredient

The secret ingredient in my world famous chili recipe is soy sauce: it’s my secret sauce. I like to give it a little extra zing with the spices.

If you’ve never taken the time to experiment with soy sauce before… or if, like me, you can’t find it on a grocery store shelf, take the plunge with me! It’s amazing.

My first batch of homemade chili was made in just 3 days with soy sauce. Since that time it has been a go-to recipe in my home, kitchen, and on my travels. My customers ask me when I’ve made it at the grocery store. My response? “I just used the store’s stock.”

My next batch is going to use only the best ingredients in store and will be even more flavorful than the first one.

But first things first – don’t over-do it. Here are some of my favorite ingredients in store that I use in my chili recipes.

What Is Soy Sauce?

Soy sauce is a type of vegetable oil that’s derived from soybeans. It is commonly known to be used in soups, stews, chilis, sauces, and many other foods. Some people call soy sauce the “oil of life.” It’s made from the oils found in soybeans, not the water.

Soy sauce may be a little expensive, but you won’t be able to go wrong with homemade chili. If you’re interested in purchasing soy sauce from a store, you have plenty of options.

Soy sauce is a very simple ingredient to make yourself: add some soy sauce to water, heat it up, and stir it around for 30 seconds to 30 minutes or so until the oil is melted and a thick paste is formed.

I love using a blender for easy making (not to mention the added bonus of not having to worry about the soy sauce getting soggy or curdled). Just whisk until smooth, then heat up a pot of water to medium heat and add your mixture.

This recipe makes 4 1/2 cups of oil. (If you make this recipe and want to add a little more oil, feel free! Just use 1 1/2 cups instead – you’ll save money!)

What Are My Other Favorite Ways To Use Soy Sauce?

There are many other uses of soy sauce that I enjoy as well. For instance – I love to use it as a seasoning to season chicken, pork, or beef for sautéing or cooking over the stove top, as well as as in soups. I like to use a little at a time in the sauce to keep it from sticking together. I also like to add it to my favorite sauces for adding heat and flavor to any recipe. For a great list of other uses for soy sauce, check out these other recipes:

The Ultimate Chili Recipe

Soy Sauce, Spices, and Other Additions to My Mexican Chicken

I’ve always loved to make chicken and it was my favorite part of Mexican dinner. My family has cooked with it for decades. I made these chicken and rice noodle recipes years ago and loved it so much, I created my own version that’s just as delicious. The secret ingredient in this recipe is ground chicken.

This is the first of about a dozen recipes that make it easy to throw together and use in your home chili. In fact, this is probably my go to recipe! Just blend the soy sauce to taste until your liquid is thick and creamy. I usually add it just before serving to keep the heat low.

For the chicken and rice noodle recipe that follows, I usually use the same stock as is used for the meat and rice. This means the rice and meat don’t have to be exactly the same size (if there’s any variance, add 1/2 of the same amount of rice or meat instead).

I usually use a little oil in the broth to reduce the amount of sauce that can stick to the chicken. This isn’t always necessary, and if your oil is too hot, add a teaspoon or two of water to bring it back to normal. If you’re using a little more oil than I recommend (about 1/3 of the same, if not more), then simmer the meat for 5 minutes or so to reduce the cooking time.

Soy sauce is a very easy and cost-effective ingredient to make at home that will give your homemade chili that much-needed flavor and kick to it. If you have any ideas for additional uses or ways to use it, please let me know with any questions.

I’ve made it in the past and my customers love it!

My other favorite way to use this is with beans! You can easily make this in the crockpot and freeze it, or cook it in a crock pot over the weekend.

Categories
Food

Grandma’s Amazing Lasagna Recipe

My grandmother’s recipe for lasagna is as amazing as her recipe for lasagna. So great. It is so much easier when you make lasagna from scratch.

In all, I’ve made this lasagna for the last week. I’ve made the lasagna with a batch of the lasagnes, followed by lasagna for lunch. This is my lasagna for dinner, followed by lasagna for weekend lunches!

I love making lasagna the way it is because the only thing I have to worry about is that my kids will eat it in the microwave (I hate microwave meals – I don’t like them!). It’s easy to put together and can be prepared in about 15 to 20 minutes. It will also turn out great for a party.

It’s time to make your lasagna. Start by cooking all the ingredients in a pot on low heat for about 2 minutes until they’re all cooked through. It’s important to let it cool down so all that delicious lasagna goodness that’s in that pot goes back into the oven and is ready to eat!

You’ll notice that after you’ve made the lasagna, I’m still cooking pasta from scratch. I used to make pasta and pasta only, but the other day when I made some pasta out of the same recipe for lasagna lasagna, I realized I didn’t have enough pasta in my fridge. I used to have about 2 cups of pasta left in the fridge when my kids used it.

So here are the pasta ingredients in a bowl:

2 cups of chicken stock (I like to use regular chicken stock. My grandmother made her own by cooking it at the pot over medium heat and letting it sit for a few months. I like it because it is thick and delicious!)

1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

6 ounces of heavy cream

2 tablespoons of fresh oregano

1/4 cup of chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

6 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic

Salt and Pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

I used a 3/4 cup measuring cup to make this lasagna, but a 2/3 cup measuring cup works just as well. You can also substitute any other type of lasagna or pasta you’d prefer for this, but I just used chicken and Parmesan for this lasagna recipe.

The first step to making this lasagna is to make the pasta.

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. I like to use my hand for this step, but I also like a food processor that comes with me with a food processor attachment. It’s easier to use your fingers, but you can also use an immersion blender.

I use my food processor attachment, but you can also use your hands if you are nervous about using your hands!

You want the pasta to be very coarse. You want it slightly softer in the center of the bowl. Make sure the pasta is very soft and that each piece of the pasta has a distinct texture.

The next step is to combine the pasta and the chicken stock.

This may take around 2 minutes, however, if you are nervous, do it quickly after you have processed your food processor to make sure you do a good job. I usually like to use my hands while mixing this mixture, but if you’re nervous, you can use a food processor. You’re going to be mixing it, I promise!

The next step is to combine the Parmesan and the chives in a small food processor.

If you aren’t careful when you combine it, you will end up with very small pieces of chopped garlic and a very bitter taste in your mouth.

It’s important to make sure the chives and the garlic are not mixed in too many, but you can do this by hand with a small spoon or your finger if you are too nervous. Make sure you keep doing this until the Parmesan mixture is smooth to the touch and no longer bitter, then add the garlic and chopped chives and process for another 2 or 3 minutes. Do not over mix! Just a few minutes will do you good!

Now, add your stock.

After you add the olive oil, you want to let the stock sit for about a minute while you process the pasta and chicken stock.

Then add the pasta and the chicken stock and process for another 3 minutes or so so the pasta is almost smooth.

After you add the pasta and the chicken stock and process for a couple more minutes, then add the Parmesan.

You should be done with all the ingredients by now!

I love this lasagna.

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