Clones

Some of our favorite recipes are "clones" from different restaurants/bakeries. I really like the "Top Secret Recipes" cookbook series by Todd Wilbur. Most everything we've made from his books turns out really good. (I don't know if it's always just like the restaurant, but good anyway!)

Here's a few of our family favorites (& the recipes below). If we've ever fed you, there's a good chance it's been one of these:

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce (we like it best when Tom grills chicken with a little Lawry's Season salt. He cuts it into strips and we put it on the pasta with the sauce)
Chili's Monterey Chicken (I got this recipe from my friend & talented cook Chris Jenkins, she was the one who "cloned" it. It's a good one for feeding the missionaries too :)
IHOP Cinn-a-stack Pancakes
Mint Chocolate Cake (my mom cloned this one from Glauss Bakery in SLC, UT--There's a picture of it in the post of Ashley's b-day below)

Here's the recipes:

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the cream, garlic powder, and pepper and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until thick.
When the Alfredo sauce has reached your desired consistency, stir in the Parmesan cheese.

“Chilli’s” Monterey Chicken

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Kraft Honey Hickory BBQ Sauce
Bacon, cooked & cut in small pieces
Colby-Jack Cheese, shredded
Tomatoes, diced
Green Onion, sliced
Italian Dressing

Marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing overnight. Grill or broil chicken breasts. Put a little BBQ sauce in the bottom of baking dish, set chicken in & brush it with BBQ sauce. Layer with bacon, green onions, tomatoes, and cheese. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.

IHOP Cinn-a-Stacks

Cinnamon Sauce

¼ cup butter (salted)
¾ cup dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp. half-and-half
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. half-and-half, cinnamon, salt and cloves and cook while stirring constantly until mixture comes to a simmer. Immediately remove sauce from the heat, add remaining tablespoon of half-and-half and stir in the flour.

Cream Cheese Icing

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Combine ingredients for cream cheese icing in a medium bowl. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer until smooth.

To assemble, spread about a tablespoon of cinnamon sauce on top of each pancake, as you stack them. Drizzle cream cheese icing over the top, and finish off your stack with a dollop of whipped cream.

Chocolate Mint Cake

Chocolate Cake:

Devil’s Food Cake mix (choose one with pudding in the mix)
1 cup sour cream (Fat Free or low fat works fine)
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Place the cake mix, sour cream, water, oil & eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more.

Bake according to cake mix box directions.

Mint Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup butter flavored Crisco
3-4 T. milk
½ tsp. mint extract (or to taste)
green food coloring

Place powdered sugar in large mixing bowl. Add shortening, butter, extract, a few drops of green food coloring and milk beginning with 2-3 Tbsp. milk at first and add more if necessary later. Blend about 5-10 minutes at medium to high speed until creamy/fluffy. If using a hand mixer, stop occasionally to prevent mixer from overheating.

Fudge-y Topping

5 Tbsp. butter
1 c. sugar
½ c. milk

Melt on stove until boiling. Boil 1 minute, making sure all sugar crystals are dissolved, wipe down sides of pan if necessary.

Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips until melted.

Let it cool till it’s a little thicker and spread on top of the cake. Push a little over the edges.