Panda Express Cream Cheese Wontons/Puffs

This knockoff Chinese restaurant side dish is out-of-this world rich and satisfying. Copycat Panda Express Cream Cheese Wontons are a great combination of sweet and savory. They're easy to put together and serve to a large group. Forget takeout, you can make these instead.

Panda Express Cream Cheese Wontons/Puffs

Author: CopyKat Recipes

 

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 15 min

Serves: 10

You can enjoy biting into a creamy and crunchy wonton made from your own kitchen. Enjoy Panda Express Cream Cheese Wontons at home.

Ingredients

• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese - softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons scallions sliced thin
• wonton wrappers
• shortening

Instructions

Heat enough vegetable shortening or cooking oil to fill 2 to 3 inches in a medium sized cooking pot. If you have an electric fryer, you can use your electric fryer. Cream together cream cheese and scallions together. If desired a touch of garlic powder may be added for additional flavor. Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture into wonton, and fold wonton.

Fold wonton by brushing a little water over all of the edges of the wonton skin. Fold wonton diagonally unto a triangle. Be sure to seal all of the edges completely, this will keep the filling from running out of the wonton when being cooked. Next take the two furthest ends and press and twist those together. You may need to tack together the two end pieces by adding a little water.

When the oil is heated, you can use a thermometer and test to see that it is 350 degrees, or you may test with a small piece of wonton skin. If the wonton skin bubbles immediately when dropped into the hot oil, it is ready. Drop only 4 or 5 pieces into the hot oil. After about 1 minute the wonton will begin to brown, it will now brown rapidly, remove it when it is lightly browned. If your oil is shallow, you may need to flip over the wonton before serving 

Slow Cooker Pizza Chicken

1 1/2      lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2        teaspoon salt

1/4        teaspoon pepper

1           small onion, sliced

2           medium bell peppers, cut into strips

2           cups tomato pasta sauce (from 26 oz jar)

1           package (16 oz) rotini pasta

1           cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

1 Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, place chicken. Top with onion and bell peppers. Add pasta sauce.

• 2 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours.
• 3 Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Place pasta on platter. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bacon Beer and Cheese Cupcakes

By: Stephanie Manley from CopyKat Recipes

Bacon Beer and Cheese Cupcakes

Author: Eat Write Retreat Team # 9

Recipe Type: Dessert

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 25 min

Serves: 8

Enjoy sweet and savory together in these bacon beer and cheese cupcakes.

Ingredients

• Cupcake
  
• 6 strips bacon
• 1/2 cup dark beer
• 4 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup grated Jarlsberg
• 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 + 1/8 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• Frosting
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/8 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Finely grated Jarlsberg, for garnish
• Grated sharp cheddar cheese, for garnish
• Chopped bacon, for garnish

Instructions

Cupcake directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon until crispy, then remove from oven and finely chop. Coat a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. Heat beer and butter in a large saucepan on medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add Jarlsberg and cheddar. Remove from heat, and whisk in the sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream with the egg. Mix the sour cream mixture into the beer mixture. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Fold flour mixture into the batter. Stir in 1/2 cup of finely chopped bacon. Fill cups in prepared tin almost full. Bake for 12 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean.

Frosting Directions

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Sift powder sugar in a sifter before slowly mixing in powdered sugar into the butter and cream cheese. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, then garnish with finely grated Jarlsberg and cheddar, and chopped bacon

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Crab Cakes ( copycat recipe)

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Crab Cakes

1 pound lump crab meat
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons cracker meal (5 or 6 saltines, crushed)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely diced green bell pepper

Pick through crab meat, removing any shells.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and parsley. Add cracker meal, mayonnaise, mustard and pepper; stir until thoroughly blended. Carefully fold in crab, trying not to break up crab pieces. (Mixture may be refrigerated up to 2 days before cooking.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a heavy baking sheet with sides or a shallow ovenproof skillet in the oven to heat.

When pan is hot, drizzle surface with olive oil. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop crab mixture onto hot pan and flatten slightly. Bake about 10 minutes, until golden brown and hot on the inside.

Arrange 2 crab cakes on a serving plate; garnish with diced bell peppers.

Serve immediately with your favorite sauce.

Yield: 12 crab cakes.

NOTE: Baking (rather than the usual pan-frying) makes these soft-textured crab cakes easy to handle, but they are rather pale on top. For a better appearance, bake on the uppermost oven rack, or bake 10 minutes, turn the crab cakes, then bake 2 minutes more.

Copy Cat Fried Pickles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegetable/canola oil

20 ounces of kosher dill burger sliced pickles

3/4 cup pickle juice

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 ranch seasoning packet

Ranch Dip for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. Open the jar of pickles and reserve 3/4 cup juice. Set aside.
2. Drain any remaining juice and arrange the pickles in a single layer on a cookie sheet to dry. I used paper towels to help absorb any moisture. You want the pickle slices as dry as possible so that the coating adheres to it.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together pickle juice, ranch dressing, tabasco sauce, egg, flour, and cornstarch. Whisk until well combined.
4. In a shallow dish (I used a cake pan), combine panko bread crumbs and ranch seasoning packet.
5. Dip each dried pickle into batter, allowing the excess batter to fall, then dip each pickle into the panko mixture and set aside. Continue dipping and coating each pickle.
6. Heat 1-1.5 inches of oil in a large skillet. When the oil has reached about 360 degrees, carefully place a few pickles in the skillet at a time and cook for about 3 minutes, or until both sides are crispy and brown.
7. Remove the cooked pickles from the oil, and place on paper towels to drain.
8. Continue cooking pickles in batches until all are cooked.
9. Serve pickles immediately with homemade ranch dip.

This recipe and picture adateped from CenterCutCook.com

Copy Cat Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies

Cookie mix                                                                      Cream Filling for middle

1 ¼ cups butter softened                                              ½ cup soft butter

1 cups brown sugar packed                                           1 t vanilla

½ cup sugar                                                                        2 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ cup flour                                                                      1-2 T whipping cream

3 cups oats                                                                                         

1 egg

2 t vanilla

1 t soda

½ salt

1\4 cinnamon

For the Cookie mix:

Preheat oven to 375.  Beat butter, sugar till creamy add egg, vanilla mix well.  Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level with a knife.  Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon in a bowl.  Stir add oats and mix well.  Add butter mix and blend well.  Drop by rounded tablespoons 2” apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375 for 10 min.  Leave in pan to call 2-3 mins.  Put on cooling rack to cool all the way.

Add 1T cream filling between 2 cookies.

For the cream filling:

Combine all in medium bowl.  Beat on low till mixed well.  Then beat on high till light and fluffy.

Oatmeal Creme Pies are always a welcome sight in any kid's lunch box, and now you can make them in your own kitchen! This Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies recipe makes perfect little snack cakes to get you through the day.

Homemade Cheetos ( copy cat Cheetos )

So, you want that recipe do you? Ok, here it is:
Homemade Cheese Balls
1 c. shredded cheese (or dairy-free/vegan cheese or try nutritional yeast)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour (or GF mix)
1/4 c. softened butter or earth balance
1/2 t. ground mustard.
Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Mix all ingredients. I suggest using a pastry cutter or your (clean) hands . Place on ungreased cookie sheet with an inch in between each one and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve warm if you desire or cool.
Makes: ~12- 1 inch balls
Note: Next time I am going to try making these smaller as they do spread a bit in the oven. I think they might be crisper (and more like the original) that way.
Tired of making the same old recipes? Try out this recipe for Homemade Cheetos to liven up your cooking routine! These Cheetos cheese balls are the perfect snack to give your kids when they come home from school!
By: Ariana Anderson from The Frugally Rich Life

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs ( copy cat pizza rolls )

No need to stop by the grocery, these Pepperoni Pizza Puffs are better than the store-bought brand. The freezer aisle has nothing on this delicious take on Totino's Pizza Rolls. This homemade copycat recipe is crafted with pepperoni, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Surprise your kids with this delicious after school snack.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray and Cassie Craves

Printer Friendly Version

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• pinch of salt (my addition, optional)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (my addition, optional)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cubed pepperoni
• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) ; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.
NOTE: All my batter did not fit into the 24-mini muffin pan. So I made a full size muffin with the leftover batter. Some pans are larger than others so you may not have have an issue.

Grilled Pineapple-Chicken Kabob Packets

1/3     cup pineapple preserves

2        tablespoons packed brown sugar

1        tablespoon soy sauce

1/4     teaspoon crushed red pepper

4        boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes (1 lb)

1        medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1        medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1        cup pineapple chunks

1/4     teaspoon salt

• 1 Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, stir together pineapple preserves, brown sugar, soy sauce and crushed red pepper.
• 2 Cut 4 (24x12-inch) sheets of heavy-duty foil. Divide chicken, bell peppers, pineapple chunks and pineapple preserves mixture among foil sheets. Sprinkle with salt. Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal.
• 3 Place packets on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 6 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn packets over, taking care not to puncture foil. Cook 10 to 12 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are crisp-tender.

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Expert Tips

This new twist takes the work out of kabobs. Instead of skewering the vegetables and meat and brushing with the glaze, they are combined in a simple packet and grilled.
Substitute your favorite preserves for the pineapple variety in this recipe.

Homemade Pop-Tarts (copy cat)

Yield: 9 pop-tarts
Prep Time: 1 hour | Bake Time: 25 minutes
For the pastry crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
For the cinnamon sugar filling:
½ cup light brown sugar
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
For the strawberry filling:
¾ cup strawberry jam (or whatever flavor you’d like)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 egg, lightly beaten (to brush on pastry)
1. Prepare the cinnamon sugar filling by whisking the ingredients together.
2. If using the strawberry filling, prepare by whisking together the cornstarch and water, and then combine with the jam in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. To make the crust, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work in the butter until it is the size of peas and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it. Whisk together the egg and milk and add to the dough. Mix together with a fork until everything is evenly moistened. Knead briefly on a floured surface, if necessary, until the dough comes together.

4. Divide the dough in half. (At this point you can wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) If you refrigerate the dough, let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling out. Roll out one piece of dough to about 1/8-inch thick, in a 9½ by 12½ rectangle. Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel or bench scraper, trim the rectangle to 9×12 inches. Cut the sheet of dough into nine 3×4 rectangles. Using a spatula, transfer the rectangles to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Brush the lightly beaten egg on each of the rectangles. Spoon a tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, leaving a ½-inch of space around the edges.

5. Roll out and cut the second piece of dough in the exact same manner as you did the first. One at a time, place a second rectangle of dough on top of the nine assembled ones. Using your fingers, press around the seams of the dough to make sure they are sealed. Press the tines of a fork around the edges of the rectangles. Prick the tops of the rectangles in multiple spots to allow steam to escape.

6. Refrigerate the pan with the pastries (you don’t need to cover them) for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving. Store pastries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
* Note 1: Each filling recipes makes enough for a whole recipe (9 pop-tarts). If you make to make a few different filling, just scale back the amounts for the fillings.
* Note 2: Some additional filling ideas: Chocolate chips, Nutella, different jam flavors, dulce de leche, etc. The possibilities are endless!
* Note 3: If your kitchen runs on the warm side, you will need to refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out so that the butter doesn’t start to melt.
(Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)