Many of us have our favorite drool-worthy dishes that we can’t wait to order on those rare occasions that we go out to eat. They’re so good that we wish we could have them more often. Well, with a bit of ingenuity, some patience, a dash of persistence—and the right recipe!—you can.

Inspired by user u/SignificantClass2906, the home chefs of r/Cooking shared their favorite ‘copycat’ recipes that they swear taste identical to the ‘real thing.’ Scroll down to have a read.

A quick heads up: the links to the recipes are highlighted in the posts if you want to try them yourselves, dear Pandas. Happy cooking!

#1

No changes to the recipe, it’s Panda Express’s orange chicken

Image credits: bucktoothedhazelnut

#2

Chik-fil-A sauce = 1 part mayonnaise, 1 part sweet barbecue sauce, and a tiny bit of Dijon mustard.

Image credits: Snoo-35252

#3

I’m a sucker for the Cheesecake Factory farfalle pasta. It’s only about five million calories, give or take. This is a really good recipe I’ve tried

Image credits: SagittariusIscariot

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably tried to cook or bake your fave dishes at home already. In our experience, it can be far more chaotic than it looks at first glance. In the middle of everything, you realize that you don’t have one ingredient, you’ve almost run out of another, and you don’t even have the right equipment to do one of the most important steps.

We have some hard-won but simple wisdom to share: make sure to read the recipe in advance. That way, you know what to expect and how long the cooking will take. You can buy everything you need in advance. Meanwhile, you can even do some of the prep work ahead of time. All of this is going to reduce the number of potential missteps you can make. Drastically!

#4

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies and Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Both of which I have on regular rotation in my house.

Image credits: valsavana

#5

I can make an Egg McMuffin as good as McDonald's *used* to make them. You need a small pan with lid and an egg ring:

Ingredients:

* 1 Egg
* 1 slice Canadian Bacon
* 1 slice American cheese
* Kosher Salt
* 1 English Muffin
* Butter

1. Set pan on stove over medium heat. Place egg ring in center and spray with cooking oil.

2. Halve and toast muffin in a standard toaster.

3. Once pan has warmed, crack an egg into the ring and reduce heat to medium low. Season egg with just a small pinch of salt. Add a splash of water to the outside of the ring and cover immediately.

4. Cook egg for exactly 3 minutes. Meanwhile, muffin should be ready. Butter both halves while still hot.

5. Place American cheese on one half. Place the slice of Canadian Bacon on next.

6. When the egg has finished, remove ring and pour egg onto sandwich.

7. Top with the other muffin half and love life!

Image credits: SourChipmunk

#6

This Cinnabon cinnamon rolls dupe is perfect, except for the frosting. I do one stick of butter softened, 8oz of cream cheese softened, and 3 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting.

Image credits: tooawkwrd

Another thing to always keep front of mind is that we all make mistakes in the kitchen. Even veterans of a thousand lunches and top-tier celebrity chefs aren’t immune to cooking blunders. We could all stand to be more compassionate to ourselves when something doesn’t come out quite right.

The secret is to get up from your failure, dust yourself off, and keep at it. Laugh it off if you can! Given enough mindful practice, you’ll only get better. But the key is not to blame yourself or to assume that you can’t do anything right. Some recipes might be too complicated for beginners. Or they’re badly written and lack clarity. It takes a bit of experience to figure out what ingredient combinations and cooking techniques work best together… and which ones don’t make much sense.

#7

I don’t have a link for where I got this, because it was so long ago I copied it down somewhere. But I think this Texas Roadhouse Rice copycat is pretty similar to the resturant.

Texas Roadhouse Rice

Ingredients:

* ½ stick salted butter

* 1 c uncooked white rice

* 2 c chicken stock

* ¼ c soy sauce

* 1/3 fresh parsley

* 1 t cayenne pepper

* 1 T garlic powdered

* 1 t minced garlic

* 1 T paprika

* 1 small yellow onion

* Salt

* Pepper

Instructions:

1. Mince the onion and parsley. Set aside separately (Don’t combine).

2. Using a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir often to keep it from burning.

3. When the butter is melted, add in the rice. Cook for about 6 minutes while stirring often. Note that it should be browned evenly.

4. Add in ¼ cup of the minced onions. You may add more or less, depending on your taste.

5. Cook for 3 minutes while stirring often.

6. Add in all of the remaining ingredients then bring them to a boil.

7. Boil for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

8. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the rice is tender.

Personally I cook the onions in the butter before adding the rice, but that’s just my preference.

And sometimes I toss the sautéd rice/onions into my rice cooker add the rest of the ingredients on top, give it a good mix, then cook on the white rice setting. When I use my rice cooker, I scale the recipe up to 1.5 so that I use 1.5 cups of white rice because the lowest amount of “cups” my rice cooker has lines for is 2. Then I use the correct amount of everything except chicken broth. The chicken broth I just dump on top to reach the 2 line on the insert of my rice cooker. Is it the correct way to do it? Probably not, but it is handy when I’m shorthanded and trying to get dinner around.

Image credits: SunflowerGirl98

#8

Nobu has this miso cod that tastes amazing. It’s also really easy to recreate. Boil mirin and sake. Add miso. Marinate your cod with it over night. Broil for 6 ish minutes. Serve with rice.

Image credits: euromay

#9

These Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

They are the first hit on google but damn they are identical, maybe even better. I've made them a bunch of times. They are very dangerous lol.

Image credits: Sketch13

Cooking at home has its own share of pros and cons compared to dining out. In the latter case, you do save a lot of time and energy, but you tend to spend more money and can’t control the ingredients that go into the dish. Meanwhile, when you’re the one making the dish, you’re in charge of every ingredient. You can keep costs down by hunting for bargains while focusing on better nutrition.

During a previous interview with Bored Panda, Jake Butler from the UK organization Save the Student pointed out that the best way to save money on fast food and takeaways is not to buy them. “The good news is that you can easily recreate your favorites at home for a fraction of the price. It’s much healthier this way, too. Google is definitely your friend here, as you can find fakeaway recipes from a number of sites,” he told us.

For example, at one point, McDonald’s published instructions for making their breakfast egg McMuffins at home.

#10

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Biscuits

2 1/2 c. Bisquik

4 Tbsp. COLD butter, cubed

1 1/4 c. grated sharp cheddar

3/4 c. COLD half & half

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Topping

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine the Bisquik and cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the butter is the size of small peas.

3. Add in the cheddar, half & half, and garlic powder, mixing until just combined. (If the oven is not yet up to temp, refrigerate dough until oven is ready.)

4. Using a 1/4 c. scoop, drop the dough onto an ungreased sheet pan, and bake for 15-17 minutes.

5. When the biscuits are almost done baking, combine the topping ingredients.

6. Brush topping on the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven.

Image credits: webbkitten

#11

Not sure if it is totally identical, but this crunchwrap recipe (Taco Bell) always hits the spot: Copycat Crunchwrap Supreme. I use the leftover tostadas for chilaquiles.

Image credits: skenley

#12

The cucumber salad from Din Tai Fung. No other cucumber salad recipe holds a candle to this recipe.

Image credits: altruistic-alpaca

“The ingredients for most of these recipes aren’t too pricey, and you can still hunt for bargains to make the dish cheaper. Buying in bulk is always a winner too when it comes to saving money, so it’s a great idea to get together with friends and maybe take it in turns to make your favorite fakeaways,” Butler said, adding that seasoning is incredibly important when cooking.

“Salt and pepper won't break the bank, but they can make or break a meal. Don't forget that sugar can take a dish to the next level too.”

#13

A local restaurant served a mushroom soup that my wife loved. I managed to come close enough to keep her happy.?

3 medium leeks

3 medium onions

1/2 lb. white mushrooms

1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms

1/2 lb. maitake mushrooms

1/2 lb. oyster mushrooms

1/2 lb. beech mushrooms

1/4 lb. porcini mushrooms

1 tbsp powdered dried mushrooms ( I buy a mix of dried mushrooms process in a blender. Massive umami)

6 small potatoes

4 cloves garlic

3 scallions

2 quarts chicken stock

1/2 lemon

½ tsp Tellicheri pepper, 1 tsp. marjoram, 1 tsp bouquet garni

Roughly chop the mushrooms and sauté in butter with half the pepper until liquid has evaporated and they start to brown. Set the mushrooms aside.

Chop the onions, leeks and garlic and sauté in butter with remaining pepper and marjoram until translucent. Peel and chop the potatoes and add to the pot. Add the chicken stock and bouquet garni and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and add the lemon juice and the mushrooms. Puree with the blender and sieve the mixture for smooth results, or leave for more texture. Just before serving, slice the scallions and add to the pot.

Add a cup of cream just before serving if you like really heavy soup

Serve with fresh croutons.

Image credits: DdraigGwyn

#14

PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Damn Delicious. This is a staple in our house.

Image credits: Glum-Zucchini4711

#15

This tastes exactly like KFC coleslaw

Image credits: scornedandhangry

Which of your favorite dishes have you tried to recreate at home, Pandas? Were you happy with the end results? Have you found any ‘copycat’ recipes that work surprisingly well?

We’d love to hear about your experiences in the kitchen. So, if you have a spare moment, tell us all about it in the comments. Meanwhile, we’re so hungry, so we’re gonna go grab ourselves a snack or two…

#16

My wife made copycat crumbl cookies.

They were so good we agreed they were banned from the house and we wouldn’t dabble in the dark arts again.

Image credits: PancakesandScotch

#17

Nailed homemade Animal Style Fries from In-N-Out Absolutely nailed the sauce. A mix of sweet and savory and the right amount of Pickles in there for the tang. Also the Fries themselves were better than those In-N-Out ones (c'mon, you all know they're not great!).

Image credits: DinnertimeSomewhere

#18

Olive Garden minestrone soup

Seriously delicious and tastes just like OGs version. I make it frequently.

Image credits: sugurkewbz

#19

This Chick fil a mac and cheese recipe is pretty on point.

Image credits: some_kid6

#20

Manitoba honey dill sauce which is great for fried chicken and tenders

That and Manitoba day boys

Image credits: GullibleDetective

#21

Torchy's Guacamole

May very well be the real mccoy given the author.

Image credits: tsammons

#22

Olive Gardens Five Cheese Ziti

Image credits: Icy_Marsupial5003

#23

I was surprised at Serious Eat's Faux Chick-fil-a sandwiches

They were delicious! (It's a Kenji recipe.) While these aren't specifically named a Chick-fil-a imitation, they're very similar to an older post of Kenji's & clearly make reference to the chain! I hate frying but, these are worth it.

Image credits: ophelia917

#24

I love Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi so this one is my favorite.

Image credits: UnheardIdentity

#25

Halal cart chicken. Had it in NYC and found the recipe, now it's in regular rotation

Image credits: rsd212

#26

Stella Parks’ cookies and crème Blizzard is spot on.

Image credits: cropguru357

#27

Breakfast sausage. I can’t remember where I found this recipe, most likely from a YouTube video, but here it is:

1lb ground pork

1tsp salt

1/2tsp parsley

1/2tsp sage

1/4tsp black pepper

1/4tsp thyme

1/4tsp coriander seed

1/8tsp red pepper

1/4tsp msg (optional)

We moved to Lithuania and I haven’t found coriander seed here yet, so I sub in cumin, neither can I find msg here so I don’t use it either. Now I haven’t had Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage in a while, but this recipe is just as good as what my memory of it is. We are going back to the States in a couple weeks, and I plan on trying this recipe and some Jimmy Dean back to back to see just how close they really are. Having said that, this recipe is legit. You can make a whole bunch of it and keep in a jar, and use 1tbsp and 1/8tsp for each pound of ground pork. Or use a bit extra to make the flavor a bit stronger.

Edit: I know I can order coriander seed and msg online, but I don’t bother since I love the recipe as is.

Edit2: I also grind the mix into a powder with my coffee grinder before mixing it into the meat.

Image credits: Bodidly0719

#28

ChiChi’s Cancun Enchiladas. These were my favorite birthday dinner for a couple years growing up- and I love them- imitation crab and all.

Fun Fact: as of 2014 there was still a ChiChi’s In Brussels of all places ? I was so excited I snapped a pic bc I knew no one would believe me!

Image credits: amandaryan1051

#29

Panera bread copycat broccoli cheddar. My whole family likes this better than the OG now!

Image credits: Icy_Marsupial5003

#30

These Levain copycat chocolate walnut cookies

Image credits: greensandgrains

#31

I used to work at Brio Tuscan Grille and at Firebird's. I wrote down several of their recipes when i left Heres Firebird's Port Mushrooms

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS: Vegetable Oil - 2 TBSP``` Button Mushrooms – 1 1/2 cups Port Wine – 4 TBSP Au Jus or Beef Stock – 2 TBSP Butter – 1 TBSP Fresh Julienned Basil - 1 TBSP

Preparation: In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium high heat, add the mushrooms. Saute until slightly browned. Season with salt & pepper, add the port wine and au jus or beef stock. Reduce the liquid until most of it is absorbed by the mushrooms. Add the butter and stir until melted and creamy. Top with fresh julienned basil. Serve with your favorite steak, chicken or pork dish!

Image credits: Sonicmantis

#32

Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden. I don't know where I found the recipe but the secret is KALE. Otherwise it's a sausage potato soup. The kale gives it that subtle peppery zing. This is pretty much a match for it. My recipe is half size & from the usenet forums lol

Image credits: GingerIsTheBestSpice

#33

Starbuck's Blueberry bars

#34

The Chipotle sofritas!!

#35

Not the same, but better. Zuppa Toscana

1 lb spicy ground pork (Kroger brand works best).

3 slices of bacon.

1 medium onion (white or yellow)

3-4 potatoes unpeeled, sliced half moon shaped.

2-3 garlic cloves minced.

3 cups chicken broth

3.5 cups water

1 cup heavy whipping cream.

3 cups Kale sliced.

Brown ground pork in pan. In the same pan, fry up the bacon, chop it up, and place in pot. Chop up onion and cook in the same pan you cooked the meat, about 5 mins until tender. Add it to the pot along with the garlic. Add stock, water, and potatoes boil for 25 to 30 minutes. Add Kale and the whipping cream boil for 15 minutes. Serve with bread sticks.