Can you save money by making restaurant meals at home? Spoiler Alert: YES! And even have that dining out experience you love
- Bruce Coffman
- Jul 26
- 10 min read
Can you save money by making restaurant meals at home?
Yes. Homemade versions of restaurant favorites often cost significantly less while allowing you to control ingredients, portions, and quality. This article includes easy ideas for recreating popular meals without paying restaurant prices. Share it with those you love!
Copycat recipes are on fire right now because people are looking for easier, more affordable meal planning options, alternatives to expensive restaurant meals in a tough economy and ways to batch cook and have simple to store and reheat left overs. home cooking is a great way to stretch your grocery budget, combad rising food costs with insane inflation inflation and give you and your family dinners that include your favorite comfort food.
Taco Bell Alternative Crunch Wrap Casserole Supreme
Taco Bell's best selling item is often said to be the Crunchwrap Supreme. With one sad little taco and a drink the average cost is almost nine bucks. Let's see if we can't do better at home, shall we?
I searched and compared Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme dupe recipes online so you don't have to. They all seemed a bit fussy and overly complicated, especially with the fancy pleating of the tortilla wrapper to make it look like the Taco Bell version. Bump that. Let's go simpler. Casserole!
Capture the magic, the essence, the flavor combinations without the hassle or the mess. To give it that final Taco Bell touch, simply lightly brown your tortilla shells and scoop out the casserole, plop it in the middle and wrap it up to your heart's content.
Gather Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey if you'd like
1 packet of taco seasoning mix, your preferred brand and variety
3 to 4 cups of fresh shredded lettuce
About 1 cup diced tomato or one can, drained
1 small jar of nacho or queso cheese
6 to 8 medium crunchy tostada shells
1 package shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream on the side
Prepare Beef or Turkey
In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 lbs of ground beef. Break apart with spatula and cook until browned and fully cooked through. Drain excess fat, then return to heat.
Stir in 1 packet of taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water. Simmer on low for 3–5 minutes until the mixture thickens and the meat is coated in a rich sauce.
One chef's copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme recipe said the simmer is part of the magic of capturing the Taco Bell taste. It lets the taco seasonings soak in and prevents your end result from being too bland. Think how long that pre-made "meat" sits and soaks in its own juices at Taco Bell before your Crunchwrap is made.
Layer and Bake
Next, layer half the beef or turkey meat and sauce into the bottom of a baking dish, pour a layer of nacho or queso over that, cover with tostadas, then add the rest of the meat and sauce on top.
Next, sprinkle half the package of shredded cheese evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly. You don't want to overdo it and give the tostadas a chance to get soggy. You want that crunch.
Give it a Rest and Top
Let it sit and rest for about five minutes and cool down a little before topping with a layer of shredded lettuce, then diced tomato, then crushed tostada for more crunch and finally the rest of the shredded cheese.
Brown Your Tortillas
Lightly brown large flour torillas. You can then scoop out a serving of the casserole and assemble your very own version of the famous Crunchwrap Supreme. Add a dollop of sour cream on top now, if you like. Roll it, fold it, whatever floats your boat.
Make it a Meal for Less
Serve with Mexican or Spanish rice, refried beans, chips and salsa and your favorite beverage. More than likely all for less per person than getting the combos at Taco Bell. And more than likely a whole lot healthier. No mystery meat and other questionably sourced ingredients. Enjoy! And don't sue me, Taco Bell. Fuck ya'll. Fair use and all that. Holla! Learn your rights and avoid slipping and falling on ICE this winter.
Affiliate links for some ingredients you might need to pick up with great deals. Salsa from the heart of Mexico? You're welcome!
Lawry's Taco Spices & Seasoning Family Size 2 oz
Siete, Vegan Refried Ranchero Beans, 16 oz
Somos, Smoky Chipotle Salsa, Medium , 12 oz (340 g)
Late July, Organic Tortilla Chips, Thin & Crispy, Sea Salt & Lime, 10.1 oz (286 g)
Easy Cheesy Cracker Barrel Style Hash Brown Casserole Dupe
Screw Cracker Barrel. Let the cray right wingers have it. But, they used to have some really good comfort food type menu options. The last time I went, over a decade ago with my Boomer sister who adores Cracker Barrel, they had screwed most of it up. Their mashed potatoes were worse than the cheapest instant you could possibly throw together. Horrid. But, their hashbrown casserole is still beloved, even tearing up the internet. So, I found you a dupe! Cheaper, better and without the bigotry! Bonus!
I got this from the Better Homes & Gardens site and I usually try to link to give folks credit for their work, but I hate BH&G for their merchandising partnership with evil ass Walmart, so not gonna. I changed it up enough hopefully to keep from getting sued for any type of copyright violation if they copyrighted their recipe and they'll never see this anyway. So, carry on!
Ingredients
1 pkg. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
2 cups of your favorite variety of shredded cheese
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom or cream of celery for vegan option
1/2 cup melted salted butter (where a lot of the fat comes from)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground if you're fancy
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray .In a large bowl combine hash browns, 1 1/2 cups cheese, sour cream, your chosen creamed soup, butter, salt, and pepper.
Spread mixture evenly into the baking dish.
Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
521 Calories
42g Fat
30g Carbs
9g Protein
Obviously not the healthiest meal option. Might want to look into ways to lower the fat, carbs and calories and bump up the protein. To make it a one dish meal or healthy it up a bit, consider adding cooked sausage, diced ham, bacon, broccoli florets or sautéed spinach or peppers, or shredded chicken before baking. Sautéed onions would be awesome and I'm kind of surprised they weren't included in the recipe.
Any restaurant names or trademarks in this article are included solely for reference and do not indicate any authorization or approval by their owners. Neither the recipe or this article has been reviewed or approved by Cracker Barrel. Don't sue me.
Need new kitchenware to make making it at home easier, more fun and more colorful? I got you, boo!
Tastier, Cheaper, Healthier Than "Big Mac" at Home
This budget home hack McDonald's dupe includes the SECRET SAUCE! I'm spilling the sauce...
Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun... Gurl! Have it your way! Oh, wait. That's Burger King. Anyhoo... According to Wikipedia, the Big Mac is: made with two 1.6 oz (45 g) beef patties, a "special sauce" (similar to Thousand Island dressing), shredded iceberg lettuce, one processed American cheese slice, two slices of dill pickle, and minced onions, served on a three slice sesame seed bun.
First off, "processed" cheese? No. Just no. Get you some sliced REAL cheese of your own favorite variety. Colby Jack would be freaking awesome!
Start by placing 2 frozen hamburger patties (I get a box for around 5 bucks at Family Dollar and they are delicious) in your air fryer for best, easiest prep. The secret? Do NOT stack them. Stand them up on the sides for even heating and better "sear" all around.
While those are cooking, prepare your buns. Plain ol' hamburger buns or whole wheat buns for a healthier option. Lightly butter a non-stick frying pan, place a top bun flat side down, two bottom buns crust side up, in the pan and "grill" until lightly toasted. The butter or margarine gives the buns a nice little touch of added flavor.
Next, whip you up a batch of "Special Sauce," scroll down for that.
Either chop iceberg lettuce or, time saver, get a bag of chopped iceberg lettuce at your grocery store for a little bit of nothing per bag. Chop some fresh onion or, even tastier in my opinion, sprinkle some minced onion from the spice section into the butter or margarine left from toasting the buns and saute it until softened.
Place bottom bun on plate, give it a light coating of your "Special Sauce" and then put on one hamburger patty. For a little kick, sprinkle the patty with black pepper and a little onion powder or any spice of your liking. You can customize this recipe in oh so many ways you could never get it from McDonald's.
Place a slice of your preferred cheese on the burger patty, then one of the bottom buns. Another burger patty, another slice of cheese if you wish, more "Special Sauce," onion and lettuce, pickle slices, then top bun. Ta da!
I'm not a nutritionist or a health professional of any kind, so I'm not giving a guess on nutritional value. It will depend on how you personally make it. But, I'm guessing you can do much better than the sodium and fat laden McDonald's version which, by one report I found online has "25 grams of (much saturated) fat (more than 40% of an adults daily recommended intake). 940 milligrams of salt (the majority of the 1,500 mg daily salt intake recommended by the American Heart Association).
Super Simple At-Home "Special Sauce"
Thousand Island salad dressing with a little ketchup stirred in. Seriously. I've done it and it tastes almost identical to the much-hyped McDonald's "Special Sauce."
No Thousand Island dressing? Use Miracle Whip or (less tasty) mayo, a little pickle relish, ketchup. Not quite as good in my opinion, but it works.
Can you imagine if you added a touch of ranch dressing???? Experiment, customize and still save money. Make sure you check out all the other great budget friendly recipes in the blog!
Cheaper & Healthier Wendy's Chili Dupe For You!
"Wendy's" chili your way. Cheaper. At home. Any time you like. Their big "secret?" Sugar, and probably butter. Sugar helps cut the acidity of the tomato and "caramelize" the ground beef. Butter adds richness and brings out some of the other flavors.
Let's get started. I recommend a slow cooker. A large can of tomato juice, dark red kidney beans. They reportedly use dark red and "pink." I prefer the richness of dark red. Just personal preference. One to 2 small cans of diced tomato. Go ahead and start those on medium or high in the slow cooker.
Brush frozen hamburger patties with butter and a light sprinkling of sugar. Diabetics like me can substitute a little honey or even artificial sweetener to taste. A secret I've learned to more evenly browned hamburger patties in the air fryer is to stand them up against the edges and separate them so they brown more evenly all around. You can also pick up metal mesh or silicone risers fairly inexpensively to separate the patties for better, more even browning.
Another of their secrets? In addition to diced onion, tomato and green peppers, they add celery. Sounds weird, but I love the tender pieces of celery in their chili. Probably also cuts the acidity. I also do not think they use fresh any of that. Evil empire Walmart has a store brand bag of frozen diced onion, green peppers and celery, so I'm sure you could find it in any decent grocery store. You'll want to add this very close to the end of the cooking time so you don't wind up with mush.
Stir in one to two packets of chili seasoning mix or create your own blend of spices to the slow cooker, then chop your burger patties into the desired size and add. The great thing about all these dupes is you customize to your own personal taste, making healthier swaps when you choose, although Wendy's chili reportedly the "healthiest" thing on their menu. Maybe add a tablespoon or two of butter to the mix, let it simmer. I do my chili for 12 hours on high. I like tender beans. I would add the frozen onion, green pepper and celery blend no more than 30 minutes before turning off the cooker or even after.
American readers from the north might want to add cinnamon powder to taste for a Skyline Chili flare, although I personally detest cinnamon in my chili. I'm southern, so I love peanut butter sandwiched between regular old saltine crackers crunched up in my chili and shredded cheese. Try shredded Colby Jack. Mild and delicious. Sometimes a little dollop of sour cream. Whatever floats your boat.
Check the site for the Starbucks drink dupes! Yes, you'll have to look around!
Making restaurant favorites at home isn't just about saving money. It's also about controlling ingredients, stretching your grocery budget, and enjoying the foods you love without restaurant prices. With a little planning, homemade versions can become family favorites while costing far less than dining out. With a weakened FDA, it's also about food safety. You control the source of the ingredients, the cleanliness of the food prep and all the other variables restaurants currently are having... issues with.
Restaurant Meal | Homemade Cost | Restaurant Cost |
Cheeseburger | $4–6 | $15–20 |
Pasta Alfredo | $3–5 | $18–25 |
Pizza | $6–10 | $20–35 |
Chicken Parmesan | $5–8 | $18–24 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cooking at home really cheaper than restaurants?
Generally yes. Even after buying ingredients, homemade meals usually cost less per serving.
What meals save the most money?
Pizza, burgers, pasta, tacos, soups, sandwiches, and breakfast foods.
Can homemade food taste like restaurant food?
Absolutely. Many restaurant recipes rely on simple techniques and seasoning rather than expensive ingredients.
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