Skip Delivery: Easy at Home Dupes for Your Fave Foods

ay goodbye to thirty minute delivery times and cold food! Chances are your favorite foods are a lot easier to make than you think. 

With this collection of easy to make recipes, you’ll never need to worry about your favorite restaurants going out of business--learn how to make their crowd favorites yourself and astound your friends and family with your skills. 

Try all your favorite recipes at home, from Chipotle-level guacamole to Shamrock Shakes!

The 10 Best Recipe Dupes to Satisfy Your Cravings

Ditch the Delivery and Get Cooking!

If this is your first cooking adventure, it’s important to remember to keep things simple. If you’re easily overwhelmed by grocery lists and distinguishing cilantro from parsley, don’t worry! There’s a lot of room for small variations and substitutions in these recipes.

Likewise, if you’re looking for vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free versions of these recipes, that’s super easy to accomplish. Simply substitute butter and cheeses for vegan alternatives and flour for a 1-to-1 gluten free variety. 

Chipotle Guacamole

This guacamole recipe, courtesy of Culinary Hill, has only seven ingredients and is super quick and easy to make. Enjoy with chips or create your own burrito bowl--and don’t worry about being charged extra! This recipe lasts up to four days in the fridge with minimal discoloration, so plan ahead for a big get together by making a big batch in advance.

Ingredients:

• 2 large avocados
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onions
• ½ steamed, finely chopped jalapeno chili
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
• Salt

Combine your avocado, lemon, and lime juice in a large bowl and mash until smooth with a spoon or a potato masher. Once it’s nice and creamy, add in your finely chopped chili, cilantro, and onions. A ½ teaspoon of salt should do the trick, but it’s up to you to season it to your liking. 

Once this super simple guac is put together, storing it is just as easy. Either cover the bowl with plastic wrap, ensuring that no air is trapped underneath, or put in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Chik Fil A Nuggets

This recipe, found on How to Cook Guides, will amaze you with how easy it is to craft perfect Chik Fil A nuggets. It does require a short marination period, however, so this might be a recipe you have to plan ahead.

Ingredients:

Chicken Nuggets:

• 2 large chicken breasts
• ¾ cup milk
• ¼ cup pickle juice
• 1 egg
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup peanut oil, divided (or vegetable oil)

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, optional
• 1½ tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey

The first thing you want to do is cut your two chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and season them with salt and pepper. While you get to decide how big to make the chunks, keep in mind that smaller chunks will be easier to fry later on.

Whisk together the egg, milk, and pickle juice in a large bowl and then add your chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Alternatively, you can pour the marinade into a plastic Ziploc bag and use that instead.

In another Ziploc bag, combine your flour, powdered sugar, salt, and pepper and shake to mix. When the chicken is done marinating, remove the pieces from the bowl and add them to the flour bag--don’t pour the marinade in! Shake to coat the chicken completely.

To cook, heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. If you sprinkle a bit of the flour mixture in, it should sizzle when the oil is ready. If it pops, turn the heat down. Gently place half of the chicken into the skillet using tongs--don’t overcrowd the pan!

Cook the chicken until golden brown on one side (about four minutes) and then turn over and cook for another four minutes. When it’s done cooking, put on a paper towel covered plate to soak up any excess oil. Change the oil and repeat the process with the remaining chicken. 

Mix the honey mustard dipping sauce ingredients together and serve on the side.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This easy 20 minute recipe created by The Slow Roasted Italian is better than box mix and a perfect dupe for everyone’s favorite cheesy biscuits. If you, like so many others, are fully inducted into the cult of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit worshipers, the easiest way to get your fix is by learning how to make this easy recipe yourself

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or substitute 1-to-1 gluten free baking mix)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 8 ounces shredded mild cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer)
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley

First, prepare by preheating the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can opt for aluminum foil to prevent the biscuits from sticking to the tray but be warned, they may not come off the foil easily.

Melt ½ a cup of butter and set aside to cool. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the melted butter and milk and whisk until the flour is wet but not over-mixed.

Fold the cheese in with a rubber spatula or spoon. Drop big spoonfuls onto the baking sheet--about three tablespoons each. Bake for 10-12 minutes--the biscuits should be golden brown. 

While the biscuits are baking, melt the remaining butter and mix in ¼ teaspoon salt and the parsley. When the biscuits are finished, take them out of the oven and brush them with the butter mixture. 

Wendy’s Fries

This is the easiest recipe ever, with only three ingredients and a super simple recipe to follow. Created by Jessica on Recipes.net, this recipe is also super easy to add your own flare to by introducing extra seasoning or playing around with the cut of your fries.

Ingredients:

• 3 large russet potatoes
• 3 cups of vegetable oil
• Sea salt to taste

Fill a large bowl with water and slice the potatoes (don’t peel them!) into long thin strips, placing them in the water to remove some of the starch. Remove after ten minutes and pat dry.

Heat the oil in a small fryer or saucepan until nice and hot. If you flick drops of water at it they should sizzle on the surface. Fry the potatoes in small batches for about five minutes each or until they turn matte. Put them on a plate covered in paper towels to dry off the excess oil.

Once all are fried, turn the heat up slightly on the oil and repeat the frying process until the fries are golden brown and crisp. Drain the excess oil and coat them with sea salt to taste.

Panera Mac n Cheese

Jillian of Food, Folks, and Fun got this recipe directly from Panera back when they posted it to their website a while back and swears by it. Perfectly rich, smooth, creamy, and calcium rich this dish will leave you wanting more. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium shells pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups whole or 2% milk 
• 4 ounces (about 6 slices) sliced white American cheese from the deli counter, cut into thin strips
• 8 oz extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar shredded
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Prepare your pasta according to the package directions and then set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat. When it’s melted, whisk in the flour and cook for one minute while whisking constantly. Then, gradually whisk in the milk and cook over a medium heat until it thickens slightly and begins to bubble. Once it’s bubbling, remove from heat.

Add the cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce to the saucepan and stir until the sauce is nice and smooth and the cheese is melted. Now, you’re ready to add the pasta. Stir the cooked pasta in and cook over medium heat until warmed through.

Sonic Corn Dog

This recipe from Taste of Home is easier than you’d think, but it does require either an electric skillet or a deep-fat fryer. You’ll be working with hot oil so this is definitely not a recipe for younger cooks--be careful!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• Oil for deep-fat frying
• 12 wooden skewers
• 12 hot dogs

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, ground mustard, paprika, and a pinch of pepper. Lightly whisk your egg and milk together and add to the dry ingredients, whisking until lightly blended. Put this mixture in a tall glass--a bit taller than a hotdog.

Using a deep-fat fryer or electric skillet that lets you control the oil temperature, heat the oil to 375°F. 

Put the hotdogs on their skewers and dip them into the batter. Let an excess batter drip off and then stick them in the fryer for 2-3 minutes. Turn them occasionally and remove when they’re a nice golden brown. Let the excess oil drain onto paper towels and then enjoy!

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

This dressing from Dessert Now Dinner Later is a perfect copy of Olive Garden’s salad dressing without the high fructose corn syrup. This healthier variation is cheap and easy for you to make at home and will go perfectly with any salad.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup vegetable oil 
• ¼ cup, 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 packet Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Mix
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon mayonnaise 

This one is the easiest recipe yet: just whisk all the ingredients together and make sure there are not lumps. That’s it!

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake

The day McDonald’s starts serving their famous Shamrock Shakes is tantamount to a national holiday--and now you don’t have to wait for February for this creamy, minty, ice cold treat. For those over 21 years, this is also a great shake to add plain or mint flavored vodka to. Delish’s Shamrock Shake dupe is about to blow your mind.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cups vanilla ice cream
• ¼ cups heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 6 drops green food coloring
• Whipped cream, for topping

Put all ingredients except for the whipped cream in a blender and blend until smooth. Top with the whipped cream and a cherry if you want. 

Skip delivery and try these great, easy recipes at home for your favorite restaurant foods at any time!