Home Recipes Cooking Style Comfort Food
Katie BandurskiUpdated: Feb. 03, 2024
This year we've been making our favorite menu items at home—and now you can, too! These are the best copycat recipes of the year.
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Copycat Cracker Barrel Meat Loaf
If you lovemeat loaf, you’re likely already a fan of Cracker Barrel’s famous meat loaf. And if meat loaf isn’t your thing, we’re pretty sure this recipe is about to change your mind!
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Copycat Nothing Bundt Cake
Nothing Bundt Cakes has been making its cult favorite Bundts for 25 years. Flavors may come and go, but the essential formula stays the same: a rich, tender Bundt cake topped with thick, velvety petals of cream cheese frosting.
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Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese
This copycat Panera mac and cheese recipe comes pretty close to the real deal. Serve it in a bread bowl to get the full cafe experience!
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Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites
You can substitute Gruyere cheese for the Swiss and ham for the bacon, or add in small-cut veggies to these copycat Starbucks egg bites. I also like to bake these in small Mason jars for fun single-portion presentations. Serve with avocado slices and fresh fruit for a healthy breakfast. —Maria Morelli, West Kelowna, British Columbia
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Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
One of the popular TikTok recipes we love is Olive Garden chicken pasta, an easy slow cooker dinner that’s creamy, comforting and loaded with flavor. Serve it with a side of warm breadsticks, a glass of wine and some Frank Sinatra tunes, and it’ll feel like a night out at your favorite family restaurant!
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The Cheesecake Factory's Lemon Shrimp Linguine
The Cheesecake Factory has an extensive menu, but I always seem to order their delicious fresh and citrusy Lemon Shrimp Linguine. I’d enjoyed it enough times that I was confident I could reproduce it to share with friends and family. Think I hit it spot on! When I have fresh basil from the garden I use that instead of parsley.
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Olive Garden's Fried Lasagna
One of my favorite dishes at Olive Garden is their fried lasagna. On a whim, I tried to recreate it at home. After a few tries, I think I got it pretty close to the original. —Jolene Martinelli, Fremont, New Hampshire
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P.F. Chang’s Copycat Mongolian Beef
While dining out will always be fun, there’s nothing quite like re-creating your favorite Chinese takeout at home. From sesame chicken, General Tso’s and chicken fried rice, the list of homemade takeout possibilities is endless.
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Bonefish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp
This crispy, saucy and spicy shrimp is the signature appetizer at Bonefish Grill. The best part about this dish? Like many restaurant copycats, it’s easy to make at home.
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The Cheesecake Factory's Original Cheesecake
One bite of this copycat cheesecake recipe from The Cheesecake Factory will make you feel like you took a slice straight from the pastry case.
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Texas Roadhouse Butter
Why Texas Roadhouse only serves four dinner rolls with their famous cinnamon honey butter is beyond us. While the rolls are good on their own, it’s the whipped butter infused with the perfect balance of cinnamon and honey that takes these pillowy orbs of carb heaven to the next level.
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The Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Piccata
Between the perfectly cooked thinly sliced chicken, the creamy lemon sauce and the magically swirled angel hair pasta, it’s no wonder this dish is such a popular choice.
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The Cheesecake Factory's Pasta Da Vinci
I fell in love with this dish at the Cheesecake Factory and experimented with the ingredients until I could duplicate it. I think mine is just as good if not better! The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Thaw if frozen and warm gently in a large skillet. Cook pasta and you have a delicious dinner on a weeknight. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
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Copycat Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a stewed vegetable dish that originated in France. Comprised of roughly cut summer squash, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and fresh herbs, traditional ratatouille resembles a thick, hearty stew loaded with comforting flavors.
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Olive Garden’s Chocolate Lasagna
Olive Garden offers a range of desserts to finish out your meal, including classics like cheesecake and tiramisu. Another fan favorite? The Olive Garden chocolate lasagna. We’re talking four layers of fudgy brownie paired with layers of vanilla cream cheese frosting.
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Disney's Dole Whip
Your kitchen will be the happiest place on earth when you serve this sweet-sour treat. The recipe comes directly from the Disneyland app and tastes just like the real deal you'd order at the park. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Chantilly Cake
Berry Chantilly Cake was made famous by baker Chaya Conrad, who was working at a Whole Foods in New Orleans. The recipe, based on her grandmother’s, quickly become a staple of the city, and is often served at weddings, graduations, showers and birthdays.
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Copycat KFC Coleslaw
We love going to Kentucky Fried Chicken. Although we enjoy the chicken, we actually go for the coleslaw. We buy several pints at a time. I tried for several years before getting the recipe right. If you are in a hurry get a bag of the preshredded slaw mix. —Donna Gribbins, Shelbyville, Kentucky
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Baker's Square Easy Honey Mustard Chicken
My absolute favorite dish at Bakers Square is the Honey Mustard Chicken with mushrooms and onions. Unfortunately, the Bakers Square restaurants near me relocated. So, I devised this version which is quick and easy.—Arlene Erlbach, Morton Grove, Illinois
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Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rattlesnake Bites
Texas Roadhouse Rattlesnake Bites are among the restaurant’s top-selling menu items. For good reason, too—they’re pure cheese heaven in a basket.
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Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Glazed warm straight from the fryer, there’s a reason these sweet heavenly orbs of fried dough have garnered a loyal cult following that has endured since the first location opened in 1937.
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Copycat Chipotle Chicken
There’s something magical about the chicken at Chipotle. It’s tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned to complement all the burrito fixings it’s encased with inside those gigantic Chipotle tortillas.
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Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce
Chick-fil-A sauce is nothing short of heavenly. This secret sauce tastes fantastic with anything on the Chick-fil-A menu (and its secret menu).
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In-N-Out’s Animal Style Fries
Part of its not-so-secret secret menu, animal style fries are one of the chain’s top sellers. With this easy copycat recipe, you can enjoy In-N-Out animal fries whenever the craving strikes.
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Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup is the perfect comfort food. Serve it in a bread bowl for a filling meal.
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Copycat Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand why Applebee’s spinach artichoke dip is a bestselling menu item. Warm, bubbly and cheesy, this simple yet indulgent recipe is studded with chopped artichokes and just enough spinach to pass it off as a serving of veggies.
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Dollywood's Cinnamon Bread Copycat
When I arrive at Dollywood, first things first: I head straight to the Grist Mill for some cinnamon bread. It's just that good! I like to make it with pumpkin pie spice at home to give it an extra flavor boost. —Amanda Singleton, Kingsport, Tennessee
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Disney's Molasses Crackle Cookies
These iconic cookies are usually found at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, but they are easily adapted to home kitchens. This deliciously chewy recipe packs in molasses and all the holiday flavor we could crave, which makes them perfect whether you want to leave them out for Santa or save them all for yourself.
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Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
From big plates of creamy pasta to savory bowls of soup, crunchy green salads and, of course, those never-ending breadsticks, Olive Garden always succeeds at offering some of our comfort-food favorites. And we can’t forget our go-to pasta sauce—Olive Garden’s creamy, cheesy, one of a kind Alfredo sauce.
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The Cheesecake Factory's Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
The Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake is so rich and creamy, you’re going to want to make it every week.
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Copycat Lofthouse Cookies
You’re probably familiar with the colorfully frosted Lofthouse cookies at the grocery store. The soft, frosted sugar cookies are brightly frosted and sprinkled for the season—and extremely hard to resist!
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Copycat Honey Baked Ham
For holidays and special occasions my family loves a good old fashioned baked ham. One year I decided to see if I could duplicate the crunchy glaze on a Honey Baked Ham. After tweaking it a couple times I have developed a pretty good imitation. It is delicious. I get asked to make ham to take to potlucks and parties because everyone likes my version so well. The best part is that it is really easy. If you have a kitchen torch you can torch the sugar instead of broiling it. That method is just as easy. —Donna Gribbins, Shelbyville, Kentucky
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Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana
Just toss the ingredients in a pot, and in about 30 minutes you’ll have a delicious, creamy, homemade version of this iconic Olive Garden recipe. That’s faster than going out to eat!
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Copycat Wendy’s Frosty
The Frosty is a totally unique frozen dessert. This tasty chocolate treat, which has been on the Wendy’s menu since the fast-food restaurant first opened in 1969, has stood the test of time.
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Applebee’s Beer Cheese
Featuring two flavorful cheeses and your preferred Belgian beer, this dip is sure to curb your craving for the beloved restaurant appetizer!
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Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
This copycat Olive Garden breadsticks recipe can be on your table in less than an hour.
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Copycat McDonald’s Egg McMuffin
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin is the original on-the-go breakfast. It’s such an icon of the brand, that it’s easy to forget that the Egg McMuffin almost didn’t make it onto the menu—but lucky for us, it did, and it’s become one of bestselling items at McDonald’s.
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Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
Skip the line and bake Starbucks's pumpkin bread in your own kitchen. This copycat recipe is better than the original! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Copycat McDonald's Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
If you’ve mastered making copycat McDonald’s McNuggets, the next mission is replicating a delectable dipping sauce. We don’t know about you, but the first one on our list is a homemade version of McDonald’s sweet-and-sour sauce.
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Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Cake
Sweet, moist and bursting with bright lemon, this lemon cake will satisfy your cravings.
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Cheese Frenchee
Just when you think things couldn’t get cheesier than Texas Roadhouse Rattlesnake Bites or crispier than KFC Fried Chicken, Nebraska goes and does the unthinkable: deep-fried grilled cheese.
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Copycat Little Caesar's Pretzel Crust Pizza
In our house, we love pizza and pretzel bread! When Little Caesar's came out with their pretzel crust pizza, we fell in love but also knew it was unrealistic to be buying it all the time. The next best thing was to make it ourselves, and it came out even better than the restaurant's version! This thick-crusted copycat pizza is bound to blow your socks off! Hope you enjoy! —Mary Lou Timpson, Centennial Park, Arizona
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Copycat Chipotle Queso Blanco
From Chipotle guacamole to fresh corn salsa, customers line up for burritos and bowls piled high with toppings. The famous Chipotle queso blanco is especially popular and personally, keeps us coming back for more.
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Copycat Starbucks Pink Drink
Contrary to popular belief, the Starbucks Pink Drink isn’t made from swirly clouds, unicorn tails and Instagram likes. It combines the coffee chain’s Strawberry Acai Refresher Beverage and creamy coconut milk. It’s garnished with freeze-dried strawberries for a punch of berry flavor.
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Copycat McDonald's Chicken Nuggets
While fast food restaurants may all still be fighting for the title of best fast food chicken sandwich, we think everyone can agree that the award for most nostalgic fast food chicken item undoubtedly belongs to McDonald’s chicken nuggets (a.k.a. Chicken McNuggets).
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Copycat Starbucks Cheese Danish
The cheese in a Starbucks Danish is Neufchatel, a soft cheese that can be used interchangeably with cream cheese, but is lower in fat. It’s blended with sugar and egg to make the filling.
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Copycat Cheesecake Factory Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
Filled with juicy ground beef, a smattering of crumbled bacon, diced pickles and plenty of melty cheddar cheese, these crunchy wonton-wrapped wonders are a bestseller for a reason.
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Copycat Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake
With rich layers of decadent chocolate cake, fluffy dark chocolate cheesecake and creamy custard mousse, this chocolate ganache-covered delight is a long-standing bestseller for a reason. It’s downright delicious!
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Originally Published: November 29, 2021
Katie Bandurski
As Senior Shopping Editor, Katie connects Taste of Home readers with the best gifts, deals and home products on the market. An avid foodie and a holiday enthusiast, Katie is an expert at cultivating meaningful moments.When she’s out of the office, you’ll find her exploring Wisconsin, trying out new vegetarian recipes and watching Christmas movies.
