Melting Pot Cheese Fondue Copy Cat

4 oz chicken broth
1 t. chopped garlic
3 shakes of mustard powder
Lots of cheddar cheese
pepper
worcestershire sauce

Mix broth and garlic together. Stir. Add 3 shakes of mustard powder. Stir. Add cheddar cheese in small amounts, and stir to melting between additions. add 5 turns on on a pepper grinder. Stir. Add 3-4 shakes of worcestershire sauce. stir. Add cheese until reached consistency. If fondue becomes too thick DO NOT ADD MILK, add in more chicken broth, or water. To thicken add more cheese.

Dip apples, breads, pigs in a blanket, veggies, sausage, tortilla chips into fondue

Olive Garden Salad Dressing Copycat

1/2 c. mayo
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 t. vegetable oil
2 T corn syrup
2 T parmesan cheese
2 T romano cheese
1/4 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. parsley
1 T lemon juice

Place all ingredients into the blender and mix until combined. Stores in the fridge up to 10 days. Also tastes really good on vegetables, and meats. If recipe is doubled total cheese amt is 1/2 c. :)

Chalupa Supreme (Taco Bell Copy Cat)

Chalupa Indian Fry Bread
2 1/2 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 T vegetable shortening
1 c. milk
canola oil for frying

Supreme Filling
1 lb ground beef
1/4 c. flour
1 T chili powder
1 t paprika
1 t salt
1 T dried onion flakes
1/2 c. water
cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes

To make the Indian fry bread mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Add the milk and stir. Shape the dough into a cylinder and cut into 8 equal sized pieces. Flour hands, and then work the pieces into 6 inch rounds. With a fork poke the dough (keeps large bubbles from forming while frying.) Heat your oil on the stove between med and med-high heat until for about 15 minutes until it is warm enough to fry. Fry in oil until golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined sheet to drain off excess oil. Keep warm in oven.

For filling: Mix the dry onion with the water and let stand for 5 minutes. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, paprika, salt, flour, and onion after its sat. Brown the ground beef. Once browned, add the chili powder mixture and simmer for 2 minutes until flavors combine.

Top your Indian Fry Bread as follows: beef mixture, sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese, and then tomato. Fold in half like a taco and enjoy.

Wendy's Frosty

4 c. vanilla ice cream
8 t. nesquik chocolate
1 c. milk

combine all of the ingredients in the blender. blend on medium stopping to stir several times with a long spoon. Makes about 2 servings technically, however.... its easy to consume it entirely by yourself, so you best double or triple the recipe if anyone else is present :) Adjust nesquik chocolate to own personal preference

Girl Scout Samoa Cookies

Cookies:
1 c. butter softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Topping:
3 oz sweetened shredded coconut
12 oz bag of caramels
3 T milk
1/4 t salt
12 oz bag semisweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together and then add the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well with mixer. (I split this part into 2 or 3 batches--->) Roll the dough into between wax paper until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter (or just the top from one of your spice bottles). Use the end of a straw to punch holes in the center of cookies. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until bottoms are light brown.

Make topping by spreading coconut evenly on a baking sheet. Toast the coconut at 300 degrees for 5 minutes and then stir it. Put it in for 5 minutes again and then stir. Repeat 2 more times until the coconut has been in for roughly a total of 20 minutes until it is light brown. Let it cool.

Unwrap caramels and add them to a bowl with the milk and salt. Microwave high 3-4 minutes until smooth, stirring each minute. Stir in toasted coconut. Use a spatula to spread caramel coconut on each of the baked cookies.
When the topping sets up, then melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Dip the bottom side of each cookie into the chocolate and place it on wax paper with chocolate coated side down. Add remaining chocolate into a bag with the corner snipped off, or a pastry bag if you have one. Drizzle the chocolate over top of the cookies. Let cookies set. Enjoy :)

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

I don't know about you... but I used to be a girl scout so long ago. I have to admit... my favorite thing about it was the cookies. So, I've found a way to make a girl scout cookie thin mint (oh yes) recipe :) And I'm so excited about it that I had to put it on here. Yum Yum Yum. These are awesome broken up in ice cream by the way!

Chocolate Cookie Wafers:
1 (18.25 oz) Pkg Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
3 T shortening, melted
1/2 c. cake flour, measured then sifted
1 egg
3 T water
Non stick cooking spray

Coating:
3 (12 oz) bags of semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 t. peppermint extract
6 T shortening

Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time. When mixed and dough forms cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick (you know how thick they are :) )To cut, use the top of a spice shaker, or another top with a 1 1/2 inch diameter cutout. Put the cookie dough rounds on a lightly coated with cooking spray cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.
Combine the chocolate chips with the peppermint extract and shortening and heat in the microwave, stir gently in 30 second intervals until smooth. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so extra chocolate drips off, then place the cookies side by side on a wax paper lined sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Makes roughly 100 cookies

Restaurant Style Salsa

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 oz) Rotel- diced tomatoes and green chiles
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 whole jalapeno quartered and sliced thin (oh yes, with the seeds and all)
1/4 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 of a lime juiced, or 1 T bottled lime juice

Combine the whole tomatoes, rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get salsa to the consistency you like- 10-15 pulses. Test the seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or with cheese nachos.

Cilantro-Lime Rice (Cafe Rio Copy Cat)

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Black Beans (Cafe Rio Copy Cat)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Costa Vida Chicken Copy Cat

1 bottle Italian Dressing (low fat or light)
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves minced garlic
5 chicken breasts thawed
1 recipe for Cafe Rio Lime Rice (found here)
1 recipe for Cafe Rio Black Beans (found here)
Lettuce
Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Shells

Cook the Italian Dressing, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and chicken breasts on low in the crock pot for 4 hours. Shred the chicken, and replace in crock pot. Cook for 1 additional hour. While the chicken is cooking that last hour begin the lime rice and beans so that they will all finish at the same time. When all are finished, warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then layer on the tortilla the rice, beans, chicken, sour cream, lettuce and cheese. I even threw in some homemade hot salsa (found here) in mine. This made a lot of chicken, we ate these for 3 days straight they were so good :)

Cookie Monster (Craigo's Copy Cat)

 ! ALERT!WARNING !

 (Not for the faint of heart or those unwilling to die and go to warm chocolate heaven!)

1/4 c. butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. oatmeal
1 egg
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. vanilla
2/3 c. chopped walnuts
Vanilla Ice Cream
Whipped Cream Spray
Chocolate and Caramel syrup (for ice cream)

Cream the butter and both sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix with the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Spray the bottom of your cookie monster pan (or if you don't have one a normal pie pan will do) with cooking spray. Squish your cookie dough into the bottom of the pan. Turn oven on 350 degrees. Cook the dough for roughly 10 minutes or so, (the top of the cookie will be done... the middle of the cookie will be mostly done.) Pull out the pie pan. Layer on top of the cookie (while it is still warm) the ice cream. Then spray whipped topping all across the top, and then drizzle chocolate syrup and caramel over the top. Then clean up the drool from the floor that you made while waiting to sink your teeth into this warm chocolatey heaven on earth. Serves 4 people.

BBQ Chicken Pizza (CPK's Copy Cat)

1 Pizza Dough Recipe (here)

10 ounces chicken breast 

1 T olive oil
2 T BBQ sauce
1/2 c. BBQ
2 cups Gouda cheese
1/4 small red onion - diced 

2 tablespoons cilantro

For the Chicken:
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. add chicken pieces. saute until cooked (6 minutes). Chill. Coat chicken with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Set aside in the refrigerator. 

For the Pizza
Punch the dough down, and roll out into a circle. Spread barbecue sauce over the surface of the dough. Distribute cheese over the sauce. Distribute chicken over the cheese. Place the onion rings over the chicken pieces. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pizza in the oven. Bake until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling Remove pizzas from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro.

Chicken Ranch Pizza (Craigo's Copy Cat)

1 pizza dough recipe (here)
Ranch Dressing
Monterrey Jack (or Mozzarella)
1 Can Chicken
Tumarik
Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper
Green Peppers
Tomatoes
Purple Onions
Italian Seasoning

Flatten the dough, then pick it up and gently stretch it out, trying to keep it as circular as possible. Curl your fingers and let the dough hang on your knuckles, moving and rotating the dough so it stretches evenly. If it tears, just piece it together. If the dough stretches too much, put it down and gently tug on the thick spots.
Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray, and sprinkle cornmeal over the top. Transfer the pizza dough to the pizza pan. With a fork poke holes over the entire dough (to keep air pockets from forming). Spread the ranch dressing over the pizza dough (your sauce.) Put cheese over top of the ranch and spread evenly. In a bag mix the chicken, tumarik, lemon pepper, and garlic powder (to taste, a little stronger is better, it evens out after its cooked I promise :) ). Spread chicken & seasonings over cheese. Top with tomato slices, green peppers, and onions. Sprinkle Italian Seasoning over the top and bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Zuppa Toscana Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

1 lb spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 lb smoked bacon, chopped
1 qt. water
1 (14 oz) chicken broth cans
1 large russet potatoes cubed
2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
1 medium onion peeled & chopped
2 c. Swiss chard or Kale chopped
1 c. heavy whipping cream
salt & pepper to taste

In a skillet, over medium high heat, brown the sausage and break into small pieces. Rinse and set aside. (no rinse = soup red tinted.) In a medium-high skillet brown the bacon. Drain and set aside. Place water,  broth, potatoes, garlic and onion in a soup pot. Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are tender. Add sausage and bacon. Simmer 10 minutes. Add the Kale or Swiss chard and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Heat through.

Chicken N' Gnocchi (Olive Garden Copycat)

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. carrot grated fine and chopped
1 1/2 t garlic minced
3/4 c heavy cream
4 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. fresh spinach julienne cut
1/2 t dried rosemary
1/2 t salt
3/4 c celery chopped fine
3/4 c onion chopped fine
1/3 c. flour
3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken
16 oz gnocchi
1/2 t pepper

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and saute' until soft. Add flour mixing well. Cook 3-4 minutes while stirring frequently. Add heavy cream, milk, and chicken broth. Mix. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in chicken, spinach, gnocchi, and remaining seasonings. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the gnocchi become tender. (or put in the crockpot on low for 1-1 1/2 hours for the tastes to combine; I transfer to the crock pot prior to putting the chicken, spinach, and gnocchi in, otherwise it splashes everywhere during the transfer.)

Cinnabon Classic Copycat

Dough: 

1 pkg yeast

1 c. warm milk

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. margarine

1 t salt

2 eggs

4 c. flour

Filling: 

1 c. packed brown sugar

2 1/2 T cinnamon

1-2 T flour

1/3 c. margarine softened

Icing: 

1/8 t. salt

1/4 c. cream cheese

1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

8 T. margarine

Dissolve yeast into warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, margarine, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using hands lightly dusted with flour. Put into a large bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

 Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 21 inches long by 16 inches wide. Should be approximately 1/4 inch thick. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees. To make the filling combing the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl with 1-2 T of flour (The flour keeps the center of the cinnamon rolls from rising up out of themselves while cooking). Spread softened margarine over the surface of the dough and sprinkle with the brown sugar cinnamon mixture.

 Carefully roll dough down to the bottom edge. Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices and place in lightly greased baking pan (13x9). Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. While the rolls are baking, combine the icing ingredients. Beat with a mixture until fluffy. Spread over warm rolls.