This post is sponsored by Cabot.

I'm sharing with you three different cheese ball recipes including one for a bacon cheese ball. They are so easy to make and everyone, from your family to friends, will be wowed!

Recently, I shared with you how to build a meat and cheese board while working with Cabot Cheese and I'm back to share with you this wonderful recipe! Now you can add this cheese ball recipe to your meat and cheese board!

We are huge fans of Cabot cheeses in our house. We always have at least 2-3 blocks of Cabot cheese in our refrigerator and our grater gets a good workout!

First up, the bacon cheese ball is divine. I can't say I have a favorite among the three cheese ball recipes so I won't but you might be able to take a hint which one might be the most popular!

I love nuts and cheese together so this pecan covered cheese ball is really fun!

And last but not least, do you have a thing for sunflower seeds like I do? I love this cheese ball recipe with sunflower seeds. It has a nice texture and it's perfect!

What do you eat cheese balls with?

You can eat cheese balls with anything you like! I love eating them with different types of crackers! Put a little spreader on your plate so you can spread the cheese with.

What is a cheese ball made of?

• cream cheese
• ground cayenne pepper
• garlic powder
• black pepper
• soy sauce
• green onions
• Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• chopped pecans
• flat leaf parsley
• cooked bacon
• sunflower seeds

How long does a cheese ball last before it goes bad?

You can make your cheese ball recipe a day or two before you're going to serve it. Mine lasted about a week in the refrigerator and it tasted great. Once you refrigerate it, just let it sit on the counter for a few minutes and then it will be easier to spread on crackers.

I used Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese for this recipe, you can totally use any of your favorite Cabot Cheddar Cheeses!

First, grate your Cabot Cheddar Cheese.

Add softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl.

Add cayenne pepper, garlic powder, pepper, soy sauce and green onions.

And then mix with a rubber spatula.

Add the grated Cabot cheddar cheese to the bowl.

Mix together.

Then divide the cheese mixture into three. 

I put parsley and bacon into a smaller bowl and mix together.

Then, I added the chopped pecans into another bowl.

And then the sunflower seeds in another bowl.

Roll in each 1/3 of the cheese mixture into a ball.

Then, place in the bowls. And the cheese ball in sunflower seeds.

Roll another cheese ball in the bacon and parsley.

Looks so good, doesn't it?

And then roll the last cheese ball in chopped pecans.

I put them on squares of wax paper on a plate and then covered them. Place in the refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

This cheese ball recipe is so easy to make! I know you'll love it with Cabot Cheddar Cheese.

It's perfect for snacking or as an appetizer to serve your family before dinner. Or you can add it to a grazing table!

Looking for another wonderful recipe to add on to your list to make this summer? You should definitely try my beer cheese fondue, it's always a hit with my family as well!

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Cheese Ball Recipe

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 3 cheese ball appetizers

Ingredients

• 2 packages 8 ounces each cream cheese, softened
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 green onions sliced
• 1 package 8 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

For the outside:

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• 4 slices bacon cooked
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds I used salted ones

Instructions

• In a medium sized mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, pepper and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula.
• Add green onions and the grated Cabot cheddar cheese and mix.
• Divide the cheese mixture into three.
• Roll each one into a ball.
• Roll one cheese ball in chopped pecans.
• Mix parsley and bacon in a small bowl. Roll the next cheese ball in parsley and bacon.
• Roll the last cheese ball in sunflower seeds.
• Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. (Can be made a few days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.)

Other recipes using cheddar cheese:

Cheddar Cheese Cloverleaf Rolls
Two Ingredient Cheese Crisps
Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup
Three Cheese Mac and Cheese

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cabot. I only work with brands that I love and I always share with you my own opinions.

The post Cheese Ball Recipe appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

This recipe for homemade crab rangoon was originally shared on December 14, 2009. I have updated this post and the images.

I have made this crab rangoon recipe for family and friends so many times. It's the second recipe I ever shared on The Little Kitchen too! It's really easy to make and it's requested all the time.

I worked part-time at a startup in college and one day, a co-worker asked me what was in the crab rangoon appetizers she had at Chinese restaurants. I hadn't thought about it, I just knew I loved ordering them when we went to Chinese restaurants.

I asked my mom (even though we're Vietnamese) what she thought and she rattled off a list of ingredients.

I did tell my co-worker what my Mom thought but then I decided I would try my hand at creating a recipe for crab rangoon and this is how this recipe was born.

This is such a great recipe to make for your Super Bowl Party and for the Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) party! This recipe is actually pretty popular in my family and like I said requested all the time!

What is crab rangoon?

Crab rangoon is a fried appetizer served at American Chinese restaurants across the United States. But did you know they aren't Southeast Asian or Chinese? Crab rangoon are actually an American invention!

The filling of crab rangoon is cream cheese, imitation crab meat and green onions. Some restaurants add garlic or other spices as well.

Crab Rangoon Ingredients

• 1 package of square or round wonton wrappers
• 8-ounce package imitation crab
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
• 5-6 green onions
• salt and pepper
• vegetable or grape seed oil

How to fold crab rangoon

It's really easy to fold them. I show you how in the photos below. First you want to make sure to cover your wonton wrappers with a damp paper towel that way they don't dry out.

I usually do this with both of my hands but I'm showing you below on a plate what each step looks like.

Take about a teaspoon of the crab-cream cheese filling and spread it onto the middle of a wonton wrapper with a spoon.

Then, fold it in half to make a triangle.

Then, pinch with your fingers near the filling and fold the side corners in (as pictured above).

It actually comes together really fast and you'll have a bunch of these wonderful crab rangoon!

Can crab rangoon be made ahead of time?

Yes they can be made ahead of time. First, I'll say they taste best and have the best consistency when you fry them up immediately after folding them up. But they totally can be made ahead of time.

From the photo above, you can see that I put them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in one layer and then put it in the freezer. Freeze for at least 30 minutes and then you can put them into a zippered plastic bag (make sure you add the name of the recipe and date it!) and put them in the freezer.

Before frying them though, you'll need to let them defrost part of the way in the refrigerator.

How to fry crab rangoon

It's really easy to fry crab rangoon, you don't need a lot of oil. I add about a 1 1/2 inch layer of oil (you can use vegetable or grape seed oil) and heat it for a few minutes on medium high.

I fry them in batches, you don't want to over crowd the pan. Cook for about 2 to 4 minutes on each side.

And put them on a paper towel lined plate upside down to drain the oil out. This will keep them from being overly greasy. That's my secret! Now you know!

These little homemade crab rangoon appetizers are amazing. Once you make them, you won't need to order as takeout or at a restaurant anymore because homemade is better!

Just a note about the wonton wrappers, I have used square and round for this recipe. The original photos from 2009, I used square ones. The ones in the updated photo, I'm using round ones!

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Crab Rangoon Recipe

Servings 50 -60 appetizers

Ingredients

• 1 package of square or round wonton wrappers
• 8- ounce package imitation crab I like to use imitation lobster sometimes
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened on the counter for about 30-60 minutes on the counter
• 5-6 green onions sliced thin
• salt and pepper to taste I used 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• vegetable or grape seed oil for frying

Instructions

• Open the packaging of imitation crab (I like to rinse it quickly under the faucet and pat dry with paper towels). Break apart the crab and then tear using your hand into a large mixing bowl.
• Add sliced green onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix throughly with a rubber spatula.
• Add the cream cheese and mix throughly.
• After opening the wonton wrappers, make sure to cover it with a damp paper towel to prevent drying out. Take about a teaspoon of the crab-cream cheese filling and spread it onto the middle of a wonton wrapper with a spoon. Then, fold it in half to make a triangle.
• Place your fingers on the area of the wonton right above the filling and crimp together. It should look like a pouch. You don't have to make sure it's completely sealed.
• Repeat steps 4-5 until finished with the wontons or the filling.
• Heat oil (about a 1 1/2 inch layer) in a nonstick skillet on medium to medium high heat for a few minutes.
• In batches, fry the crab ranoon in the skillet until slightly browned on each side about 2 to 4 minutes.
• Cool on a clean plate lined with paper towels. Place the crab rangoon upside down to ensure the oil drains out. Allow to cool for 5-8 minutes. Serve immediately. (You can serve them with your favorite store bought sauce, I like to eat them plain!)

Notes

Notes:

I like to buy my wonton wrappers at the Asian grocery store. They are thinner and actually fry up better than the ones I find at American grocery stores. They are usually found in the refrigerator or freezer section.

If you buy the wrappers frozen, defrost them in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, sometimes less.

If you make your crab rangoon ahead and freeze them, make sure to let them defrost in the refrigerator first before frying them.

Other recipes you totally need to try!

Smoked Salmon Rangoon
Keto Cheese Crisps
Easy Keto Chili
Vietnamese Egg Rolls
Beer Cheese Fondue

The post Crab Rangoon appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

I recently updated this post from April 2014 with a new video!

I love making fried rice at home. Growing up, my mom and my sister would make fried rice for us. I wanted to come up with a version that rivals take out and I did! It's an easy fried rice recipe that uses leftover ham and I know you'll love it! Check out the video!

Last Friday, I started getting a series of texts from Curtis while he was at work. I want ham for Easter dinner. I responded with no, we should have turkey breast like we do every year. Because before Italy last year, I hadn't eaten pork in over 15 years.

I resisted getting a ham because I hadn't had ham in a long time and because there's only the two of us. A little bit later, I looked at the calendar and saw that Sunday was going to be April 20th and then counted the years. April 20, 1999 is the day Curtis and I started dating…it's been 15 years!! That's when I texted back, okay go ahead and pick up that ham.

He responded by saying, why are you agreeing to ham? And why are you being so nice? Haha I wasn't going to tell him because then he would think he would have to get me a gift but I told him why.

Later that night, he came home with a nine pound ham for the two of us. He insisted that's the smallest one they had. Oh boy. On Sunday, we cut it up before we even baked the portion we would eat for dinner and froze it. We are going to have ham for a very longggg time.

This ham or pork fried rice we had was the second of three meals we have had with the leftovers from Sunday's dinner…we haven't even touched what we froze yet. I have to give credit to Curtis, this was fried rice using the leftover ham was Curtis' idea. I say he made me do it!

I have been trying to perfect my own fried rice recipe for a while now and I have to say this is the best fried rice I have ever made…you'll have to keep reading to see what the secret ingredient is!

I didn't make the rice the day before like you should so in the morning, I made the rice in my rice cooker. As soon as it was finished, I poured the rice onto a baking dish and spread it out. I flipped over and mixed the rice a couple of times, let it cool and let it sit out for a while– maybe 30 minutes. Then covered it and stuck it in the fridge until I was ready to make fried rice!

You have to make the eggs first for fried rice. I always feel like I'm making an omelet. (I love using OXO's omelet turner when I'm making eggs.)

Cut it up.

Then, make the rice. After adding the rice, mix in the soy sauce and the sesame oil really good. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes on medium high.

Add the ham, peas and corn. You can add carrots, broccoli, whatever you want.

There's the secret ingredient…butter. 2 Tablespoons of butter heaven. There's a Japanese hibachi grill place I used to go to a lot when I worked across the street from them and I would watch them put butter in the fried rice…near the end. I had to try it and it makes this fried rice so good. Curtis would argue it's the ham that makes it so good.

Now, add the eggs and sliced green onions.

And you're done. Seriously…amazing. The ham still has the sugary cinnamony glaze which adds a nice sweetness sometimes. The soy sauce is a must have for fried rice and the butter…yes please. Makes great leftovers too!

As long as you have the rice made ahead of time, it doesn't take that long to put this dish together!

PS Curtis absolutely loved this fried rice recipe…we will be making this again and again! Hope you enjoy it with your family if you try it!

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Secret Ingredient Ham Fried Rice Recipe

Day old rice, rice that's cooked the day before and refrigerated overnight makes the best fried rice. If it's freshly made, you may get mushy results. There are ways around it if you want to make fried rice the same day you make the rice. Omit ham or sub with crispy fried tofu to make this dish vegetarian or feel free to sub with shrimp or chicken!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked Jasmine rice cooked (preferably the day before)
• 3 Tablespoons grape seed oil
• 3 eggs beaten
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 3/4 cup frozen corn
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 green onions sliced thin

Instructions

• Cook rice. If you didn't make it the day before. As soon as it's done, lay it out on a 9x13 baking dish or a baking sheet. Allow to cool. Mix and spread out several times. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 to 60 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil into a wok or a large skillet, heat on medium for at least 3 minutes. Swirl the oil to cover the pan. Pour in beaten eggs and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes and flip and cook for another minute. Remove from skillet and allow to cool. Cut into strips and then into smaller pieces, set aside.
• Add 2 Tablespoons of grape seed oil to the wok and add the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and sesame oil and mix the rice thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until rice is completely heated through, be sure to mix occasionally so the rice does not burn.
• Add ham, corn and peas and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, mixing occasionally. Lower heat and add butter, allow to melt, and mix thoroughly. Add eggs and green onions and stir gently. Season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately.

Disclosure: There's an affiliate link in this post.

The post Ham Fried Rice Recipe appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

This post is sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus.

What's perfect for summer? A light and fresh cold noodle dish and citrus right? These orange sesame noodles with vegetables fit that bill!

They are light and easy to make! You can use soba noodles or thin spaghetti, whichever you prefer!

I love cooking and baking with Florida orange juice. Did you know it was so easy to cook with? (If you missed out my orange tres leches cake…you need to check it out!)

Prep the veggies.

Boil the noodles and then parboil the veggies.

I like these noodles cold, so refrigerate the noodles and the vegetables.

Mix up the sauce…

then add the Florida orange juice!

Whisk it all together!

Mix the vegetables up with the noodles.

What I love about this dish is that you can make it ahead! If you do make it ahead, don't add the sauce until you're ready to serve.

I can't wait for you to make this…I know you'll love it!!!

Make sure you follow the hashtag #AmazingInside on on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and join in on the conversation! Be sure to follow Florida Orange Juice on Facebook, follow on twitter and on instagram!

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Orange Sesame Noodles with Vegetables Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound soba noodles or thin spaghetti cooked al dente according to package instructions
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced at an angle
• 1 broccoli head cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 red pepper sliced and then cut in thirds
• 1/2 cup snap peas
• 1 garlic clove peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 green onion sliced
• sesame seed to garnish

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Remove pasta with tongs and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Allow it to cool on the counter for a few minutes and then put it in the refrigerator.
• Add broccoli to boiling water and cook for one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse carefully with cold water (to stop the cooking). Add carrots and cook for about four minutes. Remove with a slotted and rinse carefully with cold water. Do the same for the snap peas, cook for just one minute.
• Place the cooked vegetables in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce.
• Add minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and sriracha to a small bowl. Whisk together and then add orange juice. Whisk together.
• Take pasta and vegetables and mix together. Add orange sesame sauce and mix together. Garnish with green onions and sesame seed.

Notes

Note: If you’re making it a day ahead, keep the sauce separated from the noodles and veggies until you’re ready to serve!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus. I only work with brands that I love and only share with you my own opinions. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Little Kitchen possible.

The post Orange Sesame Noodles with Vegetables appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

This post is sponsored by While Lily.

True story: I love biscuits. I love making them. I love eating them. I have been making them for a while. But Curtis' notion of biscuits is that they are dry. He would just say they are okay.

So it was a quest for me to make a nice and fluffy and non-dry biscuit. The key is really good flour, I love the self-rising flour that White Lily makes. It's so light and it's perfect for biscuits!

The other keys are butter and buttermilk. And Linda from the test kitchens at White Lily told me that I needed more buttermilk than I was using.

The first thing I do is cut the butter into cubes…and then put the butter back into the refrigerator. Then, I turn on the oven and put my cast iron skillet into the oven to heat up.

Prep the cheese and the scallions.

Measure the flour (I use this technique to measure flour).

Using forks or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour.

That looks perfect.

Then, mix in the cheddar cheese and green onions.

Perfectly mixed.

Add buttermilk.

And you'll have a dough.

Place it on a floured surface. Then, knead it.

Flatten it out.

And use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds.

Add melted butter to the cast iron skillet.

And add the cut out biscuits.

Brush the tops with melted butter.

Amazing, right?

After they come out of the oven, they are just perfection.

See how the bottoms are crispy?

And the insides of the biscuit is soft and fluffy…and NOT dry. They are so buttery and the salt on top, makes them perfect!

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Cheddar Scallion Biscuits Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 10 to 12 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups White Lily® Enriched Bleached Self-Rising Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes (cold)
• 2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese cold
• 2 green onions sliced thin
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
• 4 Tablespoons salted butter melted, divided
• flaked sea salt for topping

Instructions

• Heat oven to 425°F. Add seasoned cast iron skillet to the oven while it’s heating up.
• Prep the butter, cut into cubes. Grate the cheese. Add both back to the refrigerator.
• Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Add butter and cut it into the flour with a pastry blender or 2 forks until crumbs are the size of peas.
• Add cheddar cheese and sliced green onions. (Reserve some cheese and green onions for the tops of the biscuits, if desired).
• Add buttermilk, stirring with a fork just until flour is moistened.
• Remove dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 5 to 6 times. Pat the dough until it’s about 3/4- to 1-inch thick. Cut out 2 1/4 inch biscuits with a cutter. Pat the dough together and flatten out again and cut biscuits until there’s no dough left, about 10 to 11 biscuits.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Remove cast iron carefully from the oven and add about 1 tablespoon of melted butter, tilting the pan to distribute the butter.
• Add 5 to 6 biscuits evenly spaced and brush melted butter on top of the biscuits. Bake for about 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the cast iron skillet, brush more butter on top and add flaked sea salt. Bake for another 2 to 4 minutes. (You can bake them all at once if you can fit them in the cast iron skillet, just know that they won’t maintain their round shape. If you’re okay with that, they will course taste the same!)

Notes:

• If not using a cast iron skillet, bake them about 1/2 inch apart on a foiled lined baking sheet for the same amount of time. You can freeze them too! Just reheat in the oven and enjoy!

If you bake all of the biscuits at once, this is how they look. They aren't perfectly round but they are still perfectly delicious.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by White Lily. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that I work with, it allows me to keep doing what I love; sharing on The Little Kitchen.

The post Cheddar Scallion Biscuits appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

You guys, it's spring!! Time for picnics and just plain enjoying the outdoors! For spring, I love love pasta salads.

So when Hidden Valley® Ranch and Walmart reached out to work together, I knew I wanted to make a pasta salad with Hidden Valley's new Sriracha Ranch dressing…so perfect, right?

I bought all of my ingredients at Walmart, it's a great place to get ingredients to make delicious meals.

First, grill two ears of corn. I love grilled corn in pasta salad!

Cut up your red pepper.

Dice it up for the salad.

Love love, grape tomatoes…quarter these up for the salad.

Dice up half of a cucumber.

After the corn is grilled, cut off the kernels for the salad.

Set up all of your ingredients.

Including the Hidden Valley Ranch Sriracha dressing, one of their new dressings they just launched. It tastes like the ranch dressing you know and love and at the end, you get a kick with the sriracha!

Check out their other new Ranch dressings: Buffalo, Honey BBQ and Cilantro Lime, all available at Walmart!

Combine the corn, red pepper, onion and cucumber in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the pasta too.

Then, add the Hidden Valley Ranch Sriracha dressing.

Mix it together, add the tomatoes and mix again. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. After refrigerating, remove the pasta and mix it again. You might need to add more dressing at this point.

Serve the pasta salad with sliced green onions, sesame seeds and lime wedges. This is the perfect salad for a picnic, a potluck or a great side for a weekend meal. You will LOVE it, I just know it!

To try this sriracha dressing and Hidden Valley Ranch's other new dressings: buffalo, honey BBQ and cilantro lime…be sure to check out this coupon (psst! it's a coupon for $0.75 off any 12 oz or 16 oz bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch)!

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Sriracha Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 12- ounce package tri-color rotini pasta cooked according to package instructions
• 2 ears of fresh corn uncooked
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1/4 red onion diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cucumber chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch Sriracha dressing plus additional for serving
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 8 ounces grape tomatoes quartered
• 3 green onions sliced
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Follow instructions on package to cook the pasta. After the pasta cooks, set it aside and allow it to cool.
• While the water is boiling, heat a grill pan on medium hight for 5 to 7 minutes. Cook corn for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, about 10 to 12 minutes. (Being careful not to burn the corn.) Allow to cool on a plate and then cut the kernels off.
• Prep your other vegetables.
• In a large mixing bowl, add corn, red pepper, onion and cucumber. Mix together well with a rubber spatula. Add pasta and mix together. Add Hidden Valley Ranch Sriracha dressing and mix together. Squeeze a couple of lime wedges into the bowl with the pasta salad.
• Add to the bowl with the pasta salad, grape tomatoes and mix well. Refrigerate the pasta salad covered for at least 30 minutes.
• Before serving, mix the pasta salad and add more Hidden Valley Ranch Sriracha dressing if necessary. Serve the pasta salad with green onions, sesame seeds and lime wedges.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hidden Valley Ranch. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Sriracha Ranch Pasta Salad appeared first on The Little Kitchen.