Who doesn’t love a BLT sandwich? It screams summer, with ripe tomatoes and crunchy lettuce. Add avocado and you get a copycat of Red Robin’s BLTA. That’s bacon, lettuce, tomato and of course… avocado! The addition of avocado really takes the classic sandwich to a new, wonderful, place. And serving it on a sweet, pillowy croissant is the way to go.
Add A Bit Of A Kick
If you’re missing a little heat in your copycat Red Robin BLTA, mix a teaspoon or two of adobo sauce in with the mayonnaise. You don’t want to go crazy with it, but a little spiciness will offset the sweet bread and avocado perfectly. It also adds a bit more smokiness, helping that wonderful bacon smoke along a bit.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
Who doesn’t love a BLT sandwich? It screams summer, with ripe tomatoes and crunchy lettuce. Add avocado and you get a copycat of Red Robin’s BLTA. That’s bacon, lettuce, tomato and of course… avocado!
I’m a big fan of battered fried fish. Add in some freshly fried French fries, a side of delicious tartar sauce, and give me a bottle of malt vinegar and I’m one happy guy. This copycat of Captain D’s batter dipped fish checks all my boxes. Slightly crunchy. Tasty. Oh, and easy. Crazy easy. This is just like the great fish you can get at the restaurant. Oh me, just looking at the picture gets me hungry again!
Yummy Bites That Don’t Last
I cut my fish into bite-sized pieces. You can leave them whole, making this more like a fish-and-chips dish. Either way they’re great. One advantage to making them into smaller pieces is that you get more of that crunchy delicious batter.
I use a little Fry Daddy when I cook my copycat Captain D’s batter dipped fish. It’s perfect for small pieces of fish and it heats the oil to the perfect temperature. But for larger pieces or when making dinner for more than just a few people, I use a Dutch oven or a bigger deep fryer.
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
No matter what you use to cook your fish, make sure that you don’t overcook it. The fish will dry out and not be good at all. Also make sure you get the oil temperature high enough. Low temperatures won’t cook the fish correctly. Low oil temperature will also saturate the fish with oil. That’s not good either.
I’m a big fan of battered fried fish. Add in some fries, a side of tartar sauce, and give me a bottle of malt vinegar and I’m one happy guy. This copycat of Captain D’s batter dipped fish checks all my boxes.
2poundscod fillets, cut into bite-sized chunks if desired
Instructions
Heat 3" of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Whisk to combine.
Slowly whisk in the water. You want a pancake-like batter. If it's too thick add a bit (a very small bit!) more water and whisk.
Rinse and pat the fish dry. I prefer to cut mine into bite-sized pieces.
Working in batches, add the fish to the batter and turn to coat completely. Transfer to the oil and deep fry 3-4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. If desired, sprinkle the fish with salt.
Notes
Note: If you like to cut your fish into bite-sized pieces before frying, you might need more batter to fully coat them. I usually double the batter ingredients just to make sure I have enough.
I ate my share of Manwich Sloppy Joes as a kid. I was quite sure I never ate enough of them. Well, I can certainly make up for lost time (and meals) now by making this copycat Manwich Sloppy Joes at home. And you know what? It’s even better than I remember. Perfect thick tomatoey sauce. Just a hint of onion and green bell pepper. And the light tang of mustard. And messy. The messier the better!
Nothing Else Required
I do not add garnish to my copycat Manwich Sloppy Joes. Nothing. Nada. No pickles. Skip the extra mustard. And no cheese. Nothing needs to come between me and my Sloppy Joes.
If you think of Sloppy Joes as ‘kid food’, this will change your mind. Sloppy Joes are great for lunch or dinner, adults and kids alike!
Easy and delicious. That’s exactly what this copycat of the crab salad at Golden Corral is. You can easily up-size this to make a big ole batch for a crowd without breaking the bank. That’s the point. This is a good, inexpensive dish that is perfect as a side and even better piled up on a bun or bread as a sandwich. Either way, you won’t be disappointed!
Salad. Or A Dip. Great Both Ways.
You can also serve this copycat Golden Corral crab salad as an appetizer. It’s great on crackers, so feel free to serve it as a dip. Or grab some mini-croissants and serve it as finger food at your next party. I could see myself eating my share and then some.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’d also bet that this salad would be good with imitation lobster too! And hey, if you want to put in real crab or lobster instead, go for it!
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
Easy and delicious. That’s exactly what this copycat of the crab salad at Golden Corral is. You can easily up-size this to make a batch for a crowd without breaking the bank.
Years ago, Taco Bell was my food craving after a night of bowling. Nothing beat grabbing a 10-pack of crunchy tacos from the drive-thru. Yes, 10. Bowling is hard work you know. Well, it turns out that making copycat Taco Bell tacos at home is about as easy as you can get. The key is the rinsing and draining of the ground beef and of course, a great seasoning mix. You end up with great beef flavor without the fat.
No Masa No Problem
Most grocery stores now carry masa harina, but if you can’t find it you can grind tortillas or just use finely-ground corn meal instead. Or, visit your local Hispanic grocery store which is quite sure have some on the shelves. The flavor and texture are distinct and really cannot be accurately duplicated by something else. Masa harina really makes these copycat Taco Bell tacos the perfect after-bowling meal!
I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.
Well, it turns out that making copycat Taco Bell tacos at home is about as easy as you can get. The key is the rinsing and draining of the ground beef and of course, a great seasoning mix. You end up with great beef flavor without the fat.
Only one thing is going to happen when you put a plate of a copycat Applebee’s Peppercorn and Garlic shrimp in front of me. They are going to disappear so fast your head will spin. The coating is amazing. The perfect crunch. With a hint of garlic. And the batter is the best kind, the kind that sticks. No one wants batter holes. You know what I mean. Missing batter. That’s not good.
Great Flavor In A Crunchy Batter
Although I have a big fryer for when I’m cooking for more than two people at a time, or if I am frying something large like fish fillets, my preferred deep fryer is a Presto Fry Daddy. The Fry Daddy is perfect for making a batch of copycat Applebee’s Peppercorn and Garlic shrimp. The shrimp cook up perfectly in no time. The Fry Daddy also doesn’t use much oil so I’m not being as wasteful as when I use my big fryer. It’s the perfect size for the two of us.
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
Only one thing is going to happen when you put a plate of a copycat Applebee’s Peppercorn and Garlic shrimp in front of me. They are going to disappear so fast you’re head will spin.
I like my burgers griddled. But sometimes, that just isn’t an option. Time for Plan B, and this time Plan B was to make a copycat of the famous sliders from White Castle. Copycat White Castle burgers are rather addicting. Even though you know you should stop eating them at some point, you just can’t. They’re about as easy to make as you can possibly get, and just as easy to devour.
Messing With Perfection
It’s possible that I often double the cheese on my copycat White Castle burgers. It’s also possible that I sometimes add a bit of BBQ sauce. Beyond that, White Castle sliders should not be messed with.
I like my burgers griddled. But sometimes, that just isn’t an option. Time for Plan B, and this time Plan B was to make a copycat of the famous sliders from White Castle.
Give me some perfectly cooked shrimp in a wonderful tasty broth and I’m one happy guy. This copycat Bubba Gump tangy honey shrimp is what regular ole shrimp stir fry wishes it could be. Packed with flavor, it’s the kind of dish that disappears before you know it. And hey, it’s from one of my favorite restaurant destinations, Bubba Gump. We always stop at the restaurant in Gatlinburg when we are there. And not too long we had the joy of eating at the one in Mall of America in Minneapolis! It’s a fun place to eat!
We’re Bubba Gump Fans
We’ve had the joy of eating at a number of the Bubba Gump restaurants. It’s always been a good experience. This copycat Bubba Gump tangy honey shrimp is just one example of all the great food on the menu. You should stop by one near you for lunch or dinner soon. You’ll have a blast! Oh, and watch the movie classic Forrest Gump again so you’re ready for the trivia questions you’ll be asked at the restaurant!
I made these shrimp in a wok on my stovetop. You can use a large skillet instead.
This copycat Bubba Gump tangy honey shrimp is what regular ole shrimp stir fry wishes it could be. Packed with flavor, it’s the kind of dish that disappears before you know it.
Add shrimp, garlic, and ginger root and stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink.
In a small bowl combine the broth, cornstarch, honey, ketchup, white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and red pepper flake. Add to the shrimp and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat to medium.
Stir in the sesame oil, chopped cilantro, and green onions.
Serve over rice timbales, garnished with chopped cilantro.
Rice Timbales
Combine 3 cups water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add rice and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.
Lightly spray 4 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins with non-stick spray. Press rice into bottoms and invert onto serving plates.
Notes
If, like me, you’re a little shy about sesame oil, feel free to cut back on the amount a bit.
Boy, talk about something that flew off the table so fast that I was starting to wonder if we’d been robbed. We all thought that these copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits were even better than the restaurant favorite. They aren’t quite as crumbly, which was a bonus. They held up to dunking in pot roast gravy, and that’s saying something. Granted, you probably can’t find pot roast gravy at Red Lobster so it’s not really an issue at the restaurant!
Mighty Delicious!
I admit that when I made these copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits that I used a bit more parsley than the recipe below calls for. The biscuits are a little sweet (I’m not saying that in a bad way). The parsley gave a nice little herby contrast to that. Next time I might try cutting back on the parsley, but increase the cayenne. I do like a little heat! At that point they’re no longer a copycat, but they’re still mighty darned good!
We absolutely love meatloaf. We don’t consider it to be just a cold-weather dish, either. Heck, one of our favorite meatloaf recipes involve smoking it, which isn’t that much fun to do when it’s -20 F and windy out (although I’ve done it). That’s why I’m always excited when I come across a new-to-me recipe, like this copycat Cracker Barrel meatloaf.
Perfect On Sandwiches, Too.
This is great meatloaf. It has the perfect balance of texture and flavor. It’s not crazy different than what grandma would make. It’s old school and it’s incredibly great. Great on a plate sliced or on bread as a meatloaf sandwich. You can’t beat it.
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This is the part of my blog posts where I suggest ways to change up a recipe. Add a bit of kick. Do things differently. Not this time. Not for this copycat Cracker Barrel meatloaf. I wouldn’t change this. Ever. The idea to change it never entered my mind. We loved this meatloaf just as it is.
This is great meatloaf. It has the perfect balance of texture and flavor. It’s not crazy different than what grandma would make. It’s old school and it’s incredibly great. Great on a plate sliced or on bread as a meatloaf sandwich. You can’t beat it.
