H-E-B/ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge Week #5: Peanutty Shrimp Lo Mein Featuring Peter Pan Peanut Butter

It's Week #5 of the H-E-B/ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge...the final week of this fun promotion. I've had a great time taking part in the challenge to share five simple dinner recipes that are family-friendly and taste great. All of the recipes in my collection have only 7 ingredients and are on the table in no more than 30 minutes...making them perfect for the busy back-to-school time crunch. I'm going out with a bang this week, featuring an Asian noodle bowl that's faster than takeout and bursting with big, bold flavors!

This week's featured ingredient is Peter Pan peanut butter. Many people don't realize how versatile this packed-with-protein ingredient is. PB&J is a classic, but peanut butter can be used in so many different ways...like a spicy sauce for noodles. I love shrimp pad thai, so I wanted to make a spin on that dish that can be made from a few simple ingredients. What I came up with was my Peanutty Shrimp Lo Mein. It combines quick-cook refrigerated fettucini with shrimp, water chestnuts, green onion and chopped peanuts in a slightly spicy peanut sauce.

With a bit of crunch from water chestnuts and chopped peanuts, plump sweet shrimp, and a tangy-spicy peanut sauce -- you've got a complete family meal in one bowl! The spice level is moderate, ensuring the little ones will enjoy it as well as the big kids.

Peanutty Shrimp Lo Mein

Peanut Sauce adapted from Epicurious 

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Peter Pan Smooth Peanut Butter
2. 1 cup Central Market Thai One On BBQ Sauce (or your favorite Asian stir fry sauce)
3. 8-ounce package Buitoni refrigerated fettuccine
4. 3/4 lb. peeled, deveined medium shrimp
5. 3 green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
6. 10-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, well drained
7. 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Heat water and cook the fettuccine according to package directions.
2. While the water boils and the fettuccine cooks, prep the rest of the dish. To make the sauce, add 1/3 cup hot water and the peanut butter to a bowl. Whisk to combine, then add the Thai One On or stir fry sauce. Stir until the ingredients are combined and a thick sauce forms; set aside.
3. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and heat over med-high heat. Add the shrimp and stir fry until they turn pink. Lower the heat to medium and add the water chestnuts and sliced green onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes. By then, the pasta should be ready.
4. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet, along with the reserved peanut sauce. Use tongs to carefully combine all the ingredients. Turn off the heat and transfer the lo mein in a large serving bowl. Just before serving, sprinkle the top with the chopped peanuts and more thinly sliced green onions.

This dish was a huge hit at my house! The flavors combined very well together, and the chopped peanuts really intensified the peanut butter flavor of the sauce. I loved how pretty the pop of green from the sliced green onions looked, but the flavor they provided was nice as well. If you don't like shrimp, simply sub diced chicken tenderloins. To make the recipe veg-friendly, you could sub diced soft tofu. It's a pretty adaptable recipe, so just have fun with it! Takeout eggrolls make a great side dish to round out this meal.

If you'd like to vote for my lo mein -- or any of my previous four recipe submissions -- visit the Meal Maker Challenge Pinterest board. Each repin from this Pinterest board until September 6th counts as a vote, and the winner will receive some great prizes. Just being selected to participate has been a wonderful experience...but winning would be pretty awesome as well! To recap, my previous recipes include:

• Week 1: Salsarific Taco Skillet featuring H-E-B Salsa
• Week 2: Chicken Caprese Tortellini Salad featuring Hunts Diced Tomatoes
• Week 3: Bacon-Ranch Chicken Pizzas featuring H-E-B Natural Chicken Breasts
• Week 4: Breakfast-for-Dinner Skillet featuring Egg Beaters

I hope everyone has a fabulous Labor Day weekend...we're in Houston visiting with our families. My Daddy's making BBQ, and we'll hang out and enjoy time spent with the ones we love most. I'll be around keeping an eye on things, so make sure to comment below to say hello. I'll be back on Tuesday to tell you all about our recent experience taking part in a Sur la Table cooking class to celebrate Julia Child's birthday!

Disclosure: I am being compensated and have received H-E-B and ConAgra products to facilitate inclusion in the Meal Maker Challenge. All opinions expressed are my own, however. 

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