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Last month they closed down my local Macaroni Grill.  My girlfriend and I loved to dine there!  Once I learned this news I went right to the web and found that the nearest Macaroni Grill is over an hour away!  I’m not worried though, I’ll just recreate my favorite dishes at home at a fraction of the cost of eating out.  I hope you enjoy this copycat recipe for Macaroni Grill’s Penne Rustica

Gratinata Sauce:
2 teaspoon Butter
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown but do not burn the garlic.
Add marsala wine and then reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients and reduce by half of original volume.
Set aside.

Penne Rustica:
1 oz. pancetta or bacon
18 shrimp peeled and deveined
12 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced
4 1/2 cups of granita sauce
3 lbs. cooked Penne Pasta
3 teaspoons pimentos, minced
6 oz. butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Saute pancetta until it begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent, you do not want to overcook the shrimp or else it will be rubbery. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and simmer until the sauce thickens.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.

With all these great Olive Garden copycat recipes, I rarely ever go out to the restaurant.  I save so much money when I prepare dishes like this at home.  It also allows me to get creative and make some interesting twists in the original recipes flavor.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ lb ground beef
6 oz Italian sausage, skinned
1 cup red wine
18 oz can crushed tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (1/4 tsp dry)
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped (1/4 tsp dry)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 lbs Tortelloni
Parmesan cheese, freshly grate

Heat oil in a large pan.  Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic and cook about 5 minutes. Add meat and cook 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze the pan with wine; let reduce.  Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer for about 1 hour more.
Toss the hot, drained pasta with the sauce.  Top with parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.

When i lived in Florida I would eat at Shoney’s all the time.  Unfortunately, we don’t have any near us here in NY.  The broccoli casserole was always so good, and now I can just prepare this dish at home!  I made this last night with a roast beef dinner and it came out great.
6 cups broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 lbs. Velveeta cheese
2 eggs
3 Cups cooked rice
3 Cups half and half
1 Cup Ritz crackers, crushed
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl for about 20 seconds.  Add broccoli florets, cooked rice, salt and pepper.  Mix the ingredients together until evenly combined.  Dice the Velveeta into 1/4−inch pieces.  Place the cheese and half−and−half in a microwave safe container.  Cover and microwave for 2 minutes on medium power or until cheese is melted. Add to ingredients in the bowl and mix together.  Spray 9−inch pan with cooking spray. Pour casserole mixture into pan.  Place in a 350 degrees F preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Top the casserole with the crushed Ritz crackers and shredded cheddar cheese and cook for about 5 minutes more, or until the cheese melts and the crackers brown.

Here is a great copycat recipe for anyone with a sweet tooth!  This recipe takes oreo’s to the next level like only The Cheesecake Factory can do.  With this simple recipe, you can prepare this cheesecake at home like a pro!

Ingredients

Filling
1 1/2 pound cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
8 ounces sour cream
5 Oreo cookies (coarsely chopped for the batter)
10 coarsely chopped Oreo cookies for the topping

Crust
1 1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (about 25 Oreo cookies finely chopped)
2 tablespoon melted butter
9″ spring form pan (buttered on bottom and sides)

1. Mix melted butter with Oreo crumbs and press in the bottom of the spring pan and 1 1/2″ up the sides, set aside.
2.All Ingredients must be at room temperature before beginning.  Beat cream cheese with a mixer on low until fluffy.
3. Slowly add sugar and continue beating cream cheese until mixed well.
4. Add eggs one at a time and continue to beat until blended.
5. Measure the vanilla, salt and flour, pour into cream cheese and egg mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and beat.
6. Stir in the coarsely chopped oreo cookies with a spoon.
7. Pour cream cheese into the spring pan and place the nine coarsely chopped Oreo Cookies on to of the cream mixture.
8. Place pan on the top rack and in the middle of a preheated oven at 325 degrees F and bake for one hour and 15 minutes.
9.After that time, keep oven door open and let the cheese cake stay in the oven for one hour. Remove from oven and let cool enough to place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Serves 4-6

My mother loves key lime pie, and always orders it when I take her to Outback Steakhouse.  She was amazed when I made this recipe at home for her, she thought I had ordered take out!

Ingredients

Filling
1 cup water
3 cups sugar
1 package unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon salt
3 limes , juice of
1 cup condensed milk

Crust
1 stick butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1.To prepare the filling, heat water, sugar, gelatin, salt and lime juice in pot but do not boil.
2.Then mix in condensed milk and heat again without boiling.
3.To prepare the crust, place butter in a pan and melt.
4. Mix in crumbs until it makes a crust-like substance.
5. Pour filling into crust and let cool.
Makes 1 Pie

1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or the ginger is well−pureed and everything is mixed together.

Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Summer is just around the corner, and what goes great on a hot summer afternoon?  Fresh squeezed lemonade!
1 quart water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
sparkling water (not tonic water)
Mix the water, sugar and lemon juice together.  Fill a tall glass 2/3 to 3/4 with the lemon juice mixture then fill with sparkling water.

Enjoy!  Garnish with a mint leaf if you like.