This is my go-to when I’m looking for something light and fresh but still flavorful. What makes this salad great is my homemade, tangy Asian dressing. All of the components of this salad make for the perfect combination of flavor and textures. It’s crispy, crunchy, and colorful.

For more Asian-inspired salads, try our Thai Shrimp Salad or our Spicy Thai Pasta Salad.

• Loaded with good-for-you veggies and ready in only 20 minutes!
• Our homemade dressing, with flavors of ginger and sesame, elevates the salad.
• Customize with various toppings like mandarin oranges or chow mein noodles.

Chinese Chicken Salad, while popular, isn’t traditional Chinese cooking at all. It’s more of a fusion dish, originating from California in the 1930s. The salad blends Asian-inspired flavors with ingredients more commonly found in American salads. Its creation is often attributed to chefs in California who combined elements from Chinese cooking with more Western-style salads, resulting in this unique and flavorful dish.

• Pre-Cooked Chicken: Use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or bake and shred chicken breasts.
• Cabbage: Red and green cabbage are used for color and variation. Thinly slice.
• Shredded Carrots: For a sweet, earthy taste. Substitution: bell peppers for a different flavor profile.
• Mandarin Oranges: Can use fresh or canned. If using canned, choose the ones canned in water, rather than syrup. Drain and rinse.
• Sliced Almonds: Toasted for a nutty crunch. Substitution: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, or cashews.
• Sesame Seeds: Can use toasted or un-toasted white seeds.
• Won Ton Strips or Chow Mean Noodles: Provides a nice crunch. Use either—or both!
• Soy Sauce: Low sodium works or coconut aminos.
• Rice Vinegar: use seasoned rice vinegar for added flavor, or unseasoned for lower calories. You can substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, but the flavor will be slightly different.
• Toasted Sesame Oil: Make sure to use toasted sesame oil for its distinct, intense flavor.
• Garlic: use freshly minced for the best flavor. Can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
• Ginger: Can either use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.

This recipe calls for shredded cooked chicken. You’ve got a few options to choose from, so take your pick! We’ve used them all.

Rotisserie Chicken – many grocery stores nowadays sell cooked rotisserie chickens that you can buy and shred. Pro tip: it’s usually sold as a “loss leader,” meaning they sell it for less than it costs, making it the best bang for your buck when it comes to chicken. Some stores are also now offering the rotisserie chicken pre-shredded and packaged, too, which is pretty convenient.

Frozen Cooked Chicken – check out the freezer section of your grocery store for pre-cooked chicken strips and chunks sold in bags.

Bake Your Own Chicken – lay chicken breasts out into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through. Chop into chunks and use right away, or freeze for later use.

Quick Skillet Chicken – heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place chicken breasts into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes per side. Let cool and then shred.

Serve the Chinese Chicken Salad as a main dish for lunch or dinner. It pairs well with a variety of sides.

Rice or Quinoa: Simply pair with a side of white or brown steamed rice. Quinoa is a great choice as well. Use red or a tri-color mix for added color and texture.

Soup and Appetizer: Pair with an egg drop soup or wonton soup. Our homemade spring rolls and cream cheese wontons are great options as well.

Make it a Side: Consider offering it as part of a buffet-style spread alongside other Asian-inspired dishes.

We’re giving you an adult-approved Sloppy Joe that will have you rethinking this sandwich. Our recipe packs in real ingredients and big flavor, giving you an upgraded version of a classic that’s ready in 45 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights for a meal that both kids and adults will like.

If you love a delicious sandwich, you may also be interested in our Slow Cooker Crack Chicken or our Mississippi Pot Roast Sliders.

• Real ingredients, big flavor, and ready in under 30 minutes for an easy, upgraded Sloppy Joe night.
• Packed with veggies for extra flavor and texture, this Sloppy Joe is a step up from the basic.
• A perfect blend of savory, sweet, and just a hint of spice. Plus, those toasted buns? Game changer!

Sloppy Joes can be amazing, believe it or not. It doesn’t have to be a quick, thrown-together meal that kids tolerate. And it certainly doesn’t have to come from a can! It can be flavorful and packed full of delicious vegetables. It can have texture! Our version is simple comfort food with an upgrade.

• Lean Ground Beef: Using lean ground beef helps keep the dish from being too greasy. You can also substitute ground turkey or chicken.
• Onion: A medium yellow or white onion works best here. Dicing it finely ensures it cooks evenly with the ground beef.
• Green Bell Pepper: Adds a slight sweetness and crunch. Try using red, yellow, or orange bell peppers for a little extra sweetness.
• Celery: This adds texture and a bit of freshness to the Sloppy Joe mixture. Make sure to dice it finely so it blends well with the other ingredients.
• Tomato Sauce & Paste: The combination of tomato sauce and paste creates the perfect balance of saucy and thick.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a ton of flavor.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is preferred, or you can use the jarred kind. You can substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder if you don’t have the others.
• Brown Sugar: You can reduce or omit it if you prefer a less sweet Sloppy Joe.
• Ground Mustard: If you don’t have ground mustard, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard can be substituted.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: These give a slight kick to the sauce. Adjust the amount or omit entirely depending on your spice preference.

The texture of your Sloppy Joes can make all the difference, and it’s totally customizable based on your preference. If you are going for sneaky nutrition without anyone noticing the veggies, you can mince the bell pepper, celery, and onion super fine. This way, they’ll blend right into the sauce, giving you the nutrition boost without changing the classic, saucy feel.

For those who like a bit more texture in their Sloppy Joes, give your veggies a normal dice. You can also play with the simmering time. For tender-crisp veggies with a slight crunch, simmer for around 15 minutes. If you prefer the vegetables to soften fully and melt into the sauce, let it simmer closer to 30 minutes.

Sloppy Joes are the perfect choice when you need to feed a crowd! The recipe easily doubles or triples, making it an ideal option for gatherings like family parties, game nights, or casual get-togethers. You can keep the filling warm in a slow cooker, allowing guests to serve themselves whenever they’re ready. Just set it to the “warm” setting after it’s fully cooked.

For easy serving, offer a variety of bun sizes—standard for adults and sliders for kids or smaller appetites. You can even set up a Sloppy Joe bar with different toppings like shredded cheese, pickles, coleslaw, or jalapeños so everyone can customize their sandwich just how they like it. With minimal effort, you’ll have a hearty and crowd-pleasing meal!

Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.

This yummy sweet and tart dessert has us obsessed! It’s creamy, crunchy, chocolatey, and has that fresh, crispness from the Granny Smith apples. And, we use real cream for the base—no Cool Whip or boxed pudding mix here! Top with a drizzle of caramel sauce and we promise, you’ll become just a little bit obsessed too.

For more sweet apple treats, check out our Guide to Homemade Caramel Apples.

• Homemade whipped cream with real ingredients—no Cool Whip here!
• Whip up this treat in only 15 minutes!
• Adding just a touch of lemon juice ensures that your apples don’t brown.

We love this easy treat because it has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Granny Smith apples are perfect for this recipe, because they’re extra crisp and crunchy and a little sour, too. Add our homemade whipped cream, some chocolate, and a drizzle of caramel and you have a fun and different treat to shake things up during the warmer months.

• Apples: We use Granny Smith for their crisp texture and tart flavor.
• Snickers Chocolate Bars: We recommend buying a bag of the mini/snack-sized ones.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh is best, but bottles works in a pinch—you only need 1 teaspoon!
• Heavy Cream: This is not the same as whipping cream. If you need a substitute, use buttermilk to keep the same thick consistency.
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla also works.
• Powdered Sugar: Add more or less to your whipped cream depending on your desired thickness.
• Cornstarch: Added to the whipped cream for the perfect, thick consistency.
• Caramel Sauce: Optional, but is a great finishing touch that pairs well with the tart Granny Smith apples.

We love the tartness in a Granny Smith with the sweetness in the toppings, but you can really use any apple you prefer! You can’t go wrong, whichever variety you choose. 

You can easily customize this fun treat with different toppings. Our recipe uses Snickers bars and an optional caramel sauce, but you can really add anything you’d like.

Candy Bars: For a more caramel-froward treat, you could easily add or swap for Milky Way bars. Or, you could totally shake things up and got for an Almond Joy candy bar and add some chopped almonds to go with that.

Chocolate Chips: Add some extra chocolate and texture with chocolate chips. Semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate would make a tasty treat. Mixing all three and going for a mini chocolate chip would give a good balance of flavors and looks pretty, too!

Nuts: Add some peanuts for an extra salty crunch that pairs well with the Snickers bars. To give this dessert salad even more texture, feel free to add in additional nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans.

For this recipe, caramel sauce is an optional addition, but we highly recommend! Simply use store-bought caramel sauce or make your own! We have a yummy Sea Salt Caramel Sauce or there’s Chef Cayt’s Famous Apple Bourbon Caramel Sauce—it’s to die for!!