Looking for a way to spice things up this summer? Kick it in the kitchen with some fan-favorite restaurant copycat recipes that will make you a food hero with your friends and family.

Below are delicious, homemade copycat recipes for Torchy’s queso, crispy Chick-fil-A nuggets, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake.

Torchy’s Queso

Torchy’s queso is straight from heaven. It’s a mixture of multiple cheeses, Diablo sauce, guacamole and peppers, culminating in a famous dip.

Senior Susan Robison said, “Torchy’s queso has the perfect blend of spices which gives it a little more flavor. For making it at home, I recommend to make sure to include the spicy sauce, and do not forget the guac.”

Here is the copycat recipe for Torchy’s queso from

https://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/copycat-torchys-queso/:

Ingredients:

16 oz fire roasted salsa

4 oz chopped green chiles

32 oz Velveeta

1/3 cup cream

Instructions:

-Mix together all ingredients over medium heat until melted and hot.

-Stir continuously

-Pour into medium sized container

-Top with a small scoop of guacamole, cilantro, queso fresco, and drizzle with Diablo sauce (or any enjoyable hot sauce)

Chick-fil-A Nuggets

Who doesn’t enjoy Chick-fil-A’s chicken nuggets? When making this recipe, don’t worry about ordering only six or eight or twelve–make as many as you want.

Freshman Avery Doyle said, “These lil nugs are from heaven themselves because once you bite into the golden crisp exterior and hit the chicken middle, it makes you just want to eat a million more. To make a homemade recipe even more successful, I recommend making (or buying) the famous Chick-fil-A sauce to complement the nuggets.”

Find the copycat recipe at https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/copycat-chick-fil-a-nuggets/2b483ee0-a13e-4a3f-bf0b-9b26099c6e24:

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken cut into 1oz chunks

½ cup dill pickle juice

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp seasoned salt

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp paprika

2 qts neutral oil, for frying

Instructions:

-Add chunks of chicken into large bowl with pickle juice and let it marinate for about 20 minutes.

-Preheat oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a heavy saucepan. In one bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. In a second bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.

-Drain the marinated chicken well and pat dry with paper towels.

-To coat nuggets, dredge each piece in the dry ingredients, then the egg mixture, then back again in the dry ingredients to give the nuggets a nice crust. Place the nugget on a baking rack and repeat until all pieces of chicken are breaded.

-Fry nuggets in batches in a heavy sauce pan for 6-7 minutes until they are golden brown and cooked through.

-Test a larger piece by cutting it in half and making sure it is cooked all the way through.

-Remove nuggets from oil and drain on a few paper towels. Serve while warm.

Red Lobster Biscuits

Next is the best part of any Red Lobster experience – the Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Warm, chewy, cheesy and delightful are few of the words to describe these biscuits.

Senior Alex Caesar said, “There is nothing better than the deep cheddar melting alongside salted butter mixed with a doughy greatness to transport your stomach to paradise. I am an avid supporter of incorporating these biscuits into every meal.”

The recipe can also be found at http://www.genuiskitchen.com/recipe/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits-31206:

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 tbsp butter

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

-Combine Bisquick with 4 tbsp of the butter using a large fork.

-Add milk and cheddar cheese.

-Stir together.

-Spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

-Bake 8-10 minutes.

-In a small saucepan, combine the other two tbsp. of butter, garlic powder, and Old Bay Seasoning.

-Heat until butter is melted.

-Spoon butter mixture over hot biscuits.

Starbuck’s Pound Cake

Finally, while Starbucks has many different, delicious snacks, their iced lemon pound cake is a crowd favorite.

Junior Colton Smith said, “I love Starbucks’ lemon pound cake because it is dense and fluffy at the same time, and it is iced to perfection. My one recommendation for making it at home is to make a lot of it.”

Find the recipe also online at http://www.the36thavenue.com/starbucks-lemon-pound-cake-copycat/:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

3 eggs, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon extract

1/3 cup lemon juice

½ cup vegetable oil

Zest of one lemon

For Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp whole milk

½ tsp lemon extract

Instructions:

For cake:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9’ x 5’ loaf pan; set aside.

-Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

-In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon juice with an electric mixer until just blended.

-Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Add oil and lemon zest and mix well.

-Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick entered in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

For glaze

-Whisk to combine. Pour over cooled loaf.

Try at least one of these copycat recipes for a fun, successful and yummy summer.