One sure way to save money is to avoid going out to eat at all costs, but it can be difficult when you crave that restaurant style salsa or maybe some hibachi. I have come across some great copycat recipes to help you stay in, as well as, some recipes that are better than the "convenience packaged" foods, so let's get started!
1. Max and Erma's Famous Chicken Tortilla Soup:
via food.com
This taste as close as you can get to the real deal. I found the recipe here. I followed the recipe almost exactly except in place of the green chilies and can of tomatoes, I used a can of Rotel since it has both ingredients and that is what I had at the time. For the tortilla strips, I bought the fiesta seasoned Kroger or Meijer brand ( I've used both) tortilla strips and they worked very well in the soup. This is a cheesy soup that hits the spot when the weather is getting colder. It has a great taste that isn't too spicy for little ones, something the whole family will enjoy.
2. Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper:
via countrysidecravings.com
The box of hamburger helper can be found on sale for pretty cheap most of the time, but why not make your own for just as cheap with ingredients you know are going into the recipe instead of leaving it up to General Mills. This recipe taste better and doesn't need to be altered in anyway. It can be found here.
3. Chick-Fil-A Nuggets, Waffle Fries, and Sauce:
via samsclub.com and buildyourbite.com
So this one I cheated a little, but Sam's Club has Member's Mark Southern Style Chicken Bites that are basically the same as the nuggets from the restaurant. They even have a hint of pickle just like the real thing. These are great because they can be microwaved in just a couple of minutes for a quick snack and it doesn't hurt the taste or texture of the product. The Member's Mark Southern Style Waffle Fries are also available for a limited time at Sam's Club. They taste like the restaurants', but the only down fall is they can't be fried for a crispier texture. We have tried both of these products and love them because they taste just like the real thing. Our Sam's Club doesn't carry it, but some clubs also have a Member's Mark Southern Style Chicken Sandwich which comes frozen with a bun and is suppose to taste like the restaurants' also. So after you purchase the copycat products, you have to have some Chick-Fil-A Sauce to go with the nuggets and fries. I found a pretty close recipe here. The only thing that I did was add just a touch more mustard for my family's liking. It is super easy to make and adjust to your taste.
4. McCormick's Chili Seasoning:
via meatandpotatoesrecipes.blogspot.com
I love to season my chili with this seasoning packet, but it's becoming more expensive especially when I have all the ingredients in my spice cabinet. In my opinion, this recipe is more of the Hot version and I would cut the cayenne powder in half to make it closer to the original recipe. We like it SPICY, so I left the recipe as is for us.
5. Japanese Hibachi Shrimp Fried Rice:
via averiecooks.com
I am so thankful I found this recipe! My family absolutely loves to go to our local hibachi restaurant, but it gets expensive really quick and before we know it, we are close to $100 in the hole for just one dinner. This is super easy to make and curbs those restaurant cravings. You can also substitute any meat you would like. We have tried chicken and it was just as delicious as the shrimp. Get the recipe here. I did make some adjustments to the recipe to use what I had. I omitted green onions and chopped a small yellow onion and sauteed it instead. I also used olive oil instead of any other oils that the recipe called for. I used a short cut and had the Birdseye frozen veggie blend (corn, peas, carrots, and green beans) that I tossed in instead of the individual veggies. I sometimes like to add mushrooms too depending on our mood. Follow the recipe as is or follow my adjustments, either way I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
6. Carnival or Candied Nuts (aka German Nuts):
via dinnerthendessert.com
I have found two recipes for these amazing little snacks! These are also a great idea for Christmas gifts or a sweet snack to bring along to parties. I have made both the pecan recipe (here) and the almond recipe (here). They are both crock pot recipes and take a few hours to make but you pretty much dump, mix, and then stir every hour or so to make sure the nuts stay coated and don't stick together. Both recipes turned out amazing and they were extremely hard to put down once you got that sweet cinnamon goodness on your tongue. With these recipes it can be fair and carnival season all year long (and as an added bonus it makes your house smell awesome!).
7. Better Than Manwich Sloppy Joes:
via heatherlikesfood.com
This isn't exactly a copycat recipe, but it's more along the lines of the Hamburger Helper recipe listed above. Making your own from scratch has way more flavor and is a lot healthier than anything served in a can or box. Honestly, I have never been much of a sloppy joe fan, but the rest of my family loves them and this recipe definitely made that love even greater. It turned a myself into a fan and is worth trying since you more than likely have all the ingredients right in your pantry. You can find the recipe here and it is just perfect the way it is. I didn't have to make any substitutions or adjustments.
8. Mexican Restaurant Style Salsa:
via aspiceyperspective.com
This recipe is great because you can adjust the "heat" to your liking. It also it a great way to use those garden veggies and herbs. The original recipe can be found here and is a great snack around our house. We are also Mexican food junkies and crave the restaurant style salsa a lot. Sometimes I feel like we just go to the restaurant specifically for the chips and salsa. Well if your family is like ours then I have found the solution. Again we like heat so we kept our seeds in the jalapenos and added a couple more than the recipe called for. I also used a can of diced tomatoes instead of the brand of crushed tomatoes the recipe called for and it still tasted like our local restaurant's. This recipe more than hit the spot on cravings.
Hopefully these recipes help save you some money, expand your dinner or snack options, and/or have given you more ideas of how to get lost in the amazing Pinterest world. Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family has!
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