Tag: copycat

Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!

Alfredo is one of life’s great comfort foods. Surprisingly, it is super simple to make and you can create a fettuccine alfredo meal in just 20 minutes that tastes even better than the alfredo you get at the Olive Garden.

Ingredients:

½ stick of butter (8 tbsp)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup grated Romano cheese

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

Pinch salt

1 pound fettuccine noodles

Directions:

  1. Fill large pot with water and preheat it to boil the fettuccine noodles.  When the pot of water starts boiling add the pasta to the water and cook it according to directions.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.  Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and cook for one minute.
  3. Whisk in the flout to the melted butter and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
  4. Add the heavy cream and continue to stir while the mixture comes up to a light boil.  Reduce the heat and stir as it thickens. 
  5. Stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses into the butter and heavy cream.
  6. Add the white pepper and salt.
  7. Drain the pasta and mix it into the alfredo sauce.
  8. Plate the pasta with alfredo sauce and garnish with parsley and/or add chicken if desired.
  9. Enjoy!
Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!

How to make Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito (Copycat Recipe)

This must be said.  Taco Bell did not put beans in the chili cheese burrito!  There are so many copycat recipes out there that have beans and vinegar in the chili cheese burrito and those should not be in there.  I have no idea why anyone ever thought they should add vinegar, but that taste should not be in the chili cheese burrito.  I imagine that beans were added because someone was trying to figure out how to thicken the chili and every copycat recipe always has a comment from former Taco Bell employees telling everyone that beans do not go in the chili cheese burrito.  There is a secret ingredient that is used to thicken the chili and that is corn meal.  Believe me, this is 100 times better than the recipes with beans and vinegar and it is just like eating the chili cheese burrito from Taco Bell. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

6 cups cold water

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup all-purpose flour

6 ounce can tomato paste

2 tbsp mild chili powder

½ tsp jalapeno powder

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp dried onion flakes

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper

2 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp corn meal

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheese

6 Large burrito tortillas

Directions:

  1. Cook ground beef in a pot, Dutch oven, or cast-iron pan until browned then drain off excess grease
  2. In a 2 quart mixing bowl add water, cornstarch, flour, and corn meal. Whisk together until fully blended.
  3. Whisk in the tomato paste until fully blended into the liquid mixture.
  4. Stir into the liquid mixture the cayenne pepper, chili powder, jalapeno powder, paprika, onion flakes, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.  Mix will. 
  5. Add liquid mixture to the meat and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture hits a boil reduce to a simmer.
  6. Simmer for 45 minutes and stir from the bottom of the pot every 5 minutes to prevent the chili from sticking. 
  7. Once the chili is done simmering remove from heat.
  8. Place one large burrito tortilla on a microwave safe plate and spread 1/4 cup shredded cheese onto the tortilla keeping the cheese away from the edges of the tortilla.  (try to keep an edge of 2 inches without cheese).  Microwave for 30 seconds.
  9. Remove tortilla and melted cheese from microwave and scoop 1/3 cup chili onto the tortilla.  To roll up the burrito, fold in two opposite sides of the tortilla, then rolling from one of the other sides into a burrito.
  10. Enjoy!
Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito – Copycat Recipe (NO BEANS!)

Better than Starbucks! DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte

It’s Pumpkin Spice Season! That means it’s time for everyone’s favorite Starbucks treat…Pumpkin Spice Latte. A lot of us like to buy this daily at Starbucks but that can be expensive and the Starbuck’s drink is packed with sugar. You will love this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe. It’s a lot cheaper than Starbuck’s and we have cut back on the sugar by using maple syrup as a natural sweetener instead.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coffee
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

  1. In a small pot or saucepan mix the almond milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice.
  2. Heat on low until the pan begins to simmer.
  3. Remove from heat and add the coffee.
  4. To create a froth either blend with an immersion blender or put into your regular blender. If you put this into a regular blender make sure you vent the top of the blender so that the steam doesn’t build up and “explode” on you.
  5. Pour into a coffee mug and top with optional nutmeg.
  6. Enjoy.
Better than Starbucks! DYI – Pumpkin Spice Latte

Click here for recipe for vanilla extract.

Click here for recipe for almond milk.

Click here for recipe for pumpkin puree.

Olive Garden Breadsticks copycat recipe

Ingredients: 

¼ cup white sugar

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp of yeast from the bottle)

1 cup of warm water (divided)

3 cups all purpose flour

3 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

½ tsp salt

½ cup melted butter

½ garlic salt

¼ parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1.In a bowl mix ½ cup warm water (95 degrees) with yeast and 1 ½ tsp sugar.  Let dissolve and sit and proof for 5-10 minutes.

2.Add in flour, remaining sugar, oil, egg, remaining water.

3.Mix in a mixer and then kneed for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

4.Place the dough in a bowl with olive oil.  Cover all the outside of dough all over the dough to prevent the dough from drying out while rising.  Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let sit for 40 minutes to double in size.

5.Pound the air out of the dough and place on a floured work area, flatten and cut into approximately 12 pieces.

6.Roll the pieces into long sticks, place on a pan lined with parchment paper and then cover back up to sit and rise for 25 mins.

7.Remove towel and place in oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

8.While breadsticks cook add garlic salt to the melted butter and set aside.

9.After breadsticks are done cooking add the garlic butter to the tops of the breadsticks and then sprinkle on the parmesan cheese.

10.Serve and Enjoy!

Orange Chicken – Panda Express copycat recipe

I love Orange Chicken from Panda Express. It is like the crack cocaine of Chinese Food. I have looked for recipe’s as good as Panda Express and I am always disappointed. Finally I have developed my own recipe that is absolutely amazing. So, here it is for all of you to try.

Orange Chicken

(Panda Express copycat recipe)

Chicken part:

Ingredients: 

1 ½ pounds chicken thighs (de-boned)

1 egg

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 cup corn starch

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoons water

Sauce part:

Ingredients: 

¼ cup orange juice

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

1 tbsp orange zest 

½ tbsp corn starch

1 tbsp cold water

Directions:

1.Cut up your chicken thighs into roughly 1 inch “bite size” pieces.

2.Mix the flour with the cut up chicken and mix so that all pieces are covered with flour.  Set this aside until later.

3.In a separate bowl mix together the egg, salt, black pepper, corn starch and water together. 

4.When well mixed you can add the chicken pieces into the mixture and cover the chicken pieces thoroughly with the coating. 

5. Heat a pan with 2 inches of oil on the stove.

6. While the oil heats mix together all the ingredients for your sauce and then pour into a sauce pan and sauté on low while we fry the chicken pieces. 

7. Carefully drop the chicken pieces into the oil and fry until golden brown. 

8.When all pieces of chicken are cooked add your chicken to your cooked sauce and mix the chicken into the sauce coating all pieces.

9.Serve over rice. 

You can garnish with chopped green onions and/or sesame seeds.

ENJOY!