Restaurant Favorites to Make at Home!
With restaurants closed in Colorado due to stay-at-home orders/safer-at-home guidelines, you may find yourself craving your old favorites. Skip the delivery fees (and sometimes the empty calories!), save a few dollars, and make your treasured treats right at home, from entrees and side dishes to sauces and desserts. We’ve rounded up the best copycat restaurant recipes, so you still can enjoy all of your standard fare and yummy treats safely at home.
Mouthwatering Main Dishes
Rumor has it an In-N-Out burger is opening soon in Aurora (Alameda and Abilene!), but save yourself a long trip southeast and make an In-N-Out Double Cheeseburger right at home. The secret to its amazing flavor is in the sauce. Pro tip: Make your very own animal style fries with extra sauce and onions!
Fresh orange juice and zest takes Panda Express Orange Chicken from pretty yummy to mind-blowingly incredible. Trust us, you’ll want to make extras of this orange chicken, because your entire family will want seconds!
Shake Shack’s famous ‘Shroom Burger proves that veggie burgers can be downright delicious and flavorful. How do they make mushroom burgers so perfectly? Well, like all of the best things in life, they’re full of cheese — Muenster, to be exact. And as an added plus, this recipe also includes ShackSauce!
Don’t Forget The Sides!
Have truly never-ending breadsticks with copycat Olive Garden breadsticks. Buttery, salty, garlicky — they tick all the boxes for what makes us order five baskets every time we go to Olive Garden! Bonus: they’re surprisingly simple to make!
You may be surprised to learn that the secret to KFC’s tangy, craveable coleslaw is sugar and onions! Serve this yummy slaw alongside grilled chicken, roasted salmon, or pulled pork, but be prepared for this side to steal the show.
We know that there’s technically a mix for Cheddar Bay Biscuit, but where’s the fun in that? Say hello to the addicting biscuits that make every visit to Red Lobster complete. Buttery, flaky, cheesy, garlicky… is your mouth watering yet? Betcha can’t eat just one.
Secret’s in the Sauce
Sure, the chicken is delicious, but we think the reason lines are so long at Raising Cane is because of the mouthwatering sauce that accompanies those finger-licking good tenders. The Cane’s Sauce has one ingredient that we think may surprise you — Worcestershire sauce. It takes this mayo-based delight to the next level. Get creative with Cane’s Sauce and use it on burgers, grilled chicken, or even grilled shrimp.
Chicken nuggets and waffle fries just taste 10 times better with Chick-fil-A sauce. Fortunately, now if you get the craving for it on a Sunday, you’ll be prepared to whip up a batch at home. Recreate this smoky, creamy, tangy, sweet sauce, but we recommend making a triple batch to get you through all of the food you’ll want slather it on!
The best ranch is thick and creamy while still being flavorful, and Texas Roadhouse’s ranch dressing recipe hits all the right notes. Adding cayenne pepper takes this ranch to the next level, making it perfect for dipping veggies, dressing salads, or even as a side for your next pizza.
Save Room for Dessert
McDonald’s Shamrock Shake is a limited-time treat, but you can enjoy the minty, creamy milkshake anytime with fairly simple ingredients you might already have on hand. Or, get creative and add a splash of vodka for a grown-up version.
Maybe you can’t be enjoy visiting Disneyland or Disney World right now, but you can sure recreate one of the best parts! Only three ingredients separate you from concocting a Disney Dole Whip right now. Make a batch of Dole Whip to enjoy during your next Disney-watching binge.
You’ve never really lived until you’ve had BJ’s famous Pizookie. We’re not exaggerating. This clever cookie pizza dessert is made in a cast iron skillet, giving it crispy edges and a gooey center. Serve it right out of the oven and top with ice cream, whipped cream, and hot fudge sauce for the ultimate in decadence.
Cooking At Home in Colliers Hill
Whipping up your favorite recipe is a breeze in the kitchens in the master-planned community of Colliers Hill, with expansive countertops, convenient wall ovens, and enough pantry space to store all of your secret ingredients. Check out the convenient location of our development and call to book virtual and private tours through our variety of model homes! Choose from Colorado’s top home builders: Meritage Homes, Richmond American Homes, and Century Communities, with ranch-style and two-story floor plans — priced from the high $300s.
