They make your favorite dish at the restaurant, why couldn’t you make it yourself? We have outlined some restaurant copycat recipes to help pinch a penny, but still enjoy your favorite food! The best part about recreating restaurant foods at home, healthy swaps and you don’t have to wait for the delivery guy. You can make ingredient switches for healthier options, such as sour cream for Greek yogurt, or whole milk for fat free milk. Some recipes’ cook time is less than delivery time!

5 Copycat Recipes

Starbucks Protein Bistro Box

• Total: 10 mins
• Servings: 4 boxes

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs hard boiled and peeled
• 2 cups of grapes washed
• 2 large apples washed and sliced
• 4 reduced fat Mini Babybel cheeses
• Honey-Roasted Peanut Butter portioned into 2 ounce containers
• 2 multi-grain flatbread sandwich thins cut in quarters
• fresh lemon juice optional
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Brush apple slices lightly with fresh lemon juice to prevent browning if desired. Alternatively, keep the slices face down and pressed together to prevent browning as well.
2. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Assemble protein bistro boxes and store refrigerated.

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 50 mins
• Total: 65 mins
• Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ onion, chopped
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk and cook , adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Gradually pour milk into flour mixture while whisking constantly. Stir chicken stock into milk mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, sauteed onion, and celery; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir Cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wrap

• Prep: 10 mins
• Cook: 10 mins
• Total: 20 mins
• Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
• 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 head butter lettuce

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
2. Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.

Ikea Swedish Meatballs

• Prep: 10 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Total: 40 mins
• Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• For the meatballs:
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
  • 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 5 tablespoons of milk (whole milk)
  • Generous salt and pepper
• For the cream sauce:
  • Dash of oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons plain flour
  • 2/3 cup vegetable stock
  • 2/3 cup beef stock
  • 2/3 cup thick double cream
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

Meatballs:

1. In a large bowl, combine the beef and pork. Mix thoroughly to break up any lumps. Add the chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, and egg. Mix well. Add milk and season well with salt and pepper.
2. Roll the mixture into small meatballs and place on a clean plate. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.
3. In a large frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. Once the pan is heated, gently add the meatballs and brown on all sides.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the meatballs in an oven-safe dish and cook for 30 minutes.

Cream Sauce:

1. In a skillet or frying pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.
2. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
3. Add 2/3 cup of vegetable stock and 2/3 cup of beef stock and continue to stir.
4. Add 2/3 cup of double cream, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and allow sauce to thicken. Continue to stir.
5. Pour the cream sauce over meatballs and enjoy!

Pizza Hut Cinnamon Sticks

• Prep: 30 mins
• Cook:125 mins
• Total: 45 mins
• Servings: 18

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2 C Warm Water
• 1 tbsp Yeast
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 5 C Flour
• 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 tbsp Butter Melted

Cinnamon & Sugar Mixture

• 6 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
• 3 TBSP Sugar

Icing

• ½ cup Powdered Sugar
• 1-2 tbsp Milk

Directions:

1. Start by adding the warm water and yeast to your mixing bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes so that the yeast can proof.
2. While you are waiting for the yeast to do its thing, place flour and salt into a large bowl.
3. Once the yeast has proofed 2 ½ cups flour with proofed yeast and mix well in Kitchen Aid with a dough hook.
4. Add additional 2 ½ cups flour and knead until smooth.
5. Next place the bowl with plastic wrap. You will want to let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Grab your baking sheet and coat it with olive oil. This is to ensure the dough won’t stick to the pan.
7. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
8. Grab the dough from the bowl and add more flour as needed (a little at a time) to alleviate the stickiness of the dough if needed.
9. Split dough in half and roll each ball of dough onto a floured surface. Knead a few times to ensure the dough is a uniformed ball.
10. Now it’s time to roll into a pizza and breadsticks!
11. With your pizza dough roll out into the shape of your pan & create your pizza.
12. For the Cinnamon Breadsticks roll the dough into a rectangle. Then using a pizza cutter cut the dough in half length wise and then vertically every 1″ or so. This will be the size of your breadstick.
13. Next top each breadstick with a brush of melted butter topped with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake Breadsticks for 15-22 minutes, until they have risen and baked through. They’ll be a beautiful golden color.