KFC Macaroni & Cheese

Here's a clone for another of KFC's famous side dishes. We'll use easy-to-melt Velveeta, with its very smooth texture, as the main ingredient for the cheese sauce. Then a bit of cheddar cheese is added to give the sauce a sharp cheddary zing like the original. It's a very simple recipe that will take only 15 minutes to prepare.

That's great news if you're a lazy cook like me who wants to dig right into the tasty vittles. Weeell doggies!

Recipe
6 cups water

1 1/3 cups elbow macaroni

4 ounces Velveeta cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Bring water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add elbow macaroni to the water and cook it for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

2. While the macaroni is boiling, prepare the cheese sauce by combining the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir often as the cheese melts into a smooth consistency.

3. When the macaroni is done, strain it and then pour it back into the same pan, without the water.

4. Add the cheese sauce to the pan and stir gently until the macaroni is well coated with the cheese. Serve immediately while hot.Makes about 3 servings.

EL TORITO CHICKEN AND LIME SOUP

Categories: Soups, Mexican
Yield: 4 servings


Recipe Ingredient
1 qt Chicken stock
1 c Julienne-cut tomatoes
2 Limes; (just the juice)
1/2 c Julienne-cut red onion
1 t Dried Mexican oregano
1 T Minced cilantro
1 t Dried basil
4 oz Jalapeno Jack cheese; cubed
1 t Pureed chipotle chile
2 Corn tortillas;cut in strips
1 Bay leaf
1 Avocado*
Salt & White pepper
4 Lime slices
2 Chicken breast halves*
4 Cilantro sprigs

*Note- Chicken breasts should be cooked and shredded. Avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced. Combine stock, lime juice, oregano, basil, pureed chipotle and bay leaf in stockpot. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Bring to boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Add shredded chicken, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Bring to boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle very hot soup into warm soup bowls. Drop in cheese cubes. Garnish each serving with a few tortilla strips, avocado slices, lime slice and cilantro sprig.

Makes about 1 quart.

Durkee's Famous Sauce

Serving Size : 16

Categories : Recipe for Sauces Cheese/Eggs


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup Cold water
4 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 cup Plus 2 TB dark vinegar
2 tablespoons Salt
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Whole egg
4 tablespoons French's prepared mustard
4 tablespoons Margarine -- tiny bits

Place all ingredients as listed in blender on high speed until smooth (2 minutes). Transfer to top of double boiler and cook over gently boiling water, stirring often for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and smooth.Once more put mixture back through blender 30 seconds or till smooth,using high speed. Refrigerate in covered container 24 hours before using.Keep refrigerated 3 months.

Denny's Cheese Soup

Categories: Soups, Cheese
Yield: 4 servings

Recipe's ingredients:
4 tb Butter or margarine
10 oz Cream of chicken soup
10 oz Cream of celery soup
1/2 Soup can Kraft's mayonnaise
8 oz Jar cheese Whiz
14 oz Can chicken broth
Salt and pepper

Put butter, soups, mayo and Cheez Whiz in 1-1/2 quart saucepan, stirring constantly over medium heat, until smooth. Stir in broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until piping hot -BUT DO NOT LET IT BOIL! . Do not freeze because of the mayo. Use within a week.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll

Serving Size : 12
Categories : Rolls

Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
DOUGH
1/4 cup warm water,
1 cup milk -- room temperature
1 large egg -- beaten,
1/4 cup butter -- softened,
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt,
4 cups all purpose white flour
1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz box)
1 tablespoon bread machine yeast FILLING 1 cup brown sugar -- packed
1 tablespoon cinnamon,
1/4 cup butter -- softened CREAM CHEESE CINNAMON FROSTING,
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 ounces cream cheese -- softened,
1/4 cup butter -- softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla,
1/2 tablespoon milk,
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

*********

Preparation Instructions:

Dough;

(Add the dough ingredients, in the order listed, to the bread machine and prepare using the dough setting. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to an 18" by 30" rectangle. The dough can also be handmade. If you use regular yeast, you may want to let the rolls proof for 15-30 minutes after assembly). Filling In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the softened butter over the dough and evenly sprinkle on the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Starting at the long edge of the dough, roll up tightly. Mark the roll every 2 inches. With a thread cut the roll by placing the thread under the roll at your mark, crisscross over and pull to cut. Place rolls into greased 8" or 9" baking pans 2" apart. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place until almost double, approximately 1 hour. After rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cream

Cheese Cinnamon Frosting In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla and milk. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Spread on warm rolls and serve immediately. This recipe has been adjusted so that the dough can be prepared in your bread machine. These will taste most like the originals if you use Makara Cinnamon (available at the Cinnabon Stands) instead of conventional powdered cinnamon from the supermarket.

Chili's Southwestern Vegetable Soup

If you like a soup that's packed with veggies, that's low in fat, and has some of that Southwestern zing to it, this is the one for you. Just toss all the ingredients in a pot and simmer. Garnish with some shredded cheese and crumbled tortillas, and prepare totake the chill off.

Recipe
6 cups chicken broth (Swanson is best)

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup water

1 cup canned dark red kidney beans, with liquid

1 cup frozen yellow cut corn

1 cup frozen cut green beans

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

1/2 cup diced Spanish onion

1/2 cup tomato sauce

6 corn tortillas, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

dash garlic powder

Garnish
1 cup grated cheddar/jack cheese blend
1 cup crumbled corn tortilla chips


1. Combine all the soup ingredients in a large saucepan or soup pot over high heat. Be sure to mince the corn tortillas intosmall pieces with a sharp knife before adding them to the soup.

2. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the soup has thickened and tortilla pieces have mostly dissolved.

3. To serve soup ladle 1 1/2 cups into a bowl. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the grated cheddar/jack cheese blend over the top of the soup, and then a heaping tablespoon of crumbled corn tortilla chips over the cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Chevys Mesquite-Grilled BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

With this secret recipe from the latest TSR low-lat book, it isn't necessary to cook the chicken over a mesquite grill as they do in the restaurant chain. Sure, you could get some mesquite wood chips and throw 'em on your barbecueor you can use that charcoal that has mesquite in it.

But an easier way to get the flavor of mesquite--especiallyif all you've got is a gas grill--is to soak the chicken in a marinade made with mesquite-flavored liquid smoke. In the restaurant these puppies are made with red chili tortillas.

Since these type of tortillas can be a drag to track down, especially in fat-free versions, we'll use plain fat-free tortillas for our tasty reduced-fat clone.

Mesquite Marinade recipe

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon mesquite-flavored liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash ground black pepper
Spicy BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup Bull's-Eye Original BBQ Sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

dash chili powder
1 boneless chicken breast

1/3 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/3 cup sliced green bell pepper

1/3 cup sliced Spanish onion

2 large (12-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

1 1/3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Prepare the marinade by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken breast fillet to the bowl, cover, and chill for one hour.

2. When the chicken is finished marinating, preheat your grill to high temperature.

3. As grill is heating, prepare the spicy BBQ sauce by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Throw the chicken on the grill and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until it's done. When the chicken is done cooking, chop it into bite-size pieces.

5. Spray a light coating of nonstick cooking spray on a medium skillet over medium heat. Saut?the sliced peppers and onion in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes or until the veggies start to brown.

6. Set a large skillet over medium/low heat.

7. Put one flour tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle 1/3 cup of cheese over half of the tortilla. Spoon half of the vegetables over the cheese, followed by half of the chicken.

8. Spoon a generous portion of the spicy BBQ sauce over the chicken, followed by another 1/3 cup of cheese.

9. Fold the other side of the tortilla over the filling, and press down so that it stays in place.

10. By this time, the cheese on the bottom should be melted. If not, wait another minute or so, then flip the quesadilla over and heat for another couple minutes or until all of the cheese has melted.

11. Slide the quesadilla onto a plate and slice it into 4 pieces. Repeat for the second quesadilla and serve immediately with salsa on the side.Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Total servings 4

Carl's Jr.Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich

If you love crispy chicken sandwiches - and especially if you don't live in the West - you'll want to try out this clone of the tasty Carl's Jr. creation. The recipe makes four of the addicting chicken sandwiches from theCalifornia-based chain, but will also come in handy for making a delicious homemade ranch dressing. Try using some lean turkey bacon, fat-free Swiss cheese, and fat-free mayonnaise if you feel like cutting back on the fat.Then you can eat two.

Recipe fo 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

Kraft Swiss cheese Singles

8 slices bacon, cooked

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 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 them 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 stack a slice of the Swiss cheese onto the chicken.

12. Arrange the bacon, crosswise, on top of the Swiss cheese, then top off the sandwich with the top bun. Repeat the stacking process for each of the remaining sandwiches.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Burger King Breakfast Sandwiches

You can have your eggs and sausage and biscuits sitting next to each other on the plate like all the traditional folks out there, or you can get vertical with this top secret breakfast-in-sandwich from the world's number two fast food chain.

And if you prefer a croissant to a biscuit, I've got that version for you, too (along with the special way to get bigger, circular croissants). A great way to make the eggs for these breakfast sandwiches is to pour the beaten egg into a well-greasedmold made from an empty pineapple can.

Just cut both ends off an 8-ounce pineapple can you know, the shortcans that have crushed or sliced pineapple inside. Oh, and take the pineapple out. Then, before you know it, you'll be making perfectly round eggs like the fast food pros.

Recipe for Biscuit Sandwich

1 small can (5 biscuits) Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuits melted butter

Non-stick cooking spray

5 eggs

salt

ground black pepper

10 ounces ground breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean) or 10 slices of bacon

5 slices American cheese

1. Prepare biscuits following instructions on the can (bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes). When you remove the biscuits from the oven brush the top of each with melted butter.

2. Spray a skillet over medium heat with non-stick cooking spray. Open both ends of a clean, small, sliced pineapple can. Spray the inside of the empty can with the non-stick spray, and then place the can in the pan to heat up. Use more than one can if you'd like to speed up the cooking process.

3. Beat an egg, then pour it into the empty can mold, add a bit of salt and pepper, and cover with a saucepan lid. Cook for a couple minutes, then scrape a knife around the edge of the egg to release it. Remove the can, then turn the egg over and cook it for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

4. If using sausage, form 2-ounce portions of sausage into patties with the same diameter as the biscuits. Cook the sausage in another hot skillet over medium heat until brown. If using bacon, cook the bacon and drain on paper towels.

5. Slice a biscuit in half through the middle. Build each sandwich by first stacking egg on the bottom half of the biscuit. Next arrange sausage (or 2 slices of bacon) on the egg, then a slice of American cheese. Top off each sandwich with the top biscuit half, then zap it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to help melt the cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Makes 5 sandwiches.

Recipe for Croissant'wich?

1 8-ounce can Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls

4 eggs

salt

ground black pepper

8 ounces ground breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean) or 8 slices of bacon

4 slices American cheese

1. Prepare the rolls by first unrolling the dough out of the can. Separate the dough into four sections, each made up of two triangles. Detach the triangles by tearing along the diagonal perforation, then reattach the dough along the outside parallel edges, pinching the dough together along the middle. This will make one bigger triangle. Loosely roll the dough, from the wide end, all the way up. Now, bring the ends around so that they overlap and the roll is in the shape of a circle. Press the ends together and place the roll onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, then bake following the directions on the package (bake at 375 degrees for 11 to13 minutes).

2. When the rolls are done baking build the sandwich using the above steps 2 through 5 in the recipe for the biscuit sandwich clone.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Burger King vs Big King

The Burger Wars are becoming the biggest foodfight since that cafeteria scene from the movie"Animal House". The two burger giants, McDonald's and Burger King, have each been cloning the other's top products in the bloody battle for the big burger buck.

Burger King stepped up first with the Big King vs Burger King's version of the McDonald's Big Mac. Yes, it had two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun; although everything was arranged a bit differently, and there's no middle bun in there.

Then McDonald's rolled out the Big N' Tasty, which bore a striking resemblance to Burger King's Whopper, with fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion on top of a huge beef patty. Who's winning this fight by leveraging the popularity of the other company's product? Nobody, really.

McDonald's chose to alter its Big N' Tasty recipe by making it smaller n' cheaper, then changed the name to Big Xtra!, while Burger King bailed out on the Big King altogether. But this food fight is far from over. More recently Burger King tweaked its french fry formula in an unsuccessful attempt to steal away fans from McDonald's winning fried spuds recipe.

And McDonald's has added morebreakfast sandwiches to compete with Burger King's wider wake-up selection. So the war continues. And the battlefield is splattered with ketchup.

Recipe for Spread

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons French dressing

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 pounds ground beef

dash salt

dash pepper

4 sesame seed hamburger buns

1 1/3 cups chopped lettuce

8 slices American cheese

1 to 2 slices white onion, separated

8 dill pickle slices

1. Prepare the spread by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Set this aside until you are ready to use it.

2. Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat.

3. Divide the ground beef into 8 even portions (3 ounces each). Roll each portion into a ball, then press each ball flat to form a patty about the same diameter as the bun.

4. Grill the beef patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until done. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the patties.

5. As the meat cooks, brown the faces of the buns in a hot skillet, toaster oven, or face down on the grill. Watch the buns closely so that they do not burn.

6. Build each burger by first spreading a tablespoon of the spread on the face of the top bun. Arrange about 1/3 cup of lettuce evenly over the spread.

7. On the bottom bun stack a patty, then a slice of American cheese, another patty, and another slice of cheese.

8. On the top slice of cheese arrange 2-3 separated onion slices (rings), then 2 pickle slices.

9. Turn the top part of the burger over onto the bottom and serve. You may also want to zap the sandwiches in the microwave, individually, for 15 to 20 seconds each.

Serves 4.

Boston Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

Boston Chicken Macaroni & Cheese


Categories: Pitzer, Pasta, Cheese
Yield: 6 Servings


Recipe's Ingredients
3 c Dry spiral shaped pasta Cook al dente, drain
2/3 c Milk (2% or regular)
1 lb Velveeta cheese, light or cubed small
1/4 ts Dry mustard powder
1/2 ts Ground turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Place into top of double boiler over gently simmering water milk, cheese, mustard powder turmeric, salt and pepper in that order. Stir with whisk occasionally until melted and smooth. Stir pasta into hot cheese mixture and keep hot until serving time over hot water, up to an hour. (If it begins to thicken up too much, dilute with a little milk). Neverput into oven or over direct heat as it will scorch and change the texture to a sticky mess. 6-8 side servings or 4 main-dish servings.

Big Mouth Sandwich

Big Mouth Sandwich

Recipe By : Jo Anne Merrill
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:30


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt -- or seasoned salt
2 California avocados -- sliced
1 French bread loaf -- or long loaf
garlic salt -- to taste
8 ounces refried beans -- 1 can
shredded lettuce
1 tomato -- sliced
2 green onions -- sliced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
taco sauce -- optional

1. Brown ground beef very thoroughly; drain well. Stir in salt and chili
powder; keep hot.

2. Halve, peel and slice avocados into flat slices.

3. Split French bread in half lengthwise. Lightly toast cut sides under
broiler.

4. Place half the avocado slices on bottom half of bread. Sprinkle with
garlic salt if using.

5. Heat refried beans. Spread an even layer of beans over avocado, then
spoon on browned meat.

6. Cover meat with shredded cheese, then with shredded lettuce. Sprinkle
lettuce with taco sauce if using.

7. Cover with a layer of sliced tomato then sprinkle on the chopped
onions. Place remaining avocado slices on tomatoes and sprinkle with
garlic salt.

8. Cover with top half of bread; cut into serving sized sandwiches.

Serving Ideas : Serve with warm tortilla chips and iced tea or beer.

NOTES : This sandwich speaks for itself as to how it got its name.

Big Boy's Blue Cheese Dressing

Big Boy's Blue Cheese Dressing


Recipe By : Gloria Pitzer
Serving Size : 2
Preparation Time :0:05
Categories : Salad Dressings Copycat
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 Cup Sour cream
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup Kraft mayo
4 Ounces Blue cheese -- crumble
1/8 Teaspoon Onion powder

Use electric mixer to combine all ingredients until smooth. Tightly cover and refrigerate.
This recipe will still be good within 10 days.

Applebee's Tequila Lime Chicken

Applebee's Tequila Lime Chicken

It's one of Applebee's top-selling signature dishes and a big request here on the site. This tasty dish combines the tangy flavor of the tequila lime marinade with creamy southwestern-style dressing, and tops it all off with a melted cheese blend.

Just be sure you don't marinate the chicken longer than the 3 to 4 hours, or the citric acid in the lime juice may toughen the chicken. The bed of crispy corn tortilla strips can be easily cloned with crumbled store-bought corn chips, but if you want strips like those served at the restaurant, just follow the "tidbits" below.

Serve this dish with your choice of rice (Spanish rice is recommended), along with some pico de gallo (you can find a recipe here) or salsa on the side.

Marinade

1 cup water

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic1 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke flavoring

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon tequila
4 chicken breast fillets

Mexi-Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons minced tomato

1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon minced canned jalapeno slices (nacho slices)

1 teaspoon minced onion

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon chili powderdash garlic powderdash ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese blend

2 cups crumbled corn chips or fried tortilla strips (see tidbits)

1. Prepare marinade by combining marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl, cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Make the mexi-ranch dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well until smooth, then cover dressing and chill it until needed.

3. When you are ready to prepare the entree, preheat the oven to high broil. Also, preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat. When the grill is hot cook the marinated chicken breasts for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until they're done.

4. Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan. Spread a layer of mexi-ranch dressing over each piece of chicken (you'll have plenty left over), followed by 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese blend. Broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.

5. Spread a bed of 1/2 cup of the tortilla strips or crumbled corn chips on each of four plates. Slide a chicken breast onto the chips on each plate and serve with your choice of rice, and pico de gallo, or salsa. Serves 4.

Tidbits

Crumbling store-bought tortilla chips is the easy way to make the bed of crunchy chips that the tequila lime chicken rests on. But, you can make tortilla strips like those served at the restaurant by cutting a stack of eight 6-inch corn tortillas in half.

Stack the halves on top of each other and slice the tortillas into thin strips. Fry the tortilla strips in 2 cups of oil preheated in a large skillet for 3-5 minutes or until crispy. Salt lightly and cool on paper towels to drain.

Applebee's Low-Fat Blackened Chicken Salad

Applebee's Low-Fat Blackened Chicken Salad

Applebee's original Blackened Chicken Salad quickly became a favorite, encouraging this popular full-service chain to create a low-fat version of the delish dish. While most of the fat in the original comes from the tasty honey mustard dressing, this version creates a dressing that tastes just as good, yet has not a single gram of fat.

Combine that with fresh lettuce, shredded carrot, a little egg white, non-fat shredded cheese, and a delicious Cajun spice blend which generously coats chicken seared in light butter then grilled, and you have a majorly munchable salad which is incredibly easy on the waistline. Who says you need gobs of fat to create a tasty meal?

That is why the recipe is collectible

Dressing

1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise

1/4 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon prepared mustard1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Chicken Marinade

1 cup water

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire

Cajun Spice Blend

1/2 tablespoon salt1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons light butter

Salad

8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese

1 large tomato, diced1 hardboiled egg white, diced

1. Make dressing by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well by hand. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until salad is ready.

2. Combine water, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl, and stir. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade, cover bowl and keep in refrigerator for several hours. Overnight is even better.

3. When chicken is marinated, preheat a frying pan or skillet (an iron skillet, if you抳e got it) over medium/high heat. Also, preheat your barbecue grill to medium/high heat.

4. Combine the spices for the Cajun spice blend in a small bowl. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice blend over one side of each of the chicken breasts. Cover the entire surface of the chicken with spice.

5. Melt the butter in the hot pan, then sear the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on the side with the spices. While first side cooks, sprinkle another teaspoon of spice over the top of each chicken breast, coating that side as you did the other. Flip the chicken over, and sear for another 2-3 minutes. The surface of the chicken will be coated with a charred, black layer of flavor. This is exactly what you are shooting for.

6. Finish the chicken off on your barbecue grill. Grill each breast on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until they are done.

7. While chicken is cooking prepare the salads by splitting the lettuce into two large bowls. Toss in the red cabbage and carrots. Mix the cheeses together, then top the salad with the cheeses and hardboiled egg. Sprinkle the diced tomato on each salad.

8. Slice the chicken breast, across each breast in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spread the chicken over the top of the salad and serve immediately with dressing on the side. Serves 2 as an entree.

Applebee's Baked French Onion Soup

Applebee's Baked French Onion Soup

Don't even try to find this one on the menu at Applebee's, because it isn't there; though it's the most popular soupserved each day at this huge restaurant chain. This is the first of several big-time soup clones we'll unveil here inthe next few weeks to help get you through the cold wintermonths.

And they're all a cinch to make. Just be sure you have some oven-safe soup bowls for this one, since we'll have to broil it a bit before serving. Under the gooey melted provolone of the original version you get from Applebee's is a unique round crouton that's made from bread similar to a hamburger bun. So that's exactly what we'll use in our clone.

Ingredients for this recipe:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 medium white onions, sliced

8 cups beef broth (Swanson is best)

1 cup water2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

5 plain hamburger buns10 slices provolone cheese

10 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese

1. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the sliced onions and saute for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start to become translucent. You don't want them to brown.

2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the pan and bring mixture to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

3. To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top of the hamburger bun so that the bread is the same thickness as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the tops away. Now you should have 10 round pieces of bread -- 5 bottom buns, and 5 top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them.

4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe bowl. Float a crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the provolone.

5. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are making more than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve. Repeat process to prepare remaining servings.Makes 10 servings.