Chain restaurants often get the essence of a dish right — after all, they're popular for a reason — but the requirements of mass production take their toll. To that end, here are 38 recipes that give you all the flavor, with fresher ingredients and at a fraction of the cost.
Olive Garden-Style Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Gnocchi have countless delicious uses, but they're shockingly good in soup. A good brand of supermarket gnocchi will work fine, but if you have the time, try making your own and freezing them for later.
Ingredients
Method
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; cook 6 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Stir in flour for 1 minute until no dry pockets remain.
- Gradually whisk in broth. Simmer gently 5 minutes until lightly thickened.
- Add chicken and gnocchi; simmer 5 to 7 minutes until gnocchi are tender and chicken reaches 165°F.
- Lower heat; stir in half-and-half, spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes without boiling until spinach wilts.
Wendy’s-Style Weeknight Chili
People have strong opinions about whether or not beans belong in chili, but it seems like a silly argument to me. If it tastes good, why not do it? I think it tastes pretty darn good.
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Ingredients
Method
- Cook beef in a Dutch oven over medium heat, mashing into very fine crumbles.
- Cook 8 to 10 minutes until no pink remains and beef reaches 160°F. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat.
- Add onion and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes until edges soften.
- Stir in chili powder and cumin for 30 seconds; add tomatoes, beans, broth, and salt.
- Simmer uncovered over low heat 35 minutes, stirring twice, until thick but spoonable.
Panera-Style Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Broccoli-cheddar soup is a perennial favorite for a reason. If you feel like putting in a little effort, there's a reason why Panera puts it in the bread bowl — it not only looks great, but it soaks up the soup so, so well.
Ingredients
Method
- Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes until soft, not browned.
- Stir in flour; cook 1 minute until lightly toasted-smelling.
- Gradually whisk in broth and milk. Simmer 5 minutes until base coats a spoon.
- Add broccoli and carrot; cook 8 to 10 minutes until broccoli is tender with some bite.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar by handfuls until smooth; season with salt and nutmeg.
Chick-fil-A-Style Pickle-Brined Chicken Sandwich
It's hardly a secret, but it really is the pickle brine that gives Chick-fil-A that nostalgic flavor for Southerners. An overnight soak improves the texture and gives just the right tang — have a blessed day.
Ingredients
Method
- Pound cutlets evenly to 1/2-inch thickness; refrigerate in pickle brine 1 hour.
- Heat peanut oil in a deep skillet to 350°F. Whisk milk and egg in one bowl; mix flour, sugar, paprika, and salt in another.
- Drain chicken, dip in milk mixture, and press firmly into flour until craggy bits cling.
- Fry cutlets one at a time for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and centers reach 165°F.
- Drain on a rack 3 minutes; serve each on a bun with 3 pickle chips.
Taco Bell-Style Skillet Crunchwrap
The crunch wrap looks trickier than it actually is. After you've tried it once, it becomes pretty intuitive as long as you're using soft enough tortillas that don't crack. Baja Blast optional.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef in a skillet over medium heat for 7 minutes, breaking into fine crumbles, until 160°F.
- Stir in taco seasoning and water; cook 3 minutes until liquid clings to meat.
- Layer beef, nacho cheese, 1 tostada, sour cream, lettuce, and tomato in each tortilla center, leaving a wide bare rim.
- Fold edges toward center in overlapping pleats; hold seam-side down.
- Heat oil in a clean skillet. Toast each wrap seam-side down 2 minutes; flip and toast 2 minutes until crisp.
Cracker Barrel-Style Hashbrown Casserole
Hash brown casserole is a classic example of a love it or hate it Grandma food. You can use shredded chicken and a quick DIY cream sauce in lieu of the canned soup, but the hash browns are non-negotiable.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Squeeze thawed hash browns firmly in a clean towel until very little water drips out.
- Mix potatoes, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, soup, sour cream, butter, onion, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Spread loosely in dish; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes until center bubbles and edges brown. Rest 10 minutes.
Texas Roadhouse-Style Soft Honey Rolls
The key to getting a roll that tears apart just so is a soft dough with plenty of milk, egg, and butter. The dough will be quite wet, but resist the urge to mix in more flour.
Ingredients
Method
- Warm milk to 105°F. Stir in yeast and 1 tablespoon honey; wait 7 minutes until foamy.
- Mix in remaining honey, egg, and melted butter. Knead in flour and salt for 8 minutes until smooth and tacky.
- Cover; rise 60 to 75 minutes until doubled.
- Divide into 12 pieces; shape into compact squares in a greased pan. Rise 35 minutes until puffy and touching.
- Bake at 375°F for 16 to 18 minutes until evenly golden. Immediately brush with softened butter.
Red Lobster-Style Cheddar Garlic Biscuits
The Red Lobster cheddar biscuit is the greatest junk food known to man, and I will die on this hill. And the good news is they're quite easy to make at home, so you can make Shrimp Fest every day.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F; line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt; cut in cold butter until pea-size pieces remain.
- Fold in cheddar and buttermilk just until no dry flour remains; do not knead smooth.
- Drop 8 rough mounds onto pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until peaks are golden.
- Mix melted butter with parsley; brush hot biscuits.
Panda Express-Style Orange Chicken
Lots of Chinese food has made its way to America, but orange chicken is maybe the only invented-in-America Chinese dish good enough to have even made the journey back to China. Adding orange zest provides extra zing, as does Chinese dried tangerine peel (if you can get it).
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a deep skillet to 350°F; beat egg in a shallow bowl.
- Dip chicken in egg; coat in 1 cup cornstarch and shake off loose powder.
- Fry in two batches for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp and 165°F inside. Drain on a rack.
- Simmer orange juice, zest, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a clean skillet for 3 minutes.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with water. Stir into sauce until glossy; toss with hot chicken 30 seconds.
P.F. Chang’s-Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Want a Chinese dish for the party tray beyond the usual egg rolls and spring rolls? Lettuce provides the perfect vehicle for a perfect bite of stir-fried chicken and mushrooms.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat neutral oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 6 minutes, breaking into small crumbles.
- Add mushrooms and water chestnuts; cook 5 minutes until released liquid evaporates and chicken reaches 165°F.
- Stir in hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil; cook 1 minute until glossy, not wet.
- Fold in scallions; remove from heat.
- Spoon warm filling into 12 dry lettuce leaves; serve immediately.
Chipotle-Style Cilantro Lime Rice
Rice doesn't need to just be rice, and mixing in cilantro and lime provides a fresh twist. Be sure not to mix the lime and herbs in too vigorously, or you'll get a mushy mess.
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse rice under cool water 2 minutes until runoff is nearly clear; drain thoroughly.
- Bring rice, water, oil, and salt to a boil in a saucepan.
- Cover; reduce to low and cook 15 minutes without lifting lid.
- Remove from heat; rest covered 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork; fold in lime juice, zest, and cilantro without compressing grains.
KFC-Style Mashed Potato and Gravy Bowl
It's the contrast of textures that really sells this recipe: soft mashed potatoes, runny gravy, crispy fried chicken, and crunchy sweet corn. If you have chicken drippings at any point, brown chicken gravy from scratch is great, but if you don't, a roux-thickened mix of 2:1 chicken-to-beef stock works great as a sub.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil potatoes in salted water 15 minutes until a knife slides through easily. Drain; mash with butter, milk, and salt.
- Heat oil to 350°F. Dip chicken in beaten egg; press into seasoned flour.
- Fry in two batches for 4 to 6 minutes until crisp and 165°F inside. Drain on a rack.
- Warm corn and gravy separately until steaming. If gravy will not pour, thin with 2 tablespoons water.
- Divide potatoes among 4 bowls; top each with corn, chicken, and a measured ladle of gravy.
Popeyes-Style Spicy Fried Chicken
What makes this fried chicken unique is where the spice is distributed. A buttermilk and hot sauce marinade provides level one, and a cayenne and paprika dredge provides level two.
Ingredients
Method
- Refrigerate chicken in buttermilk and hot sauce for 4 hours; drain 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep, heavy pot to 325°F. Mix flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt.
- Press thighs into flour mixture. Moisten surfaces with a spoonful of marinade; dredge again for craggy patches.
- Fry 2 pieces at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, turning twice, until deeply browned and 165°F at thickest part, measuring away from bone.
- Rest on a rack 8 minutes to set crust without steaming on paper towels.
McDonald’s-Style Egg and Sausage Muffin
Didn't make it in by 10:30 a.m.? This breakfast muffin has you sorted. Use any sausage meat you like, but American cheese melts just right here for the full sausage muffin experience.
Ingredients
Method
- Shape sausage into 4 thin patties slightly wider than muffins.
- Cook in a skillet over medium heat 4 minutes per side until browned and 160°F inside.
- Oil 4 metal jar rings in a clean skillet. Crack 1 egg into each; add 1 tablespoon water outside rings. Cover 3 to 4 minutes until whites set.
- Toast muffin halves; lightly spread with butter.
- Layer each bottom with cheese, sausage, and egg. Close; wrap in parchment 2 minutes before serving.
Starbucks-Style Pumpkin Spice Latte
Few terms garner ire online quite like "pumpkin spice," but if you love the stuff, this recipe has you covered. A bit of canned pumpkin goes in, but it's really the spice mix that delivers the flavor.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook 4 to 5 minutes until steaming and fully blended; do not boil.
- Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Froth with a whisk or handheld frother for 30 seconds.
- Divide espresso between 2 mugs; pour pumpkin milk over it.
- Rest 1 minute to let foam settle evenly.
Cheesecake Factory-Style Brown Bread
The key to a brown bread that's light and fluffy is to use molasses for flavor and cocoa powder for color. The result is a whole wheat bread that looks great on the plate but doesn't weigh you down.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix water, yeast, and honey; wait 7 minutes until foamy.
- Mix in molasses and oil. Knead in both flours, cocoa, and salt for 8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Cover; rise 60 to 75 minutes until doubled.
- Shape into 3 slim loaves on a lined sheet pan. Sprinkle with oats; rise 30 minutes until puffy.
- Bake at 375°F for 22 to 25 minutes until centers reach 190°F. Cool 20 minutes before slicing.
Applebee’s-Style Bourbon Chicken and Shrimp
When making chicken and shrimp in the same skillet, they emphatically do not go in at the same time. Be sure to cook them separately, then make a pan sauce, and then return them to the skillet to come together.
Ingredients
Method
- Season chicken and shrimp separately with Cajun seasoning.
- Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 7 to 9 minutes until browned and 165°F; transfer to a plate.
- Cook shrimp in the same skillet 1 to 2 minutes per side until opaque and 145°F. Transfer beside chicken.
- Lower heat; melt butter and cook garlic 30 seconds. Add broth, Worcestershire, and brown sugar.
- Simmer 3 minutes until slightly reduced. Return chicken and shrimp; turn in glaze for 1 minute.
Chili’s-Style Skillet Queso
This is one of those dishes where a cast iron is absolutely the tool for the task. While a high-quality cheese is tempting, American cheese melts in just the right way, so resist the urge.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking into tiny crumbles, until 160°F.
- Drain excess fat; stir chili powder and cumin into beef for 30 seconds.
- Lower heat; add cheese, tomatoes with liquid, and milk.
- Stir steadily 5 to 7 minutes until cheese fully melts and queso is smooth.
- Keep over lowest heat; stir in 1 tablespoon milk if queso stops flowing off spoon.
Outback-Style Crispy Blooming Onion
I'm not going to lie, making a blooming onion is a challenge. You have to cut deep enough but not too deep, get the flour mix evenly distributed, AND use enough oil to fry the whole thing. Get it right, though, and your guests will be gobsmacked.
Ingredients
Method
- Trim onion top, leaving root intact. Cut downward into 16 wedges, stopping 1/2 inch above root.
- Soak cut-side down in ice water 20 minutes. Drain; blot between petals until dry.
- Mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt in one bowl. Whisk eggs and milk in another.
- Work flour between petals; dip in egg mixture and coat with flour again. Shake off loose powder.
- Lower onion cut-side down into 350°F oil. Fry 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until petals are crisp and deep golden.
LongHorn-Style Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Thankfully, it's not too hard to bake a chicken breast to resemble fried chicken, and you have so much more control while you're cooking. Personally, I'd use an herbed yogurt rather than a ranch dressing, but keep it in if you're a fan.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Brush chicken with oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Bake cutlets on a sheet pan 13 to 16 minutes until centers reach 155°F.
- Mix provolone and ranch; spread thinly over each cutlet.
- Mix panko, Parmesan, and melted butter; press over cheese mixture.
- Broil 2 to 4 minutes until browned and bubbling. Confirm chicken reaches 165°F before serving.
Boston Market-Style Glazed Meatloaf
I've always preferred barbecue sauce to ketchup as a topping for meatloaf, and the glaze here splits the difference. Two phases of glaze ensure plenty of flavor while preventing burning.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a skillet. Cook onion and pepper 6 minutes until soft; cool 10 minutes.
- Mix beef, cooked vegetables, breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, and salt with fingertips just until combined.
- Shape into a loose loaf on a rimmed sheet pan. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.
- Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar; brush half over loaf. Bake 15 minutes.
- Brush with remaining glaze; bake 10 to 15 minutes until center reaches 160°F. Rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Noodles and Company-Style Wisconsin Mac and Cheese
If you want a bit more variation from bite to bite in your mac and cheese, this is the way. Make a rich cheese sauce and stick the macaroni on top, allowing for the same kind of heterogeneity in flavor and texture that a good plate of nachos has.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil macaroni in salted water until just tender. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain.
- Melt butter in a saucepan; whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute until smooth.
- Gradually whisk in milk; simmer 4 minutes until it coats a spoon.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar, Monterey Jack, salt, and mustard until smooth, adding reserved water if needed.
- Spoon sauce into shallow bowls; mound hot macaroni on top for diners to mix.
Cinnabon-Style Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
For fluffy cinnamon rolls, egg and butter keep the dough soft. If you want these in time for a weekend brunch, you can even do that second rise overnight in the fridge, and it'll probably be tastier for it.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar; wait 7 minutes until foamy.
- Knead in remaining sugar, egg, melted butter, flour, and salt for 8 minutes. Cover; rise about 70 minutes until doubled.
- Roll dough into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter; cover evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll from a long edge; cut into 12 pieces. Arrange in a greased pan; rise 35 minutes until puffy.
- Bake at 350°F for 22 to 25 minutes until center reaches 190°F. Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar; spread over rolls after cooling 10 minutes.
Auntie Anne’s-Style Soft Pretzel Bites
It's a quick simmer in water with dissolved baking soda that gives pretzels their snappy texture. For when you don't want to go to the effort of folding pretzels.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix warm water, yeast, and brown sugar; wait 6 minutes until foamy.
- Knead in flour and kosher salt for 7 minutes until smooth. Cover; rise 45 minutes.
- Shape into 6 ropes; cut each into 8 bite-size pieces.
- Simmer baking soda in 8 cups water. Boil bites in batches for 20 seconds; drain on a lined sheet pan.
- Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush bites and add coarse salt. Bake at 425°F for 11 to 14 minutes until brown; brush with melted butter.
Sonic-Style Cherry Limeade
Cherry limeade couldn't be simpler. Fresh lime goes a long way towards improving the commercial soda, and if you're feeling extra fancy, a homemade cherry syrup takes things to new heights.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix lime juice and cherry syrup in a pitcher until evenly colored.
- Divide crushed ice among 4 plain glasses.
- Pour cherry-lime base evenly over ice.
- Slowly add chilled soda; stir each glass once from bottom.
- Add 1 lime wheel and 1 cherry to each; serve while fizzy.
Dairy Queen-Style Chocolate Cookie Cup
Getting that soft-serve texture at home is a real challenge. Softening the ice cream a bit and blending in a touch of milk gets you a decent approximation.
Ingredients
Method
- Freeze 4 plain serving cups for 10 minutes.
- Pulse 12 cookies into coarse crumbs in a food processor; break remaining 4 into small chunks.
- Blend softened ice cream and milk for 10 seconds until thick and movable.
- Fold crumbs and chunks into ice cream with 3 broad strokes, leaving streaks.
- Divide among chilled cups; drizzle each with 1 tablespoon fudge sauce. Serve immediately.
IHOP-Style Tall Buttermilk Pancakes
Buttermilk does double duty here, providing a slight tang and reacting with the baking soda to produce extra fluffy pancakes. Be sure not to overmix your batter — keep it lumpy.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Separately whisk buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter; fold into dry ingredients until lumpy.
- Rest batter 8 minutes while heating a griddle over medium-low. Brush griddle with oil.
- Scoop 1/3 cup batter per pancake. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles open and edges look dry.
- Flip once; cook 1 to 2 minutes until underside browns and center springs back.
Denny’s-Style Ham and Egg Griddle Melt
Think of this as a ham and cheese omelet inside a sandwich. Be sure to cook the egg in a thin sheet, using your widest pan.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk eggs, milk, and salt until streak-free.
- Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low. Cook eggs in a thin sheet; fold into 4 bread-size rectangles when softly set.
- Top each of 4 bread slices with ham, an egg rectangle, American cheese, Swiss, and another bread slice.
- Spread outsides with mayonnaise. Cook in a clean skillet over medium-low, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Remove when both sides are evenly brown and cheese softens through the egg layer.
Waffle House-Style Scattered Hash Browns
To get that extra-crispy texture on hash browns, moisture is your enemy. Grate into skinny little strands, then wash and squeeze dry to ensure maximum surface area for that delicious browning to happen.
Ingredients
Method
- Shred potatoes on a box grater; rinse in cold water until mostly clear.
- Twist shreds firmly in a clean towel until dry and loose.
- Heat oil and butter on a large griddle over medium-high. Scatter potatoes into 4 thin portions.
- Season with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed 6 to 8 minutes until undersides form a deep brown crust.
- Flip in sections; cook 5 to 7 minutes until undersides are crisp and centers tender.
Five Guys-Style Cajun Boardwalk Fries
I'm not sure how Cajun the fries down at Five Guys actually are, but this is a solid herb-and-spice blend. Double frying is the key to making great fries at home.
Ingredients
Method
- Cut potatoes into 3/8-inch fries; rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly.
- Mix paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl.
- Heat oil to 325°F. Fry potatoes in 3 batches for 4 minutes until flexible and pale; drain 10 minutes.
- Heat oil to 375°F; fry again in batches for 2 to 4 minutes until brown and crisp.
- Transfer hot fries to a large bowl. Toss with half the spice mix; taste before adding more.
Shake Shack-Style Lacy-Edge Griddle Burgers
Smash burgers are everywhere now, and while I personally like my burgers a bit thicker, sometimes thin and crispy hits the spot. The trick is to make a big meatball, not a patty, and then to smash it right onto the grill.
Ingredients
Method
- Loosely divide beef into 4 balls without compressing. Season tops with salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast-iron griddle over high until a water drop immediately skitters.
- Place balls seasoned-side down; firmly smash to 1/3-inch thickness for 10 seconds.
- Cook 2 minutes until edges are brown and lacy. Scrape underneath, flip, add cheese, and cook to 160°F.
- Spread buns with mayonnaise; fill each with lettuce, tomato, and a hot patty.
In-N-Out-Style Onion Griddle Burger
Those thin beef patties made with quality beef are a big part of why In-N-Out is such a point of pride for Californians and so coveted by outsiders, but if you can't afford a ticket to LAX, buy the best ground beef you can afford and follow this technique. Feel free to make it a double, or a double-double Animal style.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook onion in oil on a griddle over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes until soft and deeply golden. Transfer to a bowl.
- Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish; spread on cut buns.
- Divide beef into 4 loose balls on a hot griddle. Smash to 1/3-inch thickness; season with salt.
- Cook 2 minutes. Spread mustard on raw tops, flip, and cook to 160°F.
- Add cheese and onions; cover 30 seconds until cheese softens. Place patties in prepared buns; close.
Arby’s-Style Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich
Making a fast-food-style cheese sauce at home is really pretty simple. Sharp cheddar whisked into evaporated milk forms the base, and it's thickened with a bit of cornstarch.
Ingredients
Method
- Barely simmer broth in a wide skillet. Add roast beef for 2 minutes until hot but not curled.
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in evaporated milk and cornstarch; simmer 1 minute.
- Remove from heat; stir in cheddar by handfuls until sauce flows smoothly.
- Mix ketchup and vinegar in a small bowl; spread thinly on toasted cut rolls.
- Drain warm beef well; divide among 4 rolls. Spoon over cheese sauce; close.
Jersey Mike’s-Style Turkey Oil-and-Vinegar Sub
I love a sub swimming in oil and vinegar. Tossing the veggies with the oil and vinegar gives you a crispy first bite, and the last bite should be soaked through (which I fully believe to be the best bite).
Ingredients
Method
- Split rolls lengthwise, leaving back hinges intact.
- Layer each with equal portions turkey and provolone.
- Gently toss lettuce, tomato, and onion with vinegar, oil, oregano, and salt.
- Use tongs to divide vegetables among sandwiches, leaving pooled dressing behind.
- Close and lightly press subs; halve each with a serrated knife.
Carrabba’s-Style Chicken Marsala
It might be a cliché old-school Italian-American dish, but I felt like such a little sophisticate the first time I had chicken Marsala, and I still love it. To prevent overcooking, the Marsala sauce is reduced separately, with the cooked chicken added back in towards the end.
Ingredients
Method
- Season chicken with salt and pepper; lightly flour both sides.
- Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. Brown chicken 3 to 4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
- Add mushrooms; cook undisturbed 3 minutes. Stir; cook 3 minutes more until browned.
- Add Marsala and broth; simmer 6 to 8 minutes until reduced by about half.
- Return chicken; cook to 165°F. Remove from heat; swirl in cold butter until glossy.
Ruth’s Chris-Style Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes and pecans are a great autumn pairing. This casserole pairs buttery, smooth mashed sweet potato with crunchy pecans on top, although I'd personally tone down the sugar level.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil sweet potatoes 15 to 18 minutes until completely tender; drain 2 minutes.
- Mash hot potatoes with granulated sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread in a buttered 2-quart baking dish.
- Rub brown sugar, flour, pecans, and softened butter into coarse clumps; scatter evenly over potatoes.
- Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until edges bubble and pecan topping crisps.
Bob Evans-Style Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
I used to love getting biscuits and gravy before a long day of hiking, and it definitely packs the energy for it. Homemade buttermilk biscuits are actually pretty simple, and the sausage gravy is an absolute snap.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F; mix 2 cups flour with baking powder.
- Cut cold butter into flour; fold in buttermilk. Pat dough 1 inch thick; cut 6 biscuits. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until golden.
- Brown sausage in a skillet 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into small pieces, until 160°F.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over sausage; stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk, scraping pan.
- Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until gravy coats a spoon. Season with pepper and salt; ladle over split biscuits.
Benihana-Style Garlic Butter Fried Rice
Butter adds an East-West twist to a classic Yangzhou fried rice (the fancy name for the fried rice you get at Chinese takeout joints). Be sure to use cold rice, whether leftover or left to dry out in the fridge — using warm rice will leave you with an accidental paella.
Ingredients
Method
- Thoroughly mix softened butter and grated garlic.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil on a wide griddle over high. Scramble eggs until just set; transfer to a plate.
- Add remaining oil, onion, and carrot; cook 4 minutes until vegetables begin browning.
- Add cold rice and peas; break up all clumps. Fry 4 to 5 minutes until grains are separate and hot.
- Fold in eggs, garlic butter, soy sauce, and pepper; toss 1 minute to coat evenly.
