urlscan.io logo urlscan.io
SecurityTrails logo

topsecretrecipes.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700:3108::ac42:2908  Public Scan

Back to summary
Submitted URL: http://topsecretrecipes.com/
Effective URL: https://topsecretrecipes.com/
Submission: On December 13 via api from US — Scanned from CA

Form analysis 8 forms found in the DOM

Name: mc-embedded-subscribe-form — POST //topsecretrecipes.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20&id=16ffa5a76c

<form class="validate" action="//topsecretrecipes.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20&amp;id=16ffa5a76c" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" id="form-1734053866567">
  <div class="subscription-form-label">Free Newsletter</div>
  <div class="subscription-form-fields">
    <div class="table-value email-value table-value-required">
      <span class="input-field-wrapper input input-text-email">
        <script type="text/x-cart-data"> {"defaultValue":"","selectOnFocus":false}
</script>
        <input id="email" name="EMAIL" placeholder="Enter Email" type="text" value="" autocomplete="off" maxlength="255" class="validate[required,maxSize[255],custom[email]] form-control">
      </span>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn  regular-button  submit">
      <span>Subscribe</span>
    </button>
  </div>
  <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
  <div class="bcse_hide hidden"><input name="b_1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20_16ffa5a76c" type="text" value=""></div>
</form>

Name: mc-embedded-subscribe-form — POST //topsecretrecipes.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20&id=16ffa5a76c

<form class="validate" action="//topsecretrecipes.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20&amp;id=16ffa5a76c" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" id="form-1734053866570">
  <div class="subscription-form-label">Free Newsletter</div>
  <div class="subscription-form-fields">
    <div class="table-value email-value table-value-required">
      <span class="input-field-wrapper input input-text-email">
        <script type="text/x-cart-data"> {"defaultValue":"","selectOnFocus":false}
</script>
        <input id="email" name="EMAIL" placeholder="Enter Email" type="text" value="" autocomplete="off" maxlength="255" class="validate[required,maxSize[255],custom[email]] form-control">
      </span>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn  regular-button  submit">
      <span>Subscribe</span>
    </button>
  </div>
  <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
  <div class="bcse_hide hidden"><input name="b_1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20_16ffa5a76c" type="text" value=""></div>
</form>

POST ?

<form action="?" method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" onsubmit="javascript: return true;" class="form675b86f0420799.91664061" id="form-1734053866571">
  <div class="form-params" style="display: none;">
    <input type="hidden" name="target" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="mode" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="searchInSubcats" value="Y">
    <input type="hidden" name="itemsList" value="\XLite\View\ItemsList\Product\Customer\Search">
    <input type="hidden" name="including" value="all">
    <input type="hidden" name="returnURL" value="/Top-Secret-Recipes/Copycat-Restaurant-Recipes/k-o/kobe-ichiban/">
  </div>
  <div class="simple-search-box">
    <div class="table-value substring-value">
      <span class="input-field-wrapper input input-text-searchbox">
        <script type="text/x-cart-data"> {"defaultValue":"","selectOnFocus":false}
</script>
        <input name="substring" placeholder="What are you looking for?" type="text" value="" autocomplete="off" maxlength="255" class="validate[maxSize[255]]  form-text">
      </span>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn  regular-button submit-button submit" title="Search">
      <span>Search</span>
    </button>
  </div>
</form>

POST ?

<form action="?" method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" onsubmit="javascript: return true;" class="form675b86f0420799.91664061" id="form-1734053866574">
  <div class="form-params" style="display: none;">
    <input type="hidden" name="target" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="mode" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="searchInSubcats" value="Y">
    <input type="hidden" name="itemsList" value="\XLite\View\ItemsList\Product\Customer\Search">
    <input type="hidden" name="including" value="all">
    <input type="hidden" name="returnURL" value="/Top-Secret-Recipes/Copycat-Restaurant-Recipes/k-o/kobe-ichiban/">
  </div>
  <div class="simple-search-box">
    <div class="table-value substring-value">
      <span class="input-field-wrapper input input-text-searchbox">
        <script type="text/x-cart-data"> {"defaultValue":"","selectOnFocus":false}
</script>
        <input name="substring" placeholder="What are you looking for?" type="text" value="" autocomplete="off" maxlength="255" class="validate[maxSize[255]]  form-text">
      </span>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn  regular-button submit-button submit" title="Search">
      <span>Search</span>
    </button>
  </div>
</form>

POST ?

<form action="?" method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" onsubmit="javascript: return true;" class="form675b86f0420799.91664061" id="form-1734053866576">
  <div class="form-params" style="display: none;">
    <input type="hidden" name="target" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="mode" value="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="searchInSubcats" value="Y">
    <input type="hidden" name="itemsList" value="\XLite\View\ItemsList\Product\Customer\Search">
    <input type="hidden" name="including" value="all">
    <input type="hidden" name="returnURL" value="/Top-Secret-Recipes/Copycat-Restaurant-Recipes/k-o/kobe-ichiban/">
  </div>
  <div class="simple-search-box">
    <div class="table-value substring-value">
      <span class="input-field-wrapper input input-text-searchbox">
        <script type="text/x-cart-data"> {"defaultValue":"","selectOnFocus":false}
</script>
        <input name="substring" placeholder="What are you looking for?" type="text" value="" autocomplete="off" maxlength="255" class="validate[maxSize[255]]  form-text">
      </span>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn  regular-button submit-button submit" title="Search">
      <span>Search</span>
    </button>
  </div>
</form>

Name: mc-embedded-subscribe-form — POST //topsecretrecipes.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20&id=16ffa5a76c

<form class="validate" action="//topsecretrecipes.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20&amp;id=16ffa5a76c" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" id="form-1734053866577">
  <div class="subscription-form-label">Never miss a secret</div>
  <div class="subscription-form-description">Subscribe to Todd Wilbur’s newsletter and be the first to know what’s free and what’s new!</div>
  <div class="subscription-form-fields">
    <div class="table-value email-value table-value-required">
      <span class="input-field-wrapper input input-text-email">
        <script type="text/x-cart-data"> {"defaultValue":"","selectOnFocus":false}
</script>
        <input id="email" name="EMAIL" placeholder="Enter Email" type="text" value="" autocomplete="off" maxlength="255" class="validate[required,maxSize[255],custom[email]] form-control">
      </span>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn  regular-button  submit">
      <span>Subscribe</span>
    </button>
  </div>
  <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->
  <div class="bcse_hide hidden"><input name="b_1612961ea6ddc64191be9db20_16ffa5a76c" type="text" value=""></div>
</form>

POST ?

<form action="?" method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" onsubmit="javascript: return true;" class="form675b8fe88b4463.46510601" id="form-1734053866578">
  <div class="form-params" style="display: none;">
    <input type="hidden" name="target" value="coupon_roulette">
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="spin">
    <input type="hidden" name="returnURL" value="/">
  </div>
  <div class="table-value roulette-mail-value table-value-required">
    <span class="input-field-wrapper input input-text-email">
      <script type="text/x-cart-data"> {"defaultValue":"","selectOnFocus":false}
</script>
      <input id="roulette-mail" name="roulette_mail" placeholder="Enter your e-mail address" type="text" value="" autocomplete="off" maxlength="255" class="validate[required,maxSize[255],custom[email]] form-control">
    </span>
  </div>
  <button type="submit" class="btn  regular-button regular-main-button roulette-spin-button submit">
    <span>SPIN!</span>
  </button>
</form>

<form action=""><input type="search" placeholder="" aria-label="Search" autocomplete="off"></form>

Text Content

 * Menu
   * Restaurants
   * Brands
   * Browse By Dishes
   * Recipes
   * Books
   * Spices & Sauces
   * Gear
   * Secret Recipe Club
   * Food Hacker Blog
 * Tools
   * Log In
   * Cart
   * Recipe Box
 * Quick Links
   * About
   * FAQ
   * Contact Us
   * Legal
 * Gift card
 * 
 * * Free Newsletter
     
     Subscribe
     

 * 
 *  * Sign in / sign up


THE MOST TRUSTED COPYCAT RECIPES
Menu
 * Menu
   * Restaurants
   * Brands
   * Browse By Dishes
   * Recipes
   * Books
   * Spices & Sauces
   * Gear
   * Secret Recipe Club
   * Food Hacker Blog
 * Tools
   * Log In
   * Cart
   * Recipe Box
 * Quick Links
   * About
   * FAQ
   * Contact Us
   * Legal
 * Gift card
 * Free Newsletter
   
   Subscribe
   



Search
Sign in / sign up


Search
 * Sign in / sign up

0
items
Cart

LAST ADDED ITEMS

Subtotal: $0.00

View cart

 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

 * Recipes
   * New Recipes
   * Restaurant Recipes
   * Brand-Name Recipes
 * Browse Dishes
   * Entrees
   * Appetizers
   * Desserts
   * Side Dishes
   * Breakfast
   * Cookies & Brownies
   * Salads
   * View All Recipe Categories...
 * Spices & Sauces
 * Todd's Books
 * Secret Recipe Club
 * Food Hacker Blog
 * Recipe Box

THE MOST TRUSTED COPYCAT RECIPES
 * 
 * 
   Search
   
 * 

I'm Todd Wilbur, Chronic Food Hacker

For over 30 years I've been deconstructing America's most iconic brand-name
foods to make the best original copycat recipes for you to use at home. Welcome
to my lab.

Read more



THIS WEEK'S BIG SECRETS


THIS WEEK'S BIG SECRETS

 * Score: 4.50 (votes: 2)
   
   PANERA BREAD CINNAMON CRUNCH SCONE
   
   After the success of Panera Bread’s Cinnamon Crunch Bagels, the popular
   sandwich chain went back into the development kitchen and came out with these
   incredible scones, filled with the same crunchy cinnamon drops found in the
   bagels and drizzled with cinnamon icing.
   
   When first released, these scones were cut as triangles and frosted, but in
   2018 the shape was changed to more “rustic”-shaped round blobs with drizzled
   or piped icing on top. I like to hack the newest version, so my Panera Bread
   Cinnamon Crunch Scones recipe here re-creates that scone.
   
   These are cream scones, so cream is the main wet ingredient that holds the
   dough together—but keep the dough crumbly as you mix it, and try not to
   compress it much, or you risk making the final product too dense. The best
   way to form the scones is to use both hands and shape the dough like you’re
   making a loose snowball. Then use one hand to place the dough onto the baking
   sheet and form it into a rough dome shape. The scones will flatten and spread
   out a little bit as they bake, creating the same rustic shape as the
   original.
   
   Try my Panera Bread Cinnamon Crunch Bagel recipe here.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 1)
   
   SHAKEY'S MOJO POTATOES
   
   Sherwood Johnson survived a case of malaria while serving in World War II,
   which left him with some residual nerve damage and a new nickname: Shakey.
   Despite his affliction, Shakey Johnson was still able to bang out toe-tapping
   Dixieland jazz on the piano night after night in the pizza parlor he opened
   in Sacramento in 1954, where live jazz accompanied the thin crust pizza and
   cold pitchers of beer.
   
   Shakey’s became the first franchised pizza restaurant in the U.S., and by
   1974 the chain had 500 stores across the U.S. The #1 dish is clearly the
   made-to-order pizza, but the chain’s trademarked crispy battered potato
   slices are a close runner-up and a perfect tasty subject to hack.
   
   Recipes that claim complete pancake mix is the secret breading ingredient in
   Mojo Potatoes fail to observe that pancake mix contains sugar, and there is
   no noticeable sweetness in the breading of the Mojos. I also decided that dry
   breading wouldn't work since in my tests the paprika failed to bloom and give
   the coating a perfect hue like it does when the mixture is wet.
   
   For my Shakey's Mojo Potatoes recipe, I eventually settled on a simple wet
   batter made with seasoned salt, flour, and a little cornstarch for crunch to
   best match the flavor, crispiness, and red/orange tint of the real thing from
   America’s first pizza chain. Use this original technique, and these handy
   step photos, to make extra crispy potatoes the Shakey's way.
   
   These potatoes make a great appetizer or side dish to any meal. Find some
   famous entrée recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 11)
   
   JOE'S STONE CRAB JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKES
   
   Joseph Weiss was living in New York with his wife and son when his doctor
   told him he would need a change of climate to help his asthma. He journeyed
   to Miami, Florida in 1913 and discovered he was able to breathe again. He
   quickly moved his family down South and opened his first restaurant, a little
   lunch counter. 
   
   Joe's restaurant business exploded in 1921 when he discovered how to cook and
   serve the stone crabs caught off the coast. Joe boiled the meaty claws and
   served them chilled with a secret mustard dipping sauce. Today only one
   pincer is removed from each stone crab, then the crab is tossed back into the
   ocean where it will regenerate the missing claw in about 2 years. The stone
   crabs, in addition to several other signature items, made Joe's a Miami
   hotspot, and these days Joe's restaurants can be found in Chicago and Las
   Vegas. 
   
   Here is my take on Joe's amazing giant crab cakes, which are made from lump
   crab meat. You can use my Joe's Stone Crab jumbo lump crab cakes recipe below
   and serve as them an appetizer or entrée like they do at the restaurant. Of
   course, you can't clone a Joe's crab dish without cloning the secret mustard
   sauce, so that recipe is here too.
   
   Try more of my clone recipes of other popular dishes from Joe's Stone Crab
   here.
   
   Source: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 by Todd Wilbur.
   
   Read more
 * Not rated yet
   
   STARBUCKS DARK TOFFEE BUNDT
   
   This new seasonal pastry is Starbucks’ version of sticky toffee pudding, in a
   handy portable single-serving size. Like the traditional recipe, this mini
   bundt cake is sweetened, in part, with date paste and is coated with a sticky
   sweet glaze. This version veers from tradition, though, with a dusting of a
   sugar/salt blend, and it’s speckled with Christmas sprinkles to amp up the
   festive limited-time-only vibe. 
   
   To create my Starbucks Dark Toffee Bundt copycat recipe, I relied heavily on
   the chain’s online ingredients list. Using that information, I could estimate
   ingredient ratios based on my initial weight of date paste. Starting there, I
   deduced measurements for the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, brown sugar, etc.,
   knowing that the list is organized by weight. Getting the leavening right
   took some trial and error, but at the end of the day, with the help of a mini
   bundt cake pan, I was able to re-create the delicious little cakes in both
   appearance and taste.
   
   By the way, if you don’t have a mini bundt cake pan, no big deal. You can
   bake these cakes in a large (Texas-size) muffin pan or even a standard muffin
   pan, if that’s all you’ve got. For the sprinkles, Starbucks uses little
   trees, but you can top your cakes with whatever you like.
   
   Pair this with your favorite drink from Starbucks. Find more of my copycat
   recipes here.
   
   
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 5)
   
   MAGGIANO'S BEEF TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS
   
   For many years this entrée has been a top menu choice at Maggiano's, the
   54-unit Italian chain from Brinker, the same company that operates Chili’s
   Grill & Bar. The $30 restaurant dish consists of three 2½-ounce tenderloin
   steaks, swimming in a fantastic balsamic cream sauce with sliced portabello
   mushrooms—but a home version is only six easy steps away, and it won't hit
   you in the wallet as hard as the pricey original.
   
   Cracking this dish required a perfect hack of the balsamic cream sauce, and
   that came quickly after obtaining some very reliable information from my
   incredibly helpful server/informant at a Las Vegas Maggiano’s. Let’s call him
   Skippy.
   
   According to Skippy, the balsamic cream sauce is as simple as mixing a sweet
   balsamic glaze with the chain’s creamy Alfredo sauce. So, I first got a
   sample of Maggiano’s Alfredo sauce and figured out how to replicate it. Once
   that was done, I measured increments of balsamic glaze into the Alfredo sauce
   until the color and flavor matched the original. The rest of the recipe was
   easy.
   
   My recipe will make two servings and includes preparation for the tenderloins
   and sauce. If you’d like to complete the dish the way it’s served at the
   restaurant (as in the photo), add some garlic mashed potatoes on the side,
   using my hack for Olive Garden Garlic Mashed Potatoes.   
   
   Try my Maggiano's Beef Tenderloin Medallions copycat recipe below, find more
   of my Maggiano's copycat recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 1)
   
   IHOP CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT
   
   In 2023, IHOP introduced some creative new eggs Benedict dishes, including
   one made with bacon jam and another with shredded beef and poblano
   hollandaise sauce. I can certainly appreciate the chain’s novel approach to
   the traditional recipe, but your taste buds may not be quite ready for those
   big flavors in the early a.m. That’s why, for this hack, I'm turning to the
   classic version of the chain’s Benedict, which will be extremely kind to your
   palate, no matter what time of the day it is.
   
   For my IHOP Classic Eggs Benedict copycat recipe, I’ll show you how to make
   hollandaise sauce from scratch in just a few minutes, and how to easily poach
   perfect eggs just as quickly. Hopefully, this recipe is one that you return
   to whenever you want an impressive breakfast that doesn’t take much work. 
   
   Once the poached eggs are done, stack them on black forest ham (a much better
   choice than Canadian bacon) and English muffins, douse them with the great
   hollandaise, and serve the dish with crispy hash browns or fruit on the side.
   
   Read more
 * Join our Recipe Club For Todd’s Best-Kept SecretsClick here
 * Not rated yet
   
   WONDERFUL CHILI ROASTED PISTACHIOS
   
   Wonderful shelled pistachios come in a variety of flavors, including BBQ, sea
   salt/vinegar, and honey roasted, but the clear favorite—and the one that’s
   often sold out in stores—is the version that packs the most heat with a
   seasoning blend that includes garlic, vinegar, and ground red chili peppers.
   
   The seasoning blend is the secret to the great taste of these addictive
   snacking nuts and to make a hot and sour flavor, you’ll need a few special
   ingredients. The real thing contains dry tabasco peppers, but the ground
   tabasco peppers I found were not hot enough for a good clone, so I’m
   enhancing the formula with ground cayenne pepper. Also, I found that ground
   tabasco pepper was not as fine as ground cayenne pepper, so I ground the
   pepper up even more in a coffee grinder and sifted out the fine powder for
   the recipe, which worked great.
   
   For my Wonderful Chili Roasted Pistachios recipe, you’ll also want to grind
   up the nutritional yeast, which is there to add an umami flavor, just like
   MSG. Nutritional yeast usually comes in small flakes, and you’ll want to
   transform it into a fine powder like everything else. For a sour flavor that
   hits all the right notes, you’ll need citric acid (very sour), malic acid
   (less sour), and powdered vinegar (even less sour), all of which can be found
   online. If you can't track down malic acid, you can replace it with more
   citric acid.
   
   After combining the ingredients for the magical seasoning, sprinkle 1¾
   teaspoons of the blend over each cup of moistened unsalted pistachios, and
   lightly roast until dry.
   
   Find more famous candy and snack recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 1)
   
   CHEESECAKE FACTORY STUFFED MUSHROOMS
   
   Despite years of numerous requests to clone the stuffed mushrooms at The
   Cheesecake Factory, I never ordered the popular appetizer before embarking on
   this food hacking mission. But let me tell you, once I had my first bite of
   these mushrooms, with the perfect stuffing, creamy Madeira wine sauce, and
   crispy Parmesan topping, I understood all the big raves. Not only is this one
   of the best appetizers on the chain's menu, but these are far and away the
   best stuffed mushrooms I've ever had. And my Cheesecake Factory Stuffed
   Mushrooms copycat recipe would have to be just as good, no matter how long it
   took. 
   
   After many hours in the lab washing mushrooms, chopping mushrooms, and eating
   them, I finally worked up this hack that I'm convinced would fool even the
   biggest fans of the dish in a side-by-side taste test.
   
   I've duplicated many popular dishes from Cheesecake Factory. See if I cloned
   your favorites here.
   
   Source: Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step by Todd Wilbur.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 1)
   
   PANDA EXPRESS BLAZING BOURBON CHICKEN
   
   In collaboration with the YouTube talk show Hot Ones, Panda Express released
   its spiciest dish yet, which includes a new sauce made with the treacherous
   Apollo chili pepper. The Apollo pepper was created by famous chili breeder Ed
   Currie, who also cultivated the Carolina Reaper, once rated as the world’s
   hottest chili pepper. Measuring around 3 million Scoville units, the Apollo
   pepper is 1.4 times hotter than the Carolina Reaper.
   
   For my Panda Express Blazing Bourbon Chicken copycat recipe, I knew it would
   be unreasonable to expect you to buy Hot Ones’ The Last Dab Apollo Hot Sauce,
   the "secret" heat source in the real thing. A bottle of that sauce costs
   around 30 bucks, and you would only need one drop, so my first order of
   business was to find a much cheaper substitute.
   
   I landed on a ghost pepper sauce, which, at 1 million Scoville units, is
   one-third as hot as the Apollo. When ghost pepper is blended with other
   ingredients in a sauce, such as in Melinda’s Ghost Pepper Sauce (which I used
   for my clone), it's diluted, it's tasty, and it's not at all overwhelming.
   
   That ghost pepper sauce, plus garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and
   just a touch of bourbon, will give you the perfect sauce to toss with onion,
   bell pepper, and crispy chicken for a delicious and fiery—but not too
   fiery—home hack of this tasty limited-time-only entrée.
   
   Find more of my Panda Express copycat recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Not rated yet
   
   CRACKER BARREL FRENCH TOAST
   
   Next time you make French Toast, try using sourdough bread. Cracker Barrel
   does this, and their French toast is fantastic. So, I went right ahead and
   cloned it for you.
   
   My Cracker Barrel French Toast copycat recipe is super easy to make, but if
   you want yours to look like the real thing, you’ll want to track down a loaf
   of sourdough bread with relatively small slices. Bigger loaves will still
   work great, but the yield may be less than 12 slices.
   
   Dust your finished French toast with powdered sugar and serve it up with soft
   butter and warm maple syrup on the side.  
   
   Find more of my Cracker Barrel copycat recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 2)
   
   WENDY'S SEASONED POTATOES
   
   Reviewers of Wendy’s tasty seasoned potatoes point out that the skin-on
   slices stay crispy even when cool. That tells us the breading is most likely
   made with a non-wheat flour blend, an assumption confirmed by the website
   ingredients list for the potatoes where nary a gram of wheat flour is
   included. Yep, these seasoned potatoes are gluten-free.
   
   Wendy’s uses a blend of food starches plus rice flour for the breading on
   their version, but my tests confirmed that cornstarch is all you’ll need for
   a great clone of Wendy's seasoned potatoes. The secret process starts by
   coating the potato slices with the dry breading mix, which contains salt. The
   salt in the blend will draw water out of the potatoes, magically transforming
   the dry breading into a wet batter in about 20 minutes.
   
   When all the breading is wet, the potatoes go into the oil for partial
   frying. After resting a bit, they get dropped in again until golden brown and
   crispy. And, thanks to the cornstarch, these potatoes will stay crispy, even
   when they’re completely cool. Pretty cool right? Give my Wendy's seasoned
   potatoes copycat recipe a try.
   
   This recipe was our #3 most popular in 2022. Check out the other four most
   unlocked recipes for the year: Rao's Traditional Meatballs (#1), Chipotle
   Pollo Asado (#2), Cheesecake Factory Spicy Cashew Chicken (#4), McDonald's
   Chicken McNuggets (#5).
   
   Check out this list of our most popular recipes of all-time.
   
   Read more
 * Not rated yet
   
   CHIPOTLE SMOKED BRISKET
   
   In 2021, for a limited time, Chipotle added smoked and sauced brisket to its
   line of signature meats. The tender brisket is seasoned with a blend of
   peppers, garlic, cumin, and coriander, then seared and tossed with a smokey
   barbecue sauce fused with traditional Mexican flavors. It’s a significant
   departure from the chain’s signature south-of-the-border protein offerings,
   and when the dish came back to the menu in 2024, it was a food hacking
   challenge I couldn't refuse.
   
   For my Chipotle Smoked Brisket copycat recipe, I used the flat end of the
   brisket, as does the chain, and trimmed the fat, so the seasoning blend came
   in direct contact with the meat. I let the seasoning sit on the meat for at
   least four hours, then I smoked it and mopped it a couple of times with a
   vinegar blend to help keep it moist and to wake up the flavor. When the
   brisket hit 165 degrees F, I covered it and let it continue cooking until the
   internal temperature reached 200 degrees F, and a beautiful dark crust
   formed. I wrapped the brisket in foil and a thick towel and placed it in a
   cooler for a couple of hours to rest, and then it was ready to serve.
   
   Because the process took 12 to 14 hours, I found it best to refrigerate the
   brisket until the next day, when it can be prepped for serving. When
   everyone's hungry, and you’re ready to finish the brisket, chop it, sear it,
   season it, and sauce it with this barbecue sauce made from typical barbecue
   sauce ingredients, plus peppers and cumin to bring out the spirit of Mexico.
   
   And don’t worry if you don’t have a smoker. In the Tidbits below, I’ll tell
   you how to use your gas or charcoal grill to add beautiful smoke flavoring to
   your brisket, just like a legit smoker. 
   
   Try more of my Chipotle copycat recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Join our Recipe Club For Todd’s Best-Kept SecretsClick here
 * Not rated yet
   
   DAELMANS STROOPWAFELS
   
   Approximately two centuries ago, a baker in Gouda, South Holland,
   Netherlands, invented the first stroopwafel, a round waffle cookie split in
   half and filled with cinnamon-spiked caramel. Stroopwafels, which translates
   to “syrup waffles,” were incredibly popular and became a traditional Dutch
   side nibble. Before eating, they were often placed over a hot cup of coffee
   or tea to warm the gooey caramel filling.
   
   Daelmans, a southern Netherlands bakery founded in 1904 by Hermanus Daelmans,
   has emerged as the world’s leading producer of Stroopwafels. The brand's
   recent success in the U.S. is due in part to United Airlines, which has been
   giving away Daelmans Stroopwafels to appreciative passengers on morning
   flights since 2016. That’s where I tasted my first Daelmans Stroopwafel.
   Somewhere up in the air.
   
   To clone Daelmans secret recipe we must start with a good waffle cookie, and
   to do that you’ll need a waffle cone maker or pizzelle maker (inexpensive
   ones like this can be found online). These cookers will make thin waffle
   cookies when closed all the way down, but if you give your waffles a little
   breathing room you can make thicker waffle cookies that can be easily sliced
   through the middle with a butter knife before they’re completely cool.
   
   Once your waffle is punched out with a 3 3/8-inch biscuit cutter and sliced
   open, you’ll add a simple caramel filling that’s made by melting Kraft baking
   caramels (I like the unwrapped caramel bits) with cinnamon and vanilla. Press
   the top half of the waffle down onto the caramel and give it a little spin,
   and you’ve just hacked a decades-old world-famous food.
   
   Check out my clones for famous cookies and brownies here. 
   
   Read more
 * Not rated yet
   
   PANERA BREAD MAC & CHEESE
   
   Tender pasta must swim in a thick, creamy white cheddar cheese sauce for a
   home mac and cheese recipe to perfectly match Panera’s take on the dish. The
   sauce must be smooth as silk and not at all grainy, as many cheddar cheese
   sauces, especially white cheddar sauces, can be. And the flavor must be so
   good that when you get to the bottom of the bowl, you instantly crave some
   more.
   
   For my Panera Bread Mac & Cheese copycat recipe, you’ll want to use pipette
   pasta for the most similar clone, but any curvy pasta will do, such as elbows
   or small shells. The real secret here is the sauce, which can be a
   challenging hack since sharp cheese tends to melt poorly and create grainy
   and broken sauces, and all the white cheddar I found was either sharp or
   extra sharp.
   
   With that melting challenge in mind, I chose to control the consistency of
   the sauce in three ways: with a flour roux, a cornstarch slurry, and by
   adding several slices of Kraft white American cheese Singles. That particular
   type of cheese contains sodium citrate, a magical additive that emulsifies
   the sauce and prevents the cheese from separating. If you can’t find Kraft
   Singles, look for another sliced white American cheese that contains sodium
   citrate. The flour and cornstarch are there to help thicken the sauce to the
   same consistency as the chain's delicious secret recipe.
   
   Find more of your favorite Panera Bread copycat recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 2)
   
   MAGGIANO'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS
   
   Not sure why I got called out at Maggiano’s. Perhaps I asked too many
   questions. Whatever the reason, my cover was blown on this clandestine
   meatball mission.
   
   While sitting at the restaurant bar enjoying a side of Maggiano’s fantastic
   meatballs, Adrian, the manager, poked his head around the corner and asked,
   “Are you the guy who copied our tenderloin medallions recipe?” He was right.
   Several years ago, I posted my version of the chain’s signature dish, so I
   was forced to admit that it was me. I thought that would end my intel
   gathering for the day, but the opposite happened.
   
   “I couldn’t believe how close you got,” he said, referring to the balsamic
   cream sauce on the medallions. I thanked him for the compliment and told him
   the dish was one of my favorites, and I had to clone it right. There was a
   vibe of mutual respect, so I saw an opportunity to ask him questions about
   the chain's meatballs, including the meats used. Adrian told me that
   Maggiano’s uses just ground chuck and not a blend of meats often used in
   meatballs, such as pork and veal.
   
   Thanks to Adrian I had some good information for starting my recipe. Still, I
   was about to get even more valuable tips when, five minutes later, Maggiano’s
   executive chef Alberto, with a thick Italian accent, came out to say “hello.”
   
   Alberto explained the braising process they use to make the delicious
   meatballs so fall-apart tender. He also stressed the importance of forming
   the meatballs loosely in your hands and not packing the meat. "These are
   meatballs, not snowballs", he says. In Alberto’s kitchen, you should be able
   to “cut the meatballs with a plastic spoon.”
   
   So, with the helpful tips from Adrian and Alberto, I present my version of
   the chain’s fabulous meatballs and hacked marinara sauce, for the closest
   copycat recipe you’ll ever get.
   
   Try my Maggiano's Italian Meatballs copycat recipe below, and find more of my
   Maggiano's copycat recipes here. 
   
   Read more
 * Not rated yet
   
   OLD EL PASO TACO SEASONING MIX
   
   The Old El Paso brand started life in 1917 as The Mountain Pass Canning
   Company, but the name changed when the company was sold to its new owner in
   El Paso, Texas. The company initially specialized in canned tomatoes and
   pinto beans but expanded its line over the years. In 1969, Old El Paso became
   the first American company to sell a national line of Mexican meals in
   supermarkets and the first to advertise Mexican food. This growing market for
   Mexican cuisine established by Old El Paso is why U.S. stores created a
   Mexican food section for the first time in 1970.
   
   Many of us who grew up with "family taco night" are familiar with the packet
   of spices added to browned ground beef for a quick and easy taco filling.
   When the seasoned beef is added to crispy or soft taco shells with your
   favorite combination of cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, or whatever, any
   day becomes Taco Tuesday.
   
   My Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix copycat recipe includes all the spices
   you'll need for a perfect match to the real thing and just the right amount
   of cornstarch to thicken it up. And it's a cinch to make. Once you've mixed
   these ingredients in a small bowl, add the blend to 1 pound of cooked ground
   beef with water, cook until thick, and fill your tacos just like you did with
   the original from back in the day. 
   
   Now, how about a cold margarita?
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 4)
   
   CHEESECAKE FACTORY CHICKEN PICCATA
   
   Menu Description: “Sautéed chicken breast with lemon sauce, mushrooms, and
   capers. Served with angel hair pasta.”
   
   A great chicken piccata doesn’t have to be complicated, and this fantastic
   take on the lemony dish from the Cheesecake Factory is a perfect example.
   
   Since the sauce is the key to the great taste of this entrée, I made sure to
   get a sample on the side for later analysis when I requested my to-go order
   from the restaurant. While waiting, I asked the server what was in the sauce
   and she listed some obvious ingredients—lemon, wine, butter, cream—and then
   she mentioned garlic and shallots. When I got home, I rinsed the sauce
   through a mesh strainer to discover how much garlic and shallot were in the
   sauce, but there was no physical evidence of either solid ingredient left
   behind in the strainer.
   
   I made a batch of the sauce without garlic and shallot, and it tasted flat.
   So on the next batch, I added the garlic and shallot back in, then strained
   out the solid ingredients after they contributed their goodness to the sauce.
   The result was noticeably better.
   
   After adding mushrooms and capers to the new lemon sauce, I spooned it over
   sautéed chicken cutlets and was rewarded with a fantastic homemade version of
   this amazing dish, which you can now copy at home using my Cheesecake Factory
   Chicken Piccata recipe below.
   
   Check out more of my copycat Cheesecake Factory recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Score: 5.00 (votes: 2)
   
   LITTLE CAESARS CRAZY PUFFS WITH CRAZY SAUCE
   
   One of Little Caesars most successful new products is these mini deep-dish
   pizzas, baked until browned and bubbly, brushed with buttery garlic spread,
   and sprinkled with herbs and cheese. They come with pepperoni or just cheese,
   and they’re so good that the moment I tried one, I knew that a home hack was
   in my immediate future. 
   
   I wanted my Little Caesars Crazy Puffs copycat recipe to be better than any
   of the mom blog versions that rely on pre-made dough, so I made the dough
   from scratch using bread flour and cold-proofed it for 48 hours. This gave me
   a nicely fermented chewy dough that nicely matched the dough from Little
   Caesars in texture and flavor.
   
   After recently discovering that Little Caesars Crazy Sauce is the same recipe
   as their marinara pizza sauce, I redesigned my Little Caesars Crazy Sauce
   recipe from my 1995 cookbook, More Top Secret Recipes. And this time, I made
   the sauce without cooking it after a worker revealed that important secret.
   The sauce will eventually cook when it goes through the oven on the pizza.
   Meanwhile, in the back, some of that sauce is packaged into to-go cups and
   chilled until it's served to customers as Crazy Sauce for dipping. 
   
   You can make 21 Crazy Puffs clones in 2 batches using a 12-cup muffin pan
   coated with butter-flavored oil spray. I've made sure to include instructions
   for both versions: pepperoni and cheese & herb. Because choices are nice.
   
   Find more of my Little Caesar's copycat recipes here.
   
   Read more
 * Join our Recipe Club For Todd’s Best-Kept SecretsClick here

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEW RECIPES



MY LATEST VIDEOS


More Videos


0 seconds of 4 minutes, 48 secondsVolume 0%

Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Decrease Caption Size-
Increase Caption Size+ or =
Seek %0-9

Next Up
Solvang
00:42

Live
00:00
00:47
04:48







 


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Score: 5.00 (votes: 1)

TOP SECRET RECIPES GIFT CERTIFICATE

Gift the gift of great food! Order your Top Secret Recipes gift card in any
denomination from $5 - $500! 

You can send the gift card to your email, and print out the certificate, or send
the gift card to a friend. The recipient will be sent an email with a special
code and a note from you!

The Gift Certificate can be used to purchase club memberships, individual
recipes, cookbooks, spices, sauces, and gear! 

Get your TSR Gift Card here, and start spreading joy today! 

Read more
Not rated yet

STARBUCKS DARK TOFFEE BUNDT

This new seasonal pastry is Starbucks’ version of sticky toffee pudding, in a
handy portable single-serving size. Like the traditional recipe, this mini bundt
cake is sweetened, in part, with date paste and is coated with a sticky sweet
glaze. This version veers from tradition, though, with a dusting of a sugar/salt
blend, and it’s speckled with Christmas sprinkles to amp up the festive
limited-time-only vibe. 

To create my Starbucks Dark Toffee Bundt copycat recipe, I relied heavily on the
chain’s online ingredients list. Using that information, I could estimate
ingredient ratios based on my initial weight of date paste. Starting there, I
deduced measurements for the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, brown sugar, etc.,
knowing that the list is organized by weight. Getting the leavening right took
some trial and error, but at the end of the day, with the help of a mini bundt
cake pan, I was able to re-create the delicious little cakes in both appearance
and taste.

By the way, if you don’t have a mini bundt cake pan, no big deal. You can bake
these cakes in a large (Texas-size) muffin pan or even a standard muffin pan, if
that’s all you’ve got. For the sprinkles, Starbucks uses little trees, but you
can top your cakes with whatever you like.

Pair this with your favorite drink from Starbucks. Find more of my copycat
recipes here.



Read more
Not rated yet

STEAK 'N SHAKE GENUINE CHILI

Examining the list of ingredients on a can of this 500-unit Midwestern chain's
chili reveals a traditional chili con carne formula with beans as the only
vegetable ingredient. There is no tomato sauce in the recipe, as stated by
Internet copycats. Nor is there any chocolate or cola in the mix, as some
recipes claim. 

Snag this recipe in my book "Top Secret Recipes Step-by Step".

Read more
Score: 5.00 (votes: 1)

PANDA EXPRESS BLAZING BOURBON CHICKEN

In collaboration with the YouTube talk show Hot Ones, Panda Express released its
spiciest dish yet, which includes a new sauce made with the treacherous Apollo
chili pepper. The Apollo pepper was created by famous chili breeder Ed Currie,
who also cultivated the Carolina Reaper, once rated as the world’s hottest chili
pepper. Measuring around 3 million Scoville units, the Apollo pepper is 1.4
times hotter than the Carolina Reaper.

For my Panda Express Blazing Bourbon Chicken copycat recipe, I knew it would be
unreasonable to expect you to buy Hot Ones’ The Last Dab Apollo Hot Sauce, the
"secret" heat source in the real thing. A bottle of that sauce costs around 30
bucks, and you would only need one drop, so my first order of business was to
find a much cheaper substitute.

I landed on a ghost pepper sauce, which, at 1 million Scoville units, is
one-third as hot as the Apollo. When ghost pepper is blended with other
ingredients in a sauce, such as in Melinda’s Ghost Pepper Sauce (which I used
for my clone), it's diluted, it's tasty, and it's not at all overwhelming.

That ghost pepper sauce, plus garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and just a
touch of bourbon, will give you the perfect sauce to toss with onion, bell
pepper, and crispy chicken for a delicious and fiery—but not too fiery—home hack
of this tasty limited-time-only entrée.

Find more of my Panda Express copycat recipes here.

Read more
Not rated yet

CHIPOTLE SMOKED BRISKET

In 2021, for a limited time, Chipotle added smoked and sauced brisket to its
line of signature meats. The tender brisket is seasoned with a blend of peppers,
garlic, cumin, and coriander, then seared and tossed with a smokey barbecue
sauce fused with traditional Mexican flavors. It’s a significant departure from
the chain’s signature south-of-the-border protein offerings, and when the dish
came back to the menu in 2024, it was a food hacking challenge I couldn't
refuse.

For my Chipotle Smoked Brisket copycat recipe, I used the flat end of the
brisket, as does the chain, and trimmed the fat, so the seasoning blend came in
direct contact with the meat. I let the seasoning sit on the meat for at least
four hours, then I smoked it and mopped it a couple of times with a vinegar
blend to help keep it moist and to wake up the flavor. When the brisket hit 165
degrees F, I covered it and let it continue cooking until the internal
temperature reached 200 degrees F, and a beautiful dark crust formed. I wrapped
the brisket in foil and a thick towel and placed it in a cooler for a couple of
hours to rest, and then it was ready to serve.

Because the process took 12 to 14 hours, I found it best to refrigerate the
brisket until the next day, when it can be prepped for serving. When everyone's
hungry, and you’re ready to finish the brisket, chop it, sear it, season it, and
sauce it with this barbecue sauce made from typical barbecue sauce ingredients,
plus peppers and cumin to bring out the spirit of Mexico.

And don’t worry if you don’t have a smoker. In the Tidbits below, I’ll tell you
how to use your gas or charcoal grill to add beautiful smoke flavoring to your
brisket, just like a legit smoker. 

Try more of my Chipotle copycat recipes here.

Read more
Not rated yet

GREY GOOSE HONEY DEUCE

This quenching combination of Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, and Chambord
raspberry liqueur was invented in 2007 by Grey Goose ambassador and
restauranteur Nick Mautone for the vodka sponsorship deal struck with the U.S.
Open Tennis Championships. Nick came up with a drink made with the refreshing
flavor of raspberry lemonade, and the cocktail stick with three frozen honeydew
melon balls resembling tennis balls was his perfectly inspired garnish.

The popularity of the summer concoction at the U.S. Open peaked in 2023 when
460,275 Honey Deuces were sold in commemorative cups for $22 each. Sales of the
drink that year reached over $10 million, and at the 2024 tournament, with an
upped $23 price tag, sales are expected to be even higher.

I designed my custom version of the Grey Goose Honey Deuce recipe for a 16-ounce
glass, so I retooled the recipe shared by Grey Goose, which is measured to fit
in a 12-ounce highball glass. Also, their recipe doesn’t mention how to make
good lemonade, so I devised an easy formula that will give you 16 ounces of
lemonade, which will be enough for four cocktails.

Before making your drinks, use a melon baller to make honeydew melon balls.
Pierce three on a cocktail stick for each drink you plan to make and freeze them
for about an hour. Your serve.

Find more of my famous drink copycat recipes here.

Read more
Score: 5.00 (votes: 2)

LITTLE CAESARS CRAZY PUFFS WITH CRAZY SAUCE

One of Little Caesars most successful new products is these mini deep-dish
pizzas, baked until browned and bubbly, brushed with buttery garlic spread, and
sprinkled with herbs and cheese. They come with pepperoni or just cheese, and
they’re so good that the moment I tried one, I knew that a home hack was in my
immediate future. 

I wanted my Little Caesars Crazy Puffs copycat recipe to be better than any of
the mom blog versions that rely on pre-made dough, so I made the dough from
scratch using bread flour and cold-proofed it for 48 hours. This gave me a
nicely fermented chewy dough that nicely matched the dough from Little Caesars
in texture and flavor.

After recently discovering that Little Caesars Crazy Sauce is the same recipe as
their marinara pizza sauce, I redesigned my Little Caesars Crazy Sauce recipe
from my 1995 cookbook, More Top Secret Recipes. And this time, I made the sauce
without cooking it after a worker revealed that important secret. The sauce will
eventually cook when it goes through the oven on the pizza. Meanwhile, in the
back, some of that sauce is packaged into to-go cups and chilled until it's
served to customers as Crazy Sauce for dipping. 

You can make 21 Crazy Puffs clones in 2 batches using a 12-cup muffin pan coated
with butter-flavored oil spray. I've made sure to include instructions for both
versions: pepperoni and cheese & herb. Because choices are nice.

Find more of my Little Caesar's copycat recipes here.

Read more
Score: 5.00 (votes: 1)

RED ROBIN ENSENADA CHICKEN

This chain’s most popular chicken dish owes its appeal to two delicious sauces
and the great way they work together. The dark red ancho chili sauce wakes the
chicken with big, bold lime and chili flavors, and the salsa ranch drizzled over
the top contributes a delicious, cooling layer of creaminess. If you like
tequila lime chicken and fiesta chicken entrees from other restaurants, you'll
really love this recipe.

For my Red Robin Ensenada Chicken copycat recipe, you have the option of cooking
the brined chicken on an outdoor barbecue grill, on a flat grill, or in a sauté
pan. It’s unclear which cooking method Red Robin uses for the chicken since the
photo of the dish in the menu clearly shows grill marks as if cooked on a grate,
while my take-home sample of the dish showed signs of being cooked on a flat
surface. In the end, either way works.

The standout secret ingredient in this recipe is the A-1 sauce used in the ancho
chili sauce, which contributes perfect fruity sweet-and-sour notes. That may
sound like a strange addition, but it’s not unusual for Worcestershire sauce to
be called for in ancho sauce, and A-1 is similar in many ways to Worcestershire.

The recipe makes 1 1/3 cups each of the ancho sauce and salsa ranch, so after
you make these servings, you’ll still have plenty of the goodness left over for
more chicken later or for other dishes.

Find more of your favorite Red Robin copycat recipes here.

Read more
Not rated yet

IHOP PROTEIN POWER PANCAKES

Protein is very powerful these days. According to a 2024 International Food
Information Council survey, 71% of participants are trying to eat more protein.
That's up from 67% in 2023, and 59% in 2022. Noting the trend, manufacturers
have been developing ways to add protein to more products, and restaurants are
following suit, as IHOP did with this new protein-packed stack.

For my IHOP Protein Power Pancakes recipe, I carefully measured ingredients and
calculated protein so that your counterfeit pancakes have 10 grams of protein
each, just like the real ones—a stack of four pancakes like you get in the
restaurant weighs in at a hefty 40 grams of protein.

Also, as with the restaurant version, most protein is added as unflavored whey
protein powder. I made sure to use the same combination of flour as the chain,
including oat flour, which you can buy already ground or grind to flour yourself
with a coffee grinder or small food processor.

Once your batter is mixed, cook the pancakes on a well-buttered flat grill or on
two or three non-stick sauté pans to make at least two pancakes at a time. The
recipe yields 16 pancakes, so cooking multiple flapjacks simultaneously will
streamline the process.  

Check out my other IHOP recipe clones here.

Read more
Not rated yet

CHEESECAKE FACTORY CUBAN SANDWICH

After a recent search for the best Cuban sandwich from a national chain, I found
the winner at Cheesecake Factory. It had all the elements you want from a good
Cuban: roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, all on a toasted
roll. After just one bite, I knew I needed to clone it, and my fate was sealed.

For any good Cuban sandwich, the star of the show is the roasted pork, so I
started there. After marinating, searing, baking, and braising several pork
loins, I was sure I had found the best way to flavor and cook it. The trick to
keeping the typically lean pork from drying out and becoming tough was to brine,
sear, wrap, and bake it until it hit 145 degrees in the middle.

Starting with good bread is also important, so you’ll want to track down some
Cuban sandwich rolls. If you can’t find Cuban rolls, you can also use French or
Italian rolls. Just be sure they’re on the soft side and not too crusty. A
panini press is preferred for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, you can
use a heavy pan as a weight to press down on the sandwich as it browns on one
side, then flip the sandwich over to brown the other side.

Try my Cheesecake Factory Cuban Sandwich copycat recipe below, and click here
for more of my copycat recipes for Cheesecake Factory's famous cheesecakes,
appetizers, entrées, soups and more!

Read more
Score: 5.00 (votes: 2)

MAGGIANO'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Not sure why I got called out at Maggiano’s. Perhaps I asked too many questions.
Whatever the reason, my cover was blown on this clandestine meatball mission.

While sitting at the restaurant bar enjoying a side of Maggiano’s fantastic
meatballs, Adrian, the manager, poked his head around the corner and asked, “Are
you the guy who copied our tenderloin medallions recipe?” He was right. Several
years ago, I posted my version of the chain’s signature dish, so I was forced to
admit that it was me. I thought that would end my intel gathering for the day,
but the opposite happened.

“I couldn’t believe how close you got,” he said, referring to the balsamic cream
sauce on the medallions. I thanked him for the compliment and told him the dish
was one of my favorites, and I had to clone it right. There was a vibe of mutual
respect, so I saw an opportunity to ask him questions about the chain's
meatballs, including the meats used. Adrian told me that Maggiano’s uses just
ground chuck and not a blend of meats often used in meatballs, such as pork and
veal.

Thanks to Adrian I had some good information for starting my recipe. Still, I
was about to get even more valuable tips when, five minutes later, Maggiano’s
executive chef Alberto, with a thick Italian accent, came out to say “hello.”

Alberto explained the braising process they use to make the delicious meatballs
so fall-apart tender. He also stressed the importance of forming the meatballs
loosely in your hands and not packing the meat. "These are meatballs, not
snowballs", he says. In Alberto’s kitchen, you should be able to “cut the
meatballs with a plastic spoon.”

So, with the helpful tips from Adrian and Alberto, I present my version of the
chain’s fabulous meatballs and hacked marinara sauce, for the closest copycat
recipe you’ll ever get.

Try my Maggiano's Italian Meatballs copycat recipe below, and find more of my
Maggiano's copycat recipes here. 

Read more
Not rated yet

PINKBERRY ORIGINAL (TART) FROZEN YOGURT

Every recipe I found online claiming to duplicate the tart frozen fat-free
yogurt popularized by this 250-unit California-based chain—including one
designed by chefs at Food Network Magazine—calls for Greek yogurt as the main
ingredient when there is no Greek yogurt in the real thing. Plain fat-free
yogurt is mentioned in the ingredients statement, and a worker at the store
confirmed this fact. 

The tartness in the yogurt comes from citric acid, sometimes called "sour salt,"
which you can find in many grocery stores or online. For my original Pinkberry
Frozen Yogurt copycat recipe, you'll add the hydrocolloid found in the real
thing (a gel that simulates fat) by using fat-free half-and-half, which contains
natural vegetable gums to create a smooth mouthfeel and a less icy texture.

Mix these six ingredients, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and in
about 20 minutes, you'll have five cups of tart soft-serve frozen yogurt that
tastes just like the famous original.    

Try more of my famous dessert copycat recipes here.

Source: Top Secret Restaurant Step-By-Step by Todd Wilbur.

Read more
Not rated yet

PANERA BREAD MAC & CHEESE

Tender pasta must swim in a thick, creamy white cheddar cheese sauce for a home
mac and cheese recipe to perfectly match Panera’s take on the dish. The sauce
must be smooth as silk and not at all grainy, as many cheddar cheese sauces,
especially white cheddar sauces, can be. And the flavor must be so good that
when you get to the bottom of the bowl, you instantly crave some more.

For my Panera Bread Mac & Cheese copycat recipe, you’ll want to use pipette
pasta for the most similar clone, but any curvy pasta will do, such as elbows or
small shells. The real secret here is the sauce, which can be a challenging hack
since sharp cheese tends to melt poorly and create grainy and broken sauces, and
all the white cheddar I found was either sharp or extra sharp.

With that melting challenge in mind, I chose to control the consistency of the
sauce in three ways: with a flour roux, a cornstarch slurry, and by adding
several slices of Kraft white American cheese Singles. That particular type of
cheese contains sodium citrate, a magical additive that emulsifies the sauce and
prevents the cheese from separating. If you can’t find Kraft Singles, look for
another sliced white American cheese that contains sodium citrate. The flour and
cornstarch are there to help thicken the sauce to the same consistency as the
chain's delicious secret recipe.

Find more of your favorite Panera Bread copycat recipes here.

Read more
Score: 5.00 (votes: 3)

JACK IN THE BOX SMASHED JACK BURGER & BOSS SAUCE

In 2024, Jack-in-the-Box introduced the chain’s best-reviewed burger, the
Smashed Jack, with a ¼-pound “smashed-inspired” burger, grilled onions, and a
new secret sauce. A press release from Jack-in-the-Box claimed that consumers in
a taste test picked the new Smashed Jack as the best burger compared to
McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King burgers.

You may have guessed that “smashed-inspired” means that these burgers aren’t
prepared like burgers that are smashed with a press or heavy spatula on the
grill—a process that triggers the Maillard reaction when amino acids and sugars
are browned to give food a flavorful crust. But Jack-in-the-Box created a secret
shortcut for speed and consistency that still gives the burgers that crust and
the appearance of smashing without relying on cooks to actually smash them.

For my Jack-in-the-Box Smashed Jack copycat recipe, we’ll smash the burger for
real, but we’ll start with a knockoff of the new Boss Sauce, which gets its
smokey flavor from just a little bit of liquid smoke. Once that sauce is done,
it’s time to cook the burger patty, which I found is best copied with ground
Angus beef. Use a press or heavy spatula to press down on the burger as it cooks
to create a browned crust on both sides of the patty.

After the burger is flipped, grilled onions are stacked on top, followed by
American cheese. Then, the burger is finished with thick pickles and lots of
your copycat Boss Sauce. This recipe shows you how to make one burger, but
you’ll have enough leftover secret sauce to make several more.

If you're a fan of Jack in the Box Jumbo Jack or any of Jack's Shakes, or their
famous tacos, click here for my clone recipes.



Read more
Score: 5.00 (votes: 2)

WAHLBURGERS WAHL SAUCE

Chef Paul Wahlberg joined with his acting brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg to
open the first Wahlburgers restaurant in Hingham, Massachusetts in 2011, and
with the help of an A&E reality show in 2014, the chain experienced steady
growth for over a decade, opening the 100th restaurant in February 2024.

The famous family was a fantastic promotion machine for the chain, but let’s
face it, the restaurant wouldn’t have become successful if the food didn't taste
good. The secret to the chain’s great-tasting beef patties is a custom blend of
Angus chuck, brisket, and short rib, and it’s the super secret Wahl Sauce that
puts their burgers over the top. Once I tasted the chain’s signature “Our
Burger,” it became clear that I needed to make a home copy of that special
sauce, stat.

For my Wahlburgers Wahl Sauce copycat recipe, it takes just nine common
ingredients to replicate the spread, with lots of finely minced onion and
sriracha sauce as standout ingredients that contribute to the special taste.
This formula will give you one cup of sauce to use on your home burgers or as a
dip for a variety of finger foods, but let it sit for a bit before you use it so
that the flavors can mingle.

Find more of my copycat recipes for famous sauces here.

Read more
‹›


CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEW RECIPES
Never miss a secret
Subscribe to Todd Wilbur’s newsletter and be the first to know what’s free and
what’s new!

Subscribe





WHAT'S HOT

 * STARBUCKS DARK TOFFEE BUNDT
   
    * $0.79
   
   

 * SHAKEY'S MOJO POTATOES
   
    * $0.00
   
   

 * PANERA BREAD CINNAMON CRUNCH SCONE
   
    * $0.00
   
   

 * IHOP CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT
   
    * $0.00
   
   

 * JOE'S STONE CRAB JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKES
   
    * $0.00
   
   

 * MAGGIANO'S BEEF TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS
   
    * $0.00
   
   

 * BOSTON MARKET MEATLOAF
   
    * $0.79
   
   

 * WONDERFUL CHILI ROASTED PISTACHIOS
   
    * $0.79
   
   


Join Now
You Won 10% OFF
Try Again
You Won 20% OFF
Try Again
You Won 5% OFF
Spin the Wheel




A SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR YOU!

SPIN THE WHEEL AND GET AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER ON YOUR PURCHASE. HURRY TO CLAIM YOUR
COUPON BEFORE IT EXPIRES.


SPIN!

WOOHOO!

YOU’VE WON 10% OFF!

Your discount code is
###
Continue shopping


MAYBE NEXT TIME...



Continue shopping
Close
 * Browse All Recipes
   * Restaurants
   * Brands
   * Categories

 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

 * Quick Links
   * About
   * FAQ
   * Contact Us
   * Privacy



© 1996 - 2024 Top Secret Recipes. All rights reserved.

Powered by X-Cart

✕
Do not sell or share my personal information.
You have chosen to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your information from this
site and any of its affiliates. To opt back in please click the "Customize my ad
experience" link.

This site collects information through the use of cookies and other tracking
tools. Cookies and these tools do not contain any information that personally
identifies a user, but personal information that would be stored about you may
be linked to the information stored in and obtained from them. This information
would be used and shared for Analytics, Ad Serving, Interest Based Advertising,
among other purposes.

For more information please visit this site's Privacy Policy.
CANCEL
CONTINUE

Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.

Do not sell or share my personal information.
A Raptive Partner Site

Cancel