It’s fun to go out to eat with your family. But you don’t always need to get in the car and head to the restaurant to get your kids’ favorite meals. There are plenty of copycat restaurant recipes available online so that you can make them right in your own kitchen – and your kids can help!
In the mood for pizza? Then make homemade Pizza Hut original pan deep dish pizza. Or for dinner, what about making Wendy’s chili or Panera’s mac and cheese? Don’t forget dessert: You might want to bake up a big pan of Cinnabon cinnamon rolls with a Cinnabon copycat recipe or a thick slice of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.
Homemade Pizza Hut Original Pan Deep Dish Pizza
Chewy, thick dough topped with tomato sauce, pepperoni and plenty of mozzarella cheese – that’s the basics behind this homemade Pizza Hut original pan deep dish pizza from Six Sister Stuff.
Instead of getting the pizza delivery guy, make deep dish pizza at home using this recipe. One secret? Make sure the oven is hot when you bake the pizza – preheat to 475 degrees F before baking.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Whenever we go to the mall, the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls radiates from the food court. My kids always beg to buy cinnamon rolls – but with this Cinnabon cinnamon rolls recipes from The Slow Roasted Italian, we can have them anytime, not just during mall hours.
Part of what makes these rolls so good is the frosting, which is made from a combination of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon, vanilla and just a pinch of salt.
PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Saute ground chicken in sesame oil along with hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic and powder ginger. Mix in chopped mushrooms and basil leaves. Cook until heated through. Serve the mixture tucked into Boston lettuce leaves.
This recipe from Fit Foodie Finds tastes just like the chicken lettuce wraps from PF Chang’s.
Wendy’s Chili
Want a fast food favorite that easy to make at home? Then try this Wendy’s chili dish from Top Secret Recipes.
Brown ground beef and then add in tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, chopped onion, diced green chili, diced celery and chopped tomatoes, along with seasoning like cumin and chili powder. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours until all the flavors meld together.
Panera Mac and Cheese
Melt butter in a large pot and add in flour and whisk. Next, stir in milk, heavy cream, salt, and dry mustard. Simmer until the mixture just thickens, reduce the heat to low and add shredded white cheddar cheese.
Cook pasta shells and then stir in the sauce to combine. Your kids won’t know the difference between this dish and what they’d get from Panera with this mac and cheese recipe from Shugary Sweets.
Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake
Want a thick, rich piece of cheesecake? Then try this Cheesecake Factory recipe from Moms Who Think. The crust is made with finely chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, vanilla wafers and melted butter. The filling includes cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream, flour, vanilla and lemon juice.
Pour the mixture into the crust and cook. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving slices to your hungry family.
This post was originally published in 2016 and is updated regularly.
