Golden Diner Pancakes with Maple Honey Syrup

These pancakes with maple honey syrup are a copycat of the ones people line up for at the Golden Diner in New York City's Chinatown. They are big and fluffy and topped with a fruit compote, maple honey butter, and smothered in a maple honey syrup. 

These pancakes are made with a yeasted batter and are cooked in individual skillets. They are so thick that they are finished in the oven so that they are cooked all the way through. The pancakes are tall like Japanese pancakes, but a little more sturdy. 

Chili Cheeseburgers with Bison Chili

If you are a fan of The Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers, these Chili Cheeseburgers will definitely hit the spot. 

I first got introduced to Tommy's, and the "Tommy Burger," when I was in college in Los Angeles. After late nights of studying for midterms or finals, someone would suggest making a "Tommy run," and we'd all hop in the car and head over to Beverly and Rampart, not the best part of town, even then. 

Orange Chicken {copycat Panda Express}

I've been on a quest to find an orange chicken recipe that tops the one from the chain with the happy panda. 

I'm a little obsessed with orange chicken because, if you ask my oldest grandson what is all time favorite food is, he will tell you that it is orange chicken, and I have been on a quest to find the recipe that beats his favorite take-out version.

Zuppa Toscana

This Zuppa Toscana, with Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale, paired with a salad and some bread, is all you need to fill you up (and warm you up) for lunch or dinner. 

This Zuppa Toscana is a take on the popular soup from Olive Garden. While the name means Tuscan soup, it's not necessarily an authentic soup from Tuscany. Regardless, this soup is completely tasty in its own right. 

El Pollo Loco Chicken Tortilla Soup (Copycat)

This El Pollo Loco Chicken Tortilla Soup is an amazing meal in a bowl. 

I love, love, love this chicken tortilla soup. It's loaded with shredded chicken and pico de gallo, and is topped with crispy tortilla strips. 

Burrito Bowls with Corn and Tomatoes

Burrito bowls are such an easy and quick meal. Toss rice, a bean and corn salad, and fresh tomatoes, vegetables, and a protein into a bowl to pull together dinner in a flash. 

To make these burrito bowls, you can prepare all of the ingredients in advance and reheat them to assemble and serve. 

Asiago Cheese Bagels

These Asiago Cheese Bagels are both stuffed and topped with melted cheese. Bread and melted cheese.... doesn't that sound magical?

These bagels are totally amazing, and when they are baking your house will be enveloped with the aroma of baking cheese. 

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

These copycat Olive Garden breadsticks are light, airy, soft, and fluffy, just like the ones you can't stop eating from the restaurant. 

What is the first thing you think of when someone mentions Olive Garden? Of course, their amazing breadsticks! 

Copycat Homemade Ding Dongs

These copycat homemade Ding Dongs are a chocolate lover's dream. They are made with a rich chocolate cake filled with marshmallow crème covered with a dark chocolate ganache. 

The cake for these Ding Dongs is pretty much the tastiest chocolate cake I've ever made. It's rich, intensely chocolate, and super moist. I could not stop tasting the leftover scraps. 

Chocolate Wafer Cookies

These chocolate wafer cookies are so crisp and chocolatey.

These homemade chocolate wafer cookies are a fancier version of the Famous Chocolate Wafers that are used for ice box cakes. These are way better.

Wahoo's Grilled Fish Tacos with Citrus Slaw {copycat}

These copycat Wahoo's char-grilled fish tacos are fresh and flavorful, combining influences from Mexico, Asia, and Brazil.

Wahoo's Tacos was first opened in 1988 in Orange County, California by three brothers of Chinese descent who grew up in Brazil (their parents fled there from communist China). Fast forward, the family eventually came to California and opened up a Chinese restaurant in the 1970s.

Melody Cookies (copycat)

These Melody cookies are crispy and cocoa-flavored, and perfect for dunking into coffee, tea, or a glass of milk.

I'm sharing this post and recipe for Christmas Cookies Week! I was sent samples from the sponsors of our giveaway but opinions are 100% mine.

While I don't remember them, according to Dorie Greenspan in her book, Dorie's Cookies (affiliate link), Nabisco made these cookies until sometime in the 1970s, when they discontinued producing them.

Bacon and Gruyère Egg Bites (Copycat)

These Bacon and Gruyère Egg Bites are a copycat version of the sous vide egg bites you get at Starbucks.

If you are a fan of the sous vide egg bites from Starbucks, but you don't have a sous vide machine or the equipment to wrap up the eggs in those perfectly formed plastic pouches, you can still make them at home.

Copycat Oreo Chocolate Creme Cookies

Copycat BraveTart Oreo Cookies with a Chocolate Creme filling. 

These copycat Oreo cookies come from the amazing book BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks. This book is filled with carefully crafted recipes to recreate all of your childhood favorites.

Mini Orange Creamsicle Shots

Mini Orange Creamsicle Shots, an iconic dessert turned into a seriously tasty tiny cocktail. 

Orange and vanilla are a wonderful flavor combination, especially when it involves vanilla ice cream.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups {Copycat}

These homemade Peanut Butter Cups, filled with a dough-like peanut butter filling, will pretty much blow your mind. 

The filling for these copycat Reese's peanut butter cups has a secret ingredient which takes the texture and flavor to a whole new level.

Jalapeño and Cheddar Bagels

These Jalapeño and Cheddar Bagels are so chewy and delicious, and the crust is super crispy and cheesy. These bagels are also filled with more cheese as well as chopped jalapeño chiles.

When it comes to bagels, I love trying new methods for creating chewy boiled New York style bagels.

Shrimp Stuffed Cuban Potato Balls

These Shrimp Stuffed Cuban Potato Balls are hot, crispy, and filled with a delicious shrimp ragout.

These shrimp stuffed Cuban potato balls are inspired by the potato balls served by Porto's, a Southern California family run Cuban bakery with a serious cult following. Their pastries are gorgeous and delicious, but their potato balls/papas rellenas filled with picadillo are in a class of their own. 

Animal Style Double-Double Burger | In-N-Out Copycat

Animal Style Burgers are part of the Not So Secret Menu from In-N-Out Burger.

The inspiration for this copycat In-N-Out Animal Style Double-Double is legendary. 

I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, the original home of In-N-Out Burger, and remember going to the Baldwin Park store (I'm pretty sure the original location of the burger chain) with my dad to get burgers and fries. This was before MacDonald's or any other fast food chain took over the landscape.

Papas Rellenas (Cuban Potato Balls)

Cuban Papas Rellenas are mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned meat, rolled into a ball, breaded, and then deep fried, resulting in these little packages of pop-able deliciousness.

Cuban potato balls (Papas Rellenas) are just about the most "comfort-y" of comfort foods around. Think croquettes with a Latino edge marrying Irish potato cakes that just happen to have a spicy meat filling.