Midwest Living January/February 2016 Recipes

A splash of hot sauce, a topper of pan-fried ham and a just-right secret ingredient for ultrasmooth creaminess. (Guilty pleasure, thy name is American cheese.)Macaroni and Cheese Chowder with Crispy Ham

The raging ramen restaurant fad has taught us that this centuries-old Japanese dish has approximately nothing to do with dorm-room fare. Our version features succulent pork shoulder, poached egg, bok choy, enoki mushrooms, crisp nori (seaweed) and a splash of chili oil. (Try doing all that in a Styrofoam cup.)Pork Ramen

The chicken, vegetables and gravy are as rib-stickingly good as you remember, or maybe even better, tucked up cozily under a blanket of dill Havarti.Old-Fashioned Chicken and Noodles Lasagna

You'll be amazed what a quick simmer with fresh ginger and scallions will do for boxed chicken broth. Throw in frozen pot stickers (Chinese dumplings), edamame and red cabbage for a nutritious dinner that's ready in 30 minutes.Shortcut Dumpling Soup

Breakfast-for-dinner gets a wake-up call, courtesy of a bright vinaigrette, fresh lettuce and a hearty oven hash of sweet potato, onion  and green beans.Fried Egg Salad with Bacon and Roasted Vegetables

This classic Thai soup usually starts with simmering shrimp shells to make stock. We opted for a shortcut, adding tomato, mushroom and shrimp to boxed seafood stock that we flavored with lemongrass and galangal (a knobby cousin to ginger).Spicy Shrimp Tom-Yum

A super-simple braid of puff pastry holds a scrumptious filling of strawberries and sweetened peanut butter. Double-dare you not to pour a glass of cold milk.PBJ Strudel

We reimagined the traditionally sticky noodle stir-fry as a speedy soup. Peanuts, cilantro, lime zest and tangy tamarind fruit lend spot-on takeout flavor to rice noodles, chicken and zucchini.Pad Thai Soup

Making your own ricotta is surprisingly easy and the results are astounding. The cheese is creamier with a deliciously subtle milk flavor-plus by making it yourself, you know it doesn't have any fillers or stabilizers. Our recipe comes from chef Dan Bonanno, of A Pig in a Fur Coat in Madison, Wisconsin.DIY Ricotta

Originally sold as street food in China, this spicy dish features ground pork, lo mein noodles and a dark broth flavored with five-spice powder, black bean paste and black vinegar. We added snow peas and Chinese broccoli for color and nutrition.Szechuan Dan Dan

Start with a darn-good glazed meat loaf. Add toasted French bread, melted Muenster and peppery arugula (to make it fancy). Then douse it all in special sauce (because fancy needs to loosen up).Cheeseburger-Style Meat Loaf Sandwich

Carrot matchsticks, shiitake mushrooms and tender Napa cabbage hide in a tangle of chewy udon noodles. The tofu acts like a sponge, soaking up a sweet-and-spicy honey-Sriracha marinade.Fusion Bowl with Tofu and Soft-Cooked Egg