181 easy optional Recipes

mint-flavored creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, white chocolate, chopped toasted pecans (optional) or 1 cup walnuts, divided (optional)

fresh breadcrumbs, butter or 3 tbsp margarine, melted, grated parmesan cheese, firm tomatoes, sliced, granulated sugar, salt and pepper, dried basil, garlic powder, green onions, chopped, eggs, beaten, half-and-half, grated swiss cheese, parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon (optional, for garnish )

unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, sugar, divided, baking powder, salt, milk, fresh peach slices, lemon juice, ground cinnamon (optional) or nutmeg (optional)

chicken broth, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (approx. 5 large tomatoes), coarsely chopped sweet onion, coarsely chopped celery (i usually use about 3 large ribs), sugar, light cream, fresh basil (optional) or 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional), salt , to taste, fresh ground pepper , to taste

pds. of asparagus spears, bacon, fresh ground pepper, pimento ,chopped chives or scallions, are great optional garnishes.

whole tomatoes, slightly drained (do not use diced tomatoes for this), butter (or to taste), salt or 1 tsp seasoning, sugar (or to taste), celery, chopped, onion, finely chopped, tabasco sauce (optional add in if you like spicy ) or hot sauce (optional add in if you like spicy), cornstarch (mixed with cold water to create a paste, optional if you want a thicker texture then use)

smooth cashew butter or 8 oz smooth almond butter or 8 oz smooth peanut butter, eggs, salt, baking soda, lemon juice, drops liquid stevia, lemon extract (or to taste), blueberries (approximately ) (optional), chia seeds (optional) or 2 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

beef short ribs (flanken style or korean style), sugar, water, soy sauce, sesame oil, yellow onion, halved and sliced, garlic cloves, minced, toasted sesame seeds, scallions, chopped, head red leaf lettuce, washed (optional), scallions , sliced lengthwise (optional), red pepper flakes (optional), sesame oil (optional), hot bean paste (optional) or 1/4 cup chili paste (optional)

italian sausage , ropes (skin on), green peppers, sliced into strips, vidalia onions, quartered, water, provolone cheese (optional) or mozzarella cheese (optional)

boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cream cheese, cubed, sliced mushrooms, drained, water, ranch dressing mix, chopped fresh chives (optional) or parsley (optional)

flour, parmesan cheese, corn flakes, crushed, buttermilk, chicken breast (boneless, skinless , cut into small chunks or strips), salt (optional) or pepper (optional)

sheet frozen puff pastry (9x9.5-inch sheet, thawed), unsalted butter (1 stick), sugar, granny smith apples (4-5, peeled, quartered and cored ), heavy cream, grand marnier (optional, see note )

ground beef, onion, diced, green pepper, diced, corn (don tsp drain the juice), diced tomatoes (don tsp drain the juice), diced potatoes, zucchini (optional) or squash (optional)

lean ground beef, onion, chopped, fresh minced garlic, jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped, optional (add in if you like spicy), green bell pepper, chopped (optional), tomato juice (make sure it is a good quality , i use heinz), thick & chunky salsa (about 1-1/2 cups), red kidney beans or 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed, diced tomatoes with juice, tomato soup, undiluted, chili seasoning mix (packaged or homemade , any amount to taste, you can use half package or all of the package), shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onion (optional)

chicken breast fillets, cut into strips, mushrooms , cut into chunky slices, onion, sliced, vegetable stock or 1/2 cup chicken stock, cream (half and half), flour, mixed with a little water into a paste, salt , to taste, fresh ground black pepper , to taste, fresh parsley (optional) or 1/4 cup basil, chopped finely (optional)

milk, creamy peanut butter, vanilla yogurt, banana, frozen in pieces, powdered chocolate milk mix (optional) or 3 tbsp chocolate syrup (optional)

butter, boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, honey, spicy brown mustard, toasted walnuts (optional) or pecans (optional)

unsweetened coconut milk, beef and onion broth (plain broth could be used, but the onion adds great flavor.), green onions , cut on the diagonal, jalapeno pepper , deseeded & deveined, sirloin tip steak , i have my butcher slice it thinly at the store, red curry powder, garam masala, drops lemon juice , from the squeezie plastic lemon thing, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes (*, optional, optional ) (optional) or cayenne (*) (optional), cooked basmati rice