| I don't know about you, but I love eating out at | | | | 1/2 Cup water |
| restaurants. The problem is that my budget doesn't | | | | 1 lb. cooked chicken, cubed or pulled |
| always support it since even a simple meal out at a | | | | 1 Cup cream |
| restaurant can cost an arm and a leg. The good | | | | 1/4 Cup non-fat sour cream |
| news is that rather than having to miss out on your | | | | 8 oz. processed cheese, 1-inch cubes |
| favorite meals because you are on a limited budget | | | | 10 (6-inch) colored or yellow corn tortillas, 1/4-inch |
| you can use a "copycat recipe" to make your | | | | strips, fried |
| favorite restaurant dishes at home. | | | | Roughly chopped Fresh cilantro (optional) |
| These recipes are reverse engineered to make a dish | | | | Sauté oil, garlic and onions in large pan until |
| that tastes just like that one you have at the | | | | soft. Add the vegetable oil, chicken stock, green |
| restaurant. The difference is that instead of having | | | | pepper, tomato puree, jalapeño pepper, salt, |
| to pay the huge price tag for a restaurant meal, you | | | | pepper, sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce and |
| just pick up the ingredients at the grocery store and | | | | hot sauce. Bring to low boil, then reduce heat and |
| make it yourself for a fraction of the cost. Not only | | | | simmer 20 minutes. Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch strips |
| that, but by making it yourself you get leftovers, | | | | and fry in oil or spray with oil and bake at |
| too, which is always a good thing! | | | | 400ºF (while soup is cooking). Sprinkle with salt |
| As an example, here's a copycat recipe that I have | | | | if desired. Thoroughly mix flour and water, then |
| for Applebee's Cheese Chicken Tortilla Soup. | | | | whisk into soup. Bring to a low boil, then simmer 5 |
| 2 tsp. minced fresh garlic | | | | minutes. Add chicken and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in |
| 1 cup chopped yellow onion | | | | sour cream and cheese (to taste). The soup should |
| 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil | | | | be served at 165ºF. After serving soup, pile |
| 4 Cups chicken stock | | | | tortilla strips into a "haystack" shape on top of the |
| 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped | | | | soup. Optional: garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. |
| 1 can tomato puree (15 oz.) | | | | Makes 6-8 servings |
| 1 Tbsp. finely minced jalapeño pepper (optional) | | | | This recipe is delicious and is really great for cold |
| 1 tsp. sugar | | | | winter nights since soup is always a warm, filling meal. |
| 1/2 tsp. hot sauce (optional) | | | | One of the great things about this recipe is that it |
| 1 tsp. chili powder (optional) | | | | makes enough to feed an entire family and is pretty |
| 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce | | | | cheap to make. Even if you just have one or two |
| 1/2 tsp. salt | | | | people to feed the leftovers can be easily stored |
| 1/4 tsp. pepper | | | | and feed you for a few days. It's a great way to |
| 4 Tbsp. flour | | | | get restaurant-style soup on an eat at home budget. |