Inspire Recreation: Copycat Restaurant Recipes

If you're like everyone else, you have probably been missing your favorite restaurant meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. While it's important to stay home during this time, it's okay to miss the food you loved. It's okay to crave those delicious Texas Roadhouse rolls, steak at your favorite steakhouse, fettuccine alfredo at Olive Garden, etc. 

However, I have some good news to share: You can recreate many of these recipes at home. You can still cook your favorite restaurant meals in your home kitchen. While it might be a different experience, you can satisfy your cravings. You can prepare pasta, grilled chicken, pork chops, pizza, and even steak right at home. You can cook the same food at these chain restaurants. You just have to believe in yourself and try. You'll be surprised how successful the meals turn out. 

For this blog post, I recreated five of my favorite meals and foods from popular restaurants. As you'll notice, it's easy to "copycat" these restaurant recipes. If you have been craving these meals, you don't have to wait for the COVID-19 pandemic to end. You can prepare them right at home. Bon appetite! 

1. LongHorn Steakhouse's Parmesan Crusted Chicken 

LongHorn Steakhouse's parmesan crusted chicken.

This is my favorite dish to order at LongHorn Steakhouse. The chicken is perfectly cooked with a flavorful marinade, topped with crunchy Panko bread crumbs and plenty of cheese. This is a "melt-in-your-mouth" recipe that you'll want to prepare over and over again. 

When you order the dish at the restaurant, you think it's impossible to replicate at home. But think again. It's not that difficult to recreate this recipe. The secret is in the marinade and how much cheese you want to add to the chicken. Once you tackle this process, it's easy to bring LongHorn Steakhouse to your home kitchen! 

To cook this recipe, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts 
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/2 c. Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing
• 3 Tbps. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. white vinegar 
• 1 tsp. lemon juice 
• 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, chopped into bits
• 3/4 c. Provolone cheese, chopped into bits
• 6 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch salad dressing 
• 5 Tbps. butter, melted 
• 1 c. Panko breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, and lemon juice together until well-combined. This is the marinade for the chicken. Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper, if desired. Place the chicken in a freezer bag, along with the marinade. Seal out the air and marinate in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes. 

Heat the vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in the hot skillet on each side. If the pan gets too hot, reduce the heat to medium. Each side of the chicken will take 3-5 minutes. Once each side is nice, golden brown and the middle is cooked through, set the chicken aside. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the chopped cheeses (Parmesan and Provolone) with the Buttermilk Ranch dressing in a small bowl. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Use the back of a fork to mash and stir the cheese until they're about the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes. Microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Stir and spread on top of the chicken. 

Bake the chicken until the cheese is hot and melted. Combine the Panko bread crumbs with the melted butter and top the chicken with it. Bake for another two minutes, or just until the top of the Panko bread crumbs start to turn lightly brown. Serve with baked potatoes and honey mustard. Enjoy! 

2. Panera Bread's Mac & Cheese 

Panera Bread's white macaroni and cheese.

Every time I go to Panera Bread, I order the white macaroni and cheese as my side item. I never imagined that white mac and cheese would taste so good, but it's delicious. It's creamy, delicious and it's so cheesy. What more could you ask for in a mac and cheese dish? 

You can make this mac and cheese recipe according to your personal preferences. Some people like more cheese than others. You can also try to recreate the exact pasta that Panera uses or cook the pasta you're already comfortable with. The benefit of cooking at home is that you can do things the way you want. But one bite of this mac and cheese recipe and you'll feel like you're at Panera. 

To make this mac and cheese recipe, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 16 oz. Pipette rigate recipe (You can also use elbow macaroni, as pictured.) 
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 c. milk 
• 6 slices white American cheese, sliced into thin strips 
• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Follow the directions on the package of pasta to cook al dente. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about one minute, whisking constantly. 

Gradually whisk in the milk and increase the heat to medium heat. Whisk until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Reduce the heat to low heat. Add the cheeses and mustard, stirring until the cheese melts and the cheese sauce is smooth. 

Stir in the cooked pasta and cook over medium heat for about one minute, or until the pasta is thoroughly heated. Serve immediately. Enjoy! 

3. Applebee's Quesadilla Burger 

Applebee's quesadilla burger.

Applebee's quesadilla burger is my go-to dish to order every time I dine at the neighborhood grill. It's part hamburger, part quesadilla. You wouldn't think a hamburger would taste good as a quesadilla, but it's so delicious. Why have an ordinary cheeseburger when you can take it to a whole new level? 

This recipe is so easy to make. It can be prepared in just 30 minutes, which is helpful for every home cook. The cheeseburger is upgraded with cheese, bacon, mexi-ranch sauce, etc. As you'll probably notice in my picture, I didn't include the mexi-ranch sauce with my quesadilla burger. I'm not a fan of the sauce, but that is my personal preference. However, I am including the ingredients in the recipe so you can add the sauce to your burgers. It's important to fix meals the way you like! 

To cook this recipe, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 16 small tortillas 
• 1 1/2 lb. ground hamburger beef
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing 
• 1/4 c. salsa 
• 1 tsp. mild taco seasoning 
• 2 c. shredded iceberg lettuce 
• 8 slices American cheddar cheese 
• 8 slices Applewood Bacon, cooked crisp (not pictured)

To make the mexi-ranch sauce, combine the sour cream, Ranch salad dressing, salsa, and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Divide the ground hamburger beef into patties. Add the slices of American cheddar cheese to the top of the patties and cook in a non-stick skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side. 

To build the burgers, place one tortilla shell on a baking pan and add a burger patty. Top the patty with bacon. Place another tortilla shell on top of the patty, resembling a quesadilla. Bake in the oven until the quesadillas turn golden brown and the cheese melts a bit more. Serve with the mexi-ranch sauce, shredded lettuce, onion rings, and honey mustard. Enjoy! 

4. Starbucks' Java Chip Frappuccino 

Starbucks' Java Chip Frappunccino.

During the summer months, the Java Chip Frappuccino is my drink of choice at Starbucks. During the winter season, it's hot chocolate. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit this spring, I knew I was going to miss out on my favorite iced coffee drink. The frappuccino is smooth, creamy, and full of chocolate and coffee flavor. 

Luckily, I stumbled upon a copycat recipe from IzzyCooking. The bitter coffee, sweet chocolate sauce, ice, and milk are all blended into a delicious drink that quenches your thirst. It's easy to prepare at home. All you need is a blender, plenty of coffee, and chocolate. Go ahead and try it. You won't regret it! 

To prepare this drink, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 1 c. strong brewed coffee, chilled 
• 1 c. ice cubes 
• 1 c. milk
• 4 Tbps. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 Tbps. chocolate syrup 
• Whipped cream 

Prepare your coffee roast and let it chill in the refrigerator. Loosely drizzle chocolate syrup inside your glass and place the glass in the freezer. Add the ice, coffee roast, milk, chocolate syrup, and chocolate chips into a blender. 

Secure the lid and blend on low speed for about 30 seconds. Then, blend on maximum speed for about 20 seconds, or until the mixture is evenly smooth. Pour into your glass and top with whipped cream and additional chocolate chips. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Enjoy! 

5. Olive Garden's Grilled Chicken Flatbread

Olive Garden's grilled chicken flatbread.

For years, I always ordered Olive Garden's grilled chicken flatbread as my main course meal. It was offered as an appetizer, but it was the perfect meal for one person. The flatbread has all of my favorite ingredients: grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, and Alfredo sauce. It's a wonderful dish and I was saddened when the restaurant removed it from its menu. 

So, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to try recreating this flatbread dish. It's easy to prepare and it's becoming one of my favorite meals to make at home. It's Olive Garden's loss for removing this dish from its menu, because I can now prepare it at home. 

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 12 oz. flatbread 
• 1/2 lb. chicken breast
• 1 c. store-bought Alfredo sauce 
• 1 green bell pepper, sauteed 
• 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c. chopped basil 

Place the chicken breast in a skillet over medium-low heat with one tablespoon of cooking oil. Cook the chicken for about six minutes on one side, then flip over and cook on the other side until the chicken is cooked through. Slice the chicken breast into small slices. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently coat the flatbread with Alfredo sauce, spreading it all over the flatbread. Place the sliced chicken breast on top of the Alfredo sauce. Top with the sauteed green bell peppers, mozzarella cheese, and basil. 

Place the flatbread into the oven and heat until the mozzarella cheese melts. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy! 

---

As you can see, you can make a variety of restaurant recipes right at home. You don't have to go out to eat as often as you thought. I think this pandemic has reminded us that we can cook delicious food in the comfort of our home. The recipes taste just as good (or even better) than when you ordered them at restaurants. 

While it's important to support restaurants (especially small, local restaurants), you don't have to miss out on your favorite meals. You can satisfy your cravings. Then, when it's safe to go out to eat at a restaurant without wearing a mask, treat yourself to a restaurant-cooked meal. But until then, stay home. Your kitchen will become your best friend, and that's never a bad thing. 

-KJL-