Easy Restaurant Copycat Recipes To Make At Home

4 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons lime juice

3-4 chipotle chilies in adobo

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 bay leaves

4-5 pound chuck roast

*Serve with tortillas

Add the first nine ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth to create the adobo sauce. Set aside. Remove most of the fat from the roast, then cut it into large chunks (about six). Pour oil into a frying pan and sear on all sides over medium-high heat until browned. Place the meat in a slow cooker[DD1] , then pour the adobo sauce over the meat. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaves. Cook on high for six hours. Once the meat is done, shred it with two forks and turn the setting to warm. Serve with soft or hard tortillas. You can also add a variety of sides and toppings, such as rice, beans, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. 

Copycat Olive Garden’s Fettuccine Alfredo

You can never go wrong with a warm bowl of creamy noodles for dinner, and this copycat recipe for Olive Garden’s fettuccine will satisfy all your pasta cravings. While some recipes call for flour to thicken the sauce, I prefer to use the starchiness of the pasta water. 

Serves 4

1 pound fettuccine noodles

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

*Optional: Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Cook fettuccine according to package directions (reserving roughly one cup of the pasta water after it has cooked). Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir for one minute. Whisk in the cream, then add seasonings. Bring cream to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for two to three minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until it has melted. Add the cooked noodles to the sauce and gently toss until well coated. Stir in 1/4 cup of the pasta water and mix for one minute. If the sauce is still too thin, add more pasta water (1/4 cup at a time) until it reaches the desired thickness (you may not need to use all the pasta water). The starch in the water will thicken the sauce, especially after it cools a bit. Transfer fettuccine to a large serving bowl and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. 

Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein

Serves 4

If you’ve ever been to a Panda Express restaurant, then you know how addictive their chow mein is. This copycat recipe from Belly Full is a family favorite and one even your pickiest eaters will enjoy! *You can also swap out the yakisoba noodles for ramen noodles.

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ginger, freshly grated

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 packages refrigerated yakisoba (5.6 ounces each), seasoning packet discarded

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 ribs of celery, sliced diagonally into small pieces

2 cups shredded cabbage

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and white pepper; set aside. In a large pot of boiling water, add the yakisoba noodles and cook for one to two minutes, until loosened. Drain well. Heat both oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring often, until tender, three to four minutes. Stir in the cabbage until heated through and slightly tender, about two minutes. Add in the yakisoba noodles along with the soy sauce mixture; stir well until combined, about two minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy.