Category Archives: COPYCAT RECIPES

LONESTAR STEAKHOUSE & SALOON AMARILLO CHEESE FRIES

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3 unpeeled russet potatoes
4-6 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked
1/3 cup ranch dressing

slice the potatoes into wide rectangular slices. they should be about 1/4″ thick and 3/4″ wide. you should end up with around 12-15 slices per potato. keep the potato slices immersed in water until they are ready to fry so that they don’t turn brown.

heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep pan to 350 degrees. dry the potato slices on paper towels and fry them for 1 minutes in the hot oil. this is the blanching stage. remove the potatoes from the oil and drain until they cool, about 10 minutes.

when the potato slices are cool, fry them for 5 more minutes or until they are a light golden brown. drain.

preheat your oven to 375 degrees, then arrange the fries on an oven-safe plate.

sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the fries.

sprinkle the monterey jack cheese over the cheddar.

crumble the cooked bacon and sprinkle it over the cheese.

bake the fries in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. serve hot with bottled ranch dressing or make your own with the recipe offered below (in comments)..

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES BANANA NUT PANCAKES

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BANANA SYRUP:

1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp banana extract or flavoring

PANCAKES:

1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbs banana extract or flavoring
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 banana

make the banana syrup first by combining all the syrup ingredients except for the banana extract in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally. when the mixture begins to boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the banana extract.

in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the pancakes except the pecans and the banana. use an electric mixer to bend until smooth.

heat a large frying pan or griddle over medium heat, and coat it with butter or nonstick cooking spray when hot.

pour 1/4 cup dollops of batter into the pan. realize the batter will spread out to about 4″ across, so leave enough room if you are cooking more than one at a time. sprinkle about 1/2 tbs pecans into the center of each pancake immediately after you pour the batter so that the nuts are “cooked in”.

cook the pancakes for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

slice the banana, divide it up, and serve it on top of a stack of 3-4 pancakes with the remaining chopped pecans divided and sprinkled on top of each stack.

serves 3-4

HOULIHAN’S SMASHED POTATOES

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4 medium OR 2 large russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbs fresh minced onion
2 tbs sour cream
dash garlic powder
1/4 cup french’s french fried onions

slice the potatoes into 1″ cubes and boil in 6 cups of salted water for 15-20 minutes or until soft and tender.

drain off the water and use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes. stop mashing when there are still some chunks of potatoes left. it’s the chunky consistency that makes these potatoes unique.

immediately add the remaining ingredients, excluding the fried onions, to the pan and put it back over low heat. reheat the potatoes for 5 minutes, stirring to mix in the other ingredients.

serve the potatoes with a sprinkling of about 1 tbs of fried onions on top of each serving.

serves 4 as a side dish

HOOTERS BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

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vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup crystal louisiana hot sauce OR frank’s red hot cayenne sauce
dash ground pepper
dash garlic powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
10 chicken wing pieces

ON THE SIDE:

bleu cheese dressing
celery sticks

heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. you want just enough oil to cover the wings entirely – an inch or so deep at least.

combine the butter, hot sauce, ground pepepr, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well blended.

combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl.

if the wings are frozen, be sure to defrost and dry them. put the wings into a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture over them, coating each wing evenly. put the wings in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes. (this will help the breading to stick to the wings when fried.)

put all the wings into the hot oil and fry them for 10-15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown.

remove the wings from the oil to a paper towel to drain. don’t let them sit too long because you want to serve the wings hot.

quickly put the wings into a large bowl. add the hot sauce and stir, coating all of the wings evenly. you could also use a large plastic container with a lid for this. put all the wings inside the container, add the sauce, put on the lid, then shake. serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.

serves 3-5 as an appetizer

CRACKER BARREL HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

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1 (26 oz) bag frozen country-style hash browns
2 cups shredded colby cheese
1/4 cup minced onion
1 cup milk
1/2 cup beef stock OR canned broth
2 tbs butter, melted
dash garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

combine the frozen hash browns, cheese, and onion in a large bowl.

combine the milk, beef stock, half the melted butter, the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in another bowl. mix until well blended, then pour the mixture over the hash browns and mix well.

heat the remaining butter in a large, ovenproof skillet over high heat.

when the skillet is hot, spoon in the hash brown mixture. cook the hash browns, stirring occasionally, until hot and all of the cheese has melted (about 7 minutes).

put the skillet into the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the surface of the hash browns is dark brown.

serves 4-6 as a side dish

CHILI’S PEANUT BUTTER CUP CHEESECAKE

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1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup oreo cookie crumbs (3 cookies with filling removed)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (not chunky)
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup fudge topping
4 chilled regular-size reese’s peanut butter cups (not bite-size)

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

in a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, chocolate cookie crumbs, and melted butter.

press the crumbs firmly over just the bottom of an 8″ springform pan. bake for 6-8 minutes.

when the crust is cool, spread the peanut butter in a circle in the center of the crust. you don’t need to spread the peanut butter to the edge – leave an inch margin all around.

you’ll need two separate bowls for the two fillings, one larger than the other. in the larger bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

remove 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture and pour it into the smaller bowl. add the chocolate syrup to this mixture and combine.

pour the large bowl of filling into the pan and spread it evenly over the crust.

pour the chocolate filling onto the other filling and spread it out. using the tip of a knife, swirl the chocolate into the white filling beneath it. a couple of passes should be enough.

lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. bake the cheesecake for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cheesecake comes out clean. remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

when the cheesecake is completely cool, soften the fudge topping in a double boiler or the microwave for about 45 seconds, then spread it out evenly over the cheesecake. be sure to cover the entire surface of the filling.

unwrap the peanut butter cups and chop them into small chunks.

sprinkle the peanut butter cup pieces and any crumbs over the top of the cheesecake. chill.

slice the cake 5 times through the middle to make 10 slices.

serves 10

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

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1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tbs butter, melted
1 cup plus 1 tbs sugar
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
whipped cream

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 tbs sugar in a medium bowl. stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but no so much as to turn the mixture into paste. keep it crumbly.

press the crumbs onto the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the sides of a springform pan. you don’t want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake. bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set it aside until you are ready to fill it.

in a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. mix with an electric mixer until smooth.

add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.

pour the filling into the pan. bake for 60-70 minutes. the top will turn a bit darker at this point. remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool.

when the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator. when the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces. serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.

serves 8

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN ORIGINAL BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

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CRUST:

1/3 cup plus 1 tbs warm water (105-115 degrees)
3/4 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbs olive oil
OR
commercial pizza dough OR dough mix
OR
1 (10″) unbaked commercial crust

TOPPING:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
1/2 cup bullseye original barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated gouda cheese (smoked, if you can find it)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 tsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

if you are makig a homemade crust,start the dough one day before you plan to serve the pizza. in a small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. let it sit for 5 minutes until the surface of the mixture turns foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, either the yeast was to old – i.e., dead – or the water was too hot – i.e., you killed it. try again.) sift together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. make a depression in the flour and pour in the olive oil and yeast mixture. use a fork to stir the liquid, gradually drawing in more flour as you stir, until all the ingredients are combined. when you can no longer stir with a fork, use your hands to form the dough into a ball. knead the dough with the heels of your hands on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, or until the texture of the dough is smooth. form the dough back into a ball, coat it lightly with oil, and place it into a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. keep the bowl in a warm place for about 2 hours to allow the dough to double in size. punch down the dough and put it back into the covered bowl and into your refrigerator overnight. take the dough from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you plan to build the pizza so that the dough can warm up to room temperature.

if you are using a commercial dough or dough mix, follow the instructions on your package to prepare it. you may have to set some of the dough aside to make a smaller, 10″ crust.

cut the chicken breast into bite-size cubes and marinate it in 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

when the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. heat a small frying pan on your stove with about 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil in it. saute the chicken in the pan for about 3-4 minutes or until done.

form the dough into a ball and roll out on a floured surface until very thin and 10″ in diameter. put your pizza crust onto a baking sheet or pizza pan, and spread the remaining 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce evenly over the pizza crust.

sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and all of the gouda cheese over the sauce.

add the chicken next.

the red onion goes next.

sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella around the center of the pizza.

cilantro goes on top of the mozzarella.

bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is light brown.

when the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and make 4 even cuts across the pie. this will give you 8 slices.

serves 2 as an entree

BIG BOY CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

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4 cups chicken broth
1 lg bunch broccoli, chopped (3 cups)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp salt
dash ground pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 oz ham (1/3 cup diced)
1/2 cup heavy cream

combine the chicken broth, broccoli, onion, bay leaf, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan over high heat. when the broth comes to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. the veggies will become tender.

transfer a little more than half of the broth and veggie mixture to a blender or food processor. mix on low speed for 20-30 seconds. this will finely chop the veggies to nearly a puree. (be careful blending hot liquids. you may want to let the mixture cool a bit before transferring and blending it).

pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan over medium-low heat. add the flour and whisk until all lumps have dissolved.

add the diced ham and the cream to the other ingredients and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the soup is as thick as you like it.

serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as an entree

BENIHANA HIBACHI CHICKEN AND HIBACHI STEAK

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4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 lg onion
2 med zucchini
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tbs vegetable oil
6 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs butter
salt
pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp sesame seeds
6 cups bean sprouts

ON THE SIDE:

mustard sauce (recipe follows)
ginger sauce (recipe follows

before you begin cooking, be sure that the chicken, onion, zucchini, and mushroom have been sliced into bite-size pieces. for the onion, slice it as if you were making onion rings, then quarter those slices. for the zucchini, first slice them into long, thin strips, then cut across those strips four or five times to make bite-size pieces that are 1″-1 1/2″ long.

spread 1 tbs of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. spread another tbs of oil in another pan over medium-high heat.

begin by sauteing the sliced chicken in one of the pans. add 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1 tbs of butter, and a dash of salt and pepper to the chicken.

add the onion and zucchini to the other pan. add 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs butter, and a dash of salt and pepper. saute the vegetables as long as the chicken is cooking, being sure to stir both pans often.

when the chicken has sauteed for about 2 minutes, or when it appears white on all sides, slide the meat to one side of the pan, pour lemon juice on it, then add the mushrooms to the other side of the pan. pour 1 tbs of the soy sauce over the mushrooms, then add 1 tbs of butter plus a dash of salt and pepper. continue to stir both pans.

after 6-8 minutes, or when the chicken is done, sprinkle 1 tsp of sesame seeds over the chicken, then mix the chicken with the mushrooms. spoon the chicken mixture in four even portions on four plates next to four even portions of the vegetables from the other pan.

pour the bean sprouts into the same pan in which you cooked the vegetables, and cook over high heat. add 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs butter, and a dash of salt and pepper.

cook the sprouts for only a minute or two, or until they have tenderized. just before you serve the sprouts, sprinkle 2 tsp of sesame seeds on them. serve the sprouts next to the chicken and vegetables with mustard sauce and ginger sauce on the side.

YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A HIBACHI STEAK. JUST FOLLOW THE CHICKEN RECIPE, SUBSTITUTING A 16-OZ SIRLOIN STEAK FOR THE CHICKEN. ALSO ELIMINATE THE LEMON JUICE AND SESAME SEEDS FROM THE RECIPE.

KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR SLICED BEEF WILL LIKELY COOK IN HALF THE TIME OF THE CHICKEN, DEPENDING ON HOW RARE YOU LIKE IT.

serves 3-4 as an entree

MUSTARD SAUCE (for chicken and beef)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tsp oriental mustard
2 tsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp garlic powder

combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. chill before serving.

makes 2/3 cup sauce

GINGER SAUCE (for veggies and seafood)

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 oz gingerroot (a nickel-size slice), peeled & chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon (2 tbs)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white vinegar

combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed for 30 seconds or until the gingerroot and garlic have been pureed. chill before serving.

makes 2.3. cup sauce