Eating out while staying home - Restaurant Knock-Offs :)

Hey....have you ever eaten out someplace, then been like "I wish I could make this at home"?  Me Too! :)  Anyway, here's a compilation page of a few recipes that are comparable to those places you usually have to wait in line for ;)

Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole! - 

Always get a second side :)

Hooters Buffalo Shrimp - Recipe here!

This is actually the reason I go to Hooter's.... seriously :)

Restaurant White Queso Dip - Recipe here!


You know that you always start with an order of this ;)

Bennigan's Broccoli Bites - Recipe!

No special occasion needed.. just enjoy :) 

        


      The Wendy's Shake! - Recipe Here!


Now I just need to figure out how to make those nuggets so I have something to dip :)

The sauce you love from Papa - Recipe here!




You can click the link - but it's just Butter, Salt, and Garlic Powder....


I KNOW!!! - I thought there was a magic ingredient too!!!

Nieman Marcus Dip! - Recipe!

It was the only thing I could afford at that store...

But... I'll still make it at home :)

Disneyland Loaded Baked Potato Soup!


Ignore the nutritional information.... you're on vacation :)

Cheesecake Factory Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake!

Twice as good as most cheesecake...that's why it's said twice in the title.  You don't need the factory at home though :)

The In-N-Out Double Double


You've been in that drive through line... you know this is faster :)

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Cover in the below recipe :)

Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter

Get to it before everyone else does - Lesson Learned :)








P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

This isn't just exclusive to Chang, I want the recipe for the Mongolian Beef from almost everywhere I eat ;)






Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Panera :)

Of all the soups in all the Soup Joints in the world...  This is one of the more popular soups, even better in a bread bowl :)

Chick - Fil - A Sandwich

Just in case they didn't build one near you... I had to HEAR about these things for years before I actually came across one ;)





 Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits!

Ask the average person to come up with a  "Top Three Biscuits" List...

One will be a personal recipe

Another will be a niche restaurant that only a few people know...

And the other will be Red Lobster ;)

Outback Baked Potatoes

This technique isn't unique to Outback...most steakhouses have to prepare the potatoes in a way that best compliments the meat :)  So if you have steak...make sure you have these!

"Not Dessert" Pies!

Everyone has their favorite "Dessert Pie", but Pie isn't confined to just the Desserts

I'm a fan of most dishes that end in "Pie" - Taco, Pizza, Breakfast, or even 3.14..... All pie is good :)



French Fry Pie - great side!

Pasta Pie! - Click here for the recipe

Real Taco Pie! - You can see it right? ;)

 Pizza Pie! - This is just the "Pie Crust" ;)

Bacon Spinach Quiche - a.k.a. Breakfast Pie!

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Twist Ties and Apple Stickers

Here's a couple things to keep in the back of your mind when you're getting some basics.... or just in general -  This way you can have the freshest "Apple Sandwich Possible!

Bread is delivered to the store fresh every day - the twist tie colors tell you the day it was baked.

Monday = Blue
Tuesday = Green
Thursday =Red

Friday = White
Saturday =Yellow.

Just remember that the colors are alphabetical - I carried around a post-it for a while before I figured that one out ;)  (No Wed.)

                                                                                                                                                

 

Those stickers on fruits and veggies tell you quite a bit!
- 4 numbers mean they were conventionally grown
- 5 numbers starting with number "8" means they are genetically modified
- 5 numbers starting with "9" means they were organically grown.
- 10 numbers starting with an area code means someone wrote their phone number on the produce...disregard :)

 

 

 

I love Peanut Butter and Banana :)

It's no secret that Bananas....and Peanut Butter... are quite fond of one another.  There are many different assemblies of these ingredients.  Here are a few variations aside from the classic "Peanut Butter and Banana" Sandwich :)



Reciepe here - PB and J Banana Burrito

Not that you need it but the recipe is here -Banana Hot Dog

Click here for recipe - Frozen Banana Bites

Substitutions in the Kitchen :)

I know this only happens to me....but there are sometimes when I'm in the kitchen and I realize I don't have one of the ingredients - CRAZY!  I get that I'm not as responsible as you are... but here is a list of great substitutions that I found - in case you do come across this rare problem.

Allspice – 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.

Baking Powder – 1 teaspoon
1/3 tsp. baking soda plus 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar or
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup yogurt or buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup)

Bread Crumbs (Dry) – 1 cup
3 slices of bread, crumbled.


Butter – 1 cup
1 cup of regular margarine or
1 cup of vegetable shortening (for baking) or
1 cup of oil (but only if melted butter is called for)

Buttermilk – 1 cup
1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar plus enough regular milk to make 1 cup (let sit for 5 minutes)

Cream / Half and Half – 1 cup
7/8th of a cup of whole milk plus 1/2 tablespoon of butter or
3 tablespoons of oil, plus enough milk for 1 cup or
1 cup of evaporated milk

Cocoa – 1/4th cup
1 ounce (square) chocolate (decrease butter/oil in recipe by 1/2 a tablespoon)


Condensed Milk – 1 cup
Heat 1/3 cup of evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of butter until dissolved.

 Cornstarch (for thickening) – 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons of flour (must cook for at least 3 minutes longer to thicken)

Egg – 1 whole egg
1/4th cup of egg beaters or
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (for baking batters only)

Flour (All-Purpose) – 1 cup
1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 cup of all purpose flour (don’t substitute more than 1/2 the flour)
The following alternatives require more leavening, so add 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour.  Also recommended, use buttermilk and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda instead of milk to decrease heaviness.
3/4 cup rice flour or
1 1/2 cups of oat flour or
1 1/4 cups of rye flour or
5/8 cup of potato starch flour or
1 cup rolled oats or
1 cup fine cornmeal

Sugar (Powdered) – 1 cup
3/4 cup of granulated sugar

Sugar (White) – 1 cup
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar or
1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar (not for baking) or
3/4 cup maple syrup (reduce liquid in recipe by 3 tablespoons)

Whole Milk – 1 cup
1 cup buttermilk plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (if baking, reduce baking powder by 2 teaspoons) or
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk , 7/8 cup of water, and 2 teaspoons of butter

Plain Yogurt – 1 cup
1 cup buttermilk or
1 cup cottage cheese (blended smooth) or
1 cup sour cream


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