Copy Cat recipes you have tried and love!

[gayle]

I love finding copy recipes of favorite restaurant foods, if you have any that you have tried, I'd love to see a master thread for them.

Here's a couple I have made that are delicious.

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1/3 C. White Vinegar
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt - or one clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
Olive Garden Salad Mix
Methods/steps
Mix all ingredients in a blender until well blended. This is best if you make it the day before.
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Olive Garden Spinach and Artichoke dip
Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) pkg Cream Cheese
1 can (14 oz.) Artichoke Hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Spinach frozen chopped, or steamed
1/4 cup Mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Romano Cheese (You can use all Parmesan)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
or
1 tablespoon Basil Fresh
1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese grated
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together mayonnaise, Parmesan, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (careful to drain this well), and mix until blended. Store in a container until you are ready to use. Spray pie pan with Pam, pour in dip, and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve with toasted bread.

This recipe for Olive Garden Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip serves/makes 4 servings.

This stuff is crazy yummy!!!

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[KK812]

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits-Yummy!

2 C. Bisquick
2/3 C. milk
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix Bisquick, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cooking sheet. Bake 8- 10 min until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder. Brush mixture over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.

[TriSigmaNC]

If anyone can copy PF Changs Kung Pao Chicken, I'm your BF for life!

[TracieB]

Anyone have the recipe for the fried mac and cheese they serve at Cheesecake Factory?? DH and I are DYING for it!!!!

[ejs]

Has anyone used www.topsecretrecipes.com?

[Reenie]

Has anyone used www.topsecretrecipes.com?

Yes! I have made a couple of their things, and we liked them.

[simplicity]

Gayle: I absolutely love the salad dressing at the Olive Garden and so does my 2-year old son!. What is the Olive Garden salad mix?

[KK812]

Anyone have the recipe for the fried mac and cheese they serve at Cheesecake Factory?? DH and I are DYING for it!!!!

I wish! I have seriously experimented with this recipe to, but have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to reproduce. I just suck it up and pay $8 for it every once in a while. I am going to ask what kind of cheese they use next time, and I use panko when I've tried to make it, but it just doesn't seem right.

[HeatherFL]

Thank you for posting the Red Lobster Biscuits recipe! I had it and loved those and have no idea where I put it! Thanks again. :)

~H.

[gayle]

Gayle: I absolutely love the salad dressing at the Olive Garden and so does my 2-year old son!. What is the Olive Garden salad mix?


Oops, somehow I cut that off when I pasted it. It's a mixture of head lettuce, romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, tomatoes,green bell pepper, black olives and peproncini. Just make up whatever amount you want for the meal rather than buy the precut stuff. The bagged stuff goes bad too fast.

[Camdynlyn]

I've used www.copykat.com to recreate theAlice Springs CHicken from Outback (http://www.copykat.com/component/option,com_rapidrecipe/page,viewrecipe/recipe_id,1020/) and eat it often!

[chefker]

I have made the Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread (http://www.recipezaar.com/64446), and it is really, REALLY good. And dangerous. :) Oh, and fresh rosemary is an absolute must---dried just tastes kind of meh.

[Maggie8202]

Great thread idea!!

Here is my favorite:
Houston's Spinach Dip

Serves: 12
Prep. Time: 0:40

2 cloves garlic - minced
2 Tbls. minced onion
1/4 cup real butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup fresh-grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sour cream
(2) 10 oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach - thawed, squeezed dry through a fine sieve
12 oz. jar artichoke hearts - drained, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

Directions
-In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onion in butter until golden, about 3 - 5 minutes.
-Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
-Slowly whisk in cream and broth and continue cooking until boiling.
-Once boiling, stir in Romano, lemon juice, hot sauce, and salt; stir until cheese has melted; remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
-Stir sour cream into pan, then fold in dry spinach and artichoke hearts.
-Fold the mixture into a microwave-safe serving dish, or into several serving-size dishes.
-Sprinkle cheddar evenly over top(s).
-At this point, the dip can be refrigerated until ready to serve, if desired.
-Microwave dip on 50% power just until cheese has melted.

Notes: Serve with tortilla chips for dipping and sour cream and salsa.

Its a lot of work, and can be close to $20 to make, but I get HUGE compliments, and people beg me to make it!!

[Jennifer]

Here is my favorite:
Houston's Spinach Dip



I can't even tell you how excited I am so see this! This has got to be one of my all time favorites and I have tried SO many recipes trying to get it "right" failing each time...yay! (my hips probably hate you for posting this though ;))

[Maggie8202]

I forgot to say for the cheddar use Vermont's Sharp if you can find it!

I also do not microwave, I heat it in the stove... Also I heat the spinach and artichokes in another pot before I mix them together.. It seams to work best for me this way!

[DallasLady]

How funny that I found this thread... I am trying to make Chili's Carribbean Salad tonight.

Gayle, how well does that Olive Garden dressing keep? I love their dressing and would like to make a big bottle to keep in the fridge for whenever I want it.

Chili's Honey-Lime (Carribean) Dressing

1/2c Dijon mustard
1/2c Mayo
1/2c Honey
1/2c Apple cider vinegar
1/4c Lime juice
1/2tsp Ground ginger

Mix together in a blender. Makes 16 ounces. You can adjust the amount of vinegar to make it more or less tangy.

[gayle]

How funny that I found this thread... I am trying to make Chili's Carribbean Salad tonight.

Gayle, how well does that Olive Garden dressing keep? I love their dressing and would like to make a big bottle to keep in the fridge for whenever I want it.

Chili's Honey-Lime (Carribean) Dressing

1/2c Dijon mustard
1/2c Mayo
1/2c Honey
1/2c Apple cider vinegar
1/4c Lime juice
1/2tsp Ground ginger

Mix together in a blender. Makes 16 ounces. You can adjust the amount of vinegar to make it more or less tangy.



I have made batches of the Olive Garden dressing, and kept it for up to a month in the refrigerator.

It's quickly become about my favorite salad dressing.

[MichelleRenee]

Has anyone found a good copy-cat recipe for Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup?

[Kimberland30]

Good Lord I'm sick. When I first read the title of this thread I thought it was a joke....as in looking for CAT recipes. I was wondering who the hell posted about CAT for dinner.

Ugh. :rolleyes:

[MichelleRenee]

I did not like that OG dressing recipe very much. It just didn't taste right to me. I am hoping to find another version.

[MichelleRenee]

I might try this one next:

1/2 cup white or red wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons dry pectin (used to thicken jelly)
2 tablespoons beaten egg or egg substitue
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
pinch of oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Combine all of the ingredients with a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds -Or- in a blender on low speed for 30 seconds -Or- use a wand mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Chill at least 1 hour.
Serve over mixed greens or use as a marinade. I like to add the hot peppers in the salad that the restaurant uses. It tastes closer to the original that way.

[petdoc08]

Another Olive Garden recipe...
Olive Garden San Remo Dip

6 oz. can tiny shrimp
(drained, reserve liquid)
6 oz. can crab meat
(drained, reserve liquid)
2 ounces cream cheese,
(room temperature and cubed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/3 cup asiago cheese, grated
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 -3/4 cup half and half
11/2 cups prepared Barilla marinara sauce, drained to remove excess liquid
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, finely shredded for topping

In a 2-quart saucepan on medium-low, heat olive oil and blend in flour. Add to flour the liquids that were reserve from the shrimp and crab, stir well.

To this sauce, add cubed cream cheese, salt, crushed garlic, horseradish, and stir until smooth. Add asiago and parmesan cheeses and stir until smooth.

When the cheese has melted and sauce is smooth, add shrimp and crab; blend well. Simmer until heated through.

Finally, add half and half a little at a time until the seafood sauce starts to simmer and begins to resemble warm pudding.

Let sauce simmer for 12 - 15 minutes. Stir sauce so it will not scorch on bottom.

In a shallow 9-inch baking dish, spray with nonstick spray. Add drained marinara sauce and carefully spoon seafood sauce on top. Sprinkle with freshly shredded parmesan cheese and place in a preheated oven at 325 F, for 10 - 15 minutes, until heated through. Dip should not brown on top.


** They discontinued this dish a while ago but DH and I loved it so I found this recipe. It is pretty close. I add a little bit of panko breadcrumbs on top with the Parmesan to add some texture like at the O.G. ***

[Pineknot]

Michelle,

It's been a year or two since I've made the OG salad dressing from my Top Secret Recipe cookbook but I believe the one you've posted was the one I made. I remember the pectin part was new for me.
I haven't made Gayle's version posted earlier, so I don't know how that one tasted. I do know I liked the one from my cookbook and the pectin kept the dressing thicklike, just like OG's.

HTH a bit.

[kmmommy]

If anyone can find a recipe for Crisp Meat or Crisp Chicken Burritos from Taco Time I would be forever grateful. All the restaurants around here closed down and I've been dying for these for a few years. :(

[lilmomma]

aNYONE HAVE A GOOD RECIPE FOR THE MAPLE SCONES AT sTARBUCKS? i TRIED SEVERAL ONLINE BUT THEY WERE NOT THE SAME. i HATE PAYING SO MUCH FOR A SCONE!

[Aug2002Bride]

I want the Bonefish Bread Dipping Oil...Or Carraba's version....