Roasted peanuts, ginger, garlic, and spicy red chilies give this easy kung pao chicken a kick that makes it quite unique.

Kung Pao chicken is savory and sweet with as much spiciness as you might desire. The peanuts provide an additional nutty flavor that really brings it all together.

My husband and kids devoured their servings, peppers and all. I simply left the peppers on my plate and the stir fry was the perfect level of heat for my taste.

I found this recipe for the best-ever kung pao chicken over ten years ago and it’s been a family favorite for all of these years. I’ve learned to double this recipe since I first started making it.

The recipe below is already doubled from the original. If you’ve made it in the past and prefer a smaller recipe, use the slider in the recipe card to reduce the serving size to 3.

Easy Kung Pao Chicken

My favorite flavors these days are found in Asian foods and I am always looking for more stir fry ideas. I never can resist the ready-made freezer meals at Trader Joe’s and their Kung Pao Chicken and Orange Chicken have both been staples in our freezer for many years.

That said, it was well past time for me to try my hand at authentic kung pao chicken, so I was thrilled to find this easy recipe. While the ingredient list is a little long at first glance, like most stir-fry recipes the dish comes together very quickly.

The ingredients in this recipe may be a little different from what you’re used to, but they are all very easy to find in an Asian market or online. I typically shop in the stores (because I love to see the variety in person!) but if there isn’t a nearby option or if you want a visual before shopping, I’ve linked to a few similar products here.

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Sweet onions, fresh zucchini, and grilled corn along with a bit of chicken and plenty of melting cheese made these some of the best vegetable quesadillas that I have made recently.

Zucchini Quesadilla

Gooey cheese quesadillas have been a classic dinner item in our house for years now, but I’m always looking for ways to change things up.

These quesadillas combine the flavorful pop of fresh zucchini, sweet onions, hearty grilled corn, and (if desired) chicken to create a game-changing mix of flavors.

Vegetable Quesadilla

With only a few minutes of effort, these quesadillas come together easily. All you’ll need to cook this easy dinner recipe is a skillet, a spatula, and a few minutes on the stove.

Because the time required to prep and cook these quesadillas is so short, this is a great recipe to make in bulk. Leftover quesadillas are an easy (and common!) meal option in my house, and we always keep the ingredients at hand in case we need a last minute dinner plan.

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Baked Chicken Meatballs and Orzo

These chicken meatballs are so juicy and flavorful but they are also healthier! Serve them over creamy sun dried tomato and mushroom orzo and you’ve got a new family recipe!

Last year we visited Israel for a couple of weeks and ate, and ate, and ate. The breads there, my goodness, there’s just nothing like bread outside of the USA. But what was interesting was that as much as we ate we really didn’t feel gross nor did we come home gazillions of pounds heavier. It was just fresh food and that made all the difference. Since coming home and dreaming of those cobblestone streets and warm challah, I’ve been heavily focused on dishes that incorporate more herbs and brightness to simple meals.

Meatballs are awesome, but a chicken version that’s still moist and juicy with the freshness of all those beautiful herbs is exactly what this blog needed.

I especially love the fried herbs we toss on top at the end. They are so delicate but still pack their flavor.

And before you ask, I don’t know what the best part of our trip was; Petra was amazing, Israel was like breathing new air, and the borders of Syria and Lebanon, well some of the best food we had all through the trip was there!

I think you have to leave home every now and again in order to find out what home really is to you. Home is everyone I love, a casual night around the table with no deadlines or hurrying and a big plate of the creamiest orzo dotted with earthy mushrooms and fragrant meatballs.

Ingredients Baked Chicken Meatballs

Get ready for bold flavorful chicken meatballs that are moist and super easy to make! While those are baking, you whip up creamy orzo and you have a great simple family meal. Here is what you will need…

For the Meatballs

• Panko Bread Crumbs: You can also crush up crackers or use regular breadcrumbs. These help bind the meatballs together.
• Milk: We use 2% or whole milk and it helps keep the meatballs moist.
• Olive Oil: helps the meatballs become golden when they bake
• Salt: adds flavor
• Aleppo Pepper: This is optional, but it adds great Middle Eastern flavor.
• Ground Chicken: ground chicken thighs also work or ground turkey
• Eggs: the real binders for the meatballs
• Grated Parmesan: adds flavor and helps hold the shape of the meatballs
• Shallot: adds flavor
• Garlic Powder: adds flavor
• Fresh Herbs: parsley, thyme, rosemary or you could do 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

For the Orzo

• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: adds bright pops of flavor
• Oil: Use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar. If you aren’t using sun-dried tomatoes, add an additional tablespoon butter.
• Butter: used if you don’t use the sundried tomato oil, helps sauté the mushrooms, shallots and herbs
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A colorful medley of garden-fresh vegetables is tossed in a light oil and vinegar dressing to make this tangy pasta salad a surefire hit at your next gathering.

Potluck Pasta Salad

We love pasta salads as the weather warms up. There aren’t many things that beat having a meal ready-to-go in the fridge on a hot summer night.

Part of that is the fact that we lived in Phoenix for so many years. When it’s 108 degrees outside and muggy from a thunderstorm, you learn to eat as light as possible. And, you keep the oven off as much as possible.

No Mayo Pasta Salad

This recipe is great for a summertime gathering because it is simple to make, loaded with flavor, and you don’t have to worry about it sitting in the sun. No mayo is perfect for a potluck pasta salad.

If you’ve been here for very long, then you’ll know that I’m an equal opportunity employer of mayonnaise. I like a mayo free pasta salad with a bright vinaigrette just as much as I enjoy a creamy pasta salad with mayo.

You’ll love that this Italian Penne Pasta Salad can be set out and then forgotten about. There are no worries about a no mayo pasta salad spoiling in the sun.

This Garlicky Spinach Pasta Salad and this Summer Israeli Couscous Salad are excellent salads that are perfect for summer.

This California Spaghetti Salad is loaded with many of our favorite flavors too. And this Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad is a must any time you have fresh strawberries around!

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Ramen Chinese Chicken Salad

Crunchy ramen Chinese chicken salad is made with rotisserie chicken, three kinds of cabbage, carrots, green onions, mandarin oranges and a sweet tangy homemade salad dressing.

The chicken is completely optional, but I can’t ever make it without it. With the added protein, it makes a great lunch or main dish for dinner. I especially love the chicken marinated in The Original Japanese BBQ Sauce. It’s being sold everywhere lately, but I first found it at Costco. It is so good and goes perfectly with this salad! Using a rotisserie chicken makes it so simple so there’s minimal cooking!

This oriental chicken salad is a great dish for a potluck.  I remember when I was like 15ish, I went to a camp at a college. I stayed the first night with a girl I had grown up with and her roommates. We went on a little BBQ/picnic and a girl made a salad with crunched up top ramen noodles. I thought it was so weird. Years later my girlfriend gave me this recipe and it’s delicious. Very light, but flavorful and those ramen noodles add the most amazing crunch!

Ingredients for Ramen Chinese Chicken Salad

At first glance, this is going to look like a long list of ingredients, but I promise that it’s worth it! The flavor is so bold! Here is what you will need…

• Rotisserie Chicken: you can cook your own chicken breasts or buy it precooked
• The Original Japanese BBQ Sauce: this is optional, but it adds fabulous flavor to the chicken

Dressing

• Peanut Oil: the base of the homemade salad dressing, adds a subtle nutty flavor
• Peanut Butter: you’ll want creamy peanut butter
• Sugar: balances the acidity of the vinegar
• Rice Vinegar: adds tanginess to the dressing
• Soy Sauce: grab low sodium so the dressing doesn’t get too salty
• Sesame Oil: the tiniest bit adds the most delightful nutty flavor

Ramen

• Butter: used to toast the ramen noodles
• Ramen Noodles: crunch them up so they are bite size and ditch the seasoning packets
• Almonds: sliced and toasted with the ramen noodles
• Sesame Seeds: you can use black or just regular seeds and they also get toasted with the ramen

Salad

• Napa Cabbage: has a slightly sweeter flavor and the leaves are tender and great for eating raw
• Green Cabbage: chopped thin and adds to the base of the salad
• Red Cabbage: chopped thin and adds a bright pop of color
• Carrots: shredded on cheese grater
• Green Onions: adds that delicious onion flavor but it’s more subtle
• Mandarin Oranges: drained and left whole

This is meant to be just