BISQUICK ORIGINAL ALL-PURPOSE BAKING MIX

You’ve got a hankerin’ for pancakes or biscuits, but the recipe calls for Bisquick and you’re plum out. Not to worry. Now you can make a clone of the popular baking mix at home with just four simple ingredients. Store-bought Bisquick includes shortening, salt, flour, and leavening, so that’s exactly what we need to duplicate it perfectly at home.This recipe makes about 6 cups of the stuff, which, just like the real thing, you can keep sealed up in a container in your pantry until it’s flapjack time. When that time comes, just add milk and eggs for pancakes or waffles, or only milk if it’s biscuits you want.You’ll find all those recipes below in Tidbits.

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the shortening and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until all the shortening is blended with the flour.
3. Use the mix as you would the real thing by following the directions on the box (see Tidbits below).
• MAKES 6 CUPS.

Tidbits
Use the following recipes to make pancakes, waffles, and biscuits with the cloned version of the mix as you would with the real thing:
Pancakes
Stir 2 cups Bisquick clone mix with 1 cup milk and 2 eggs in a bowl until blended. Pour ¼ cup portions onto a hot griddle and cook until the edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden on the other side. Makes 14 pancakes.

Waffles
Stir 2 cups Bisquick clone mix with 1⅓ cups milk, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a bowl until blended. Pour onto a hot waffle iron and bake until the steaming stops. Makes twelve 4-inch waffles.

Biscuits
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Stir 2 ¼ cups Bisquick clone mix with ⅔ cup milk.When a dough forms, turn it out onto a surface and sprinkle with extra mix. Knead 10 times. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick and cut with a 2 ½-inch cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 9 biscuits.

CARNEGIE DELI CLASSIC NEW YORK CITY CHEESECAKE

Carnegie Deli’s huge pastrami sandwiches were selected as the best in New York by New York Magazine in 1975, but it’s the cheesecakes, which can be shipped anywhere in the country, that really put this famous deli on the map. The secret to accurately cloning a traditional New York cheesecake is in creating the perfect not-too-sweet sugar cookie crust and varying the baking temperature so that you get a nicely browned top before cooking the cheesecake through. Get ready for the best deli-style cheesecake to ever come out of your oven.

1. Leave the butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes to soften. Make the crust by creaming together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg and mix well. Add the flour and stir well to combine.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, then press half of the dough

onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the edge of the dough begins to turn light brown. Cool.

3. Take the remaining dough and press it around the inside edge of the pan. Don’t go all the way up to the top though. Leave about a ½-inch margin from the top of the pan.

4. Crank oven up to 500 degrees F. To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in the sour cream and flour. Add the eggs and mix on low speed until combined.

5. Pour the cream cheese filling into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes more, or until the center is firm. Cool completely, then cover and chill in refrigerator for several hours or overnight before serving.

• SERVES 8.

CARL’S JR. THE SIX DOLLAR BURGER

In 2001 this West Coast chain came up with a great idea: Clone the type of burger you’d get at a casual restaurant chain such as Chili’s or T.G.I. Friday’s for around six bucks, but sell it for just $3.95. It’s ⅓ pound of ground beef stacked on top of plenty of fixings, including red onion and those sweet-tasting bread-and-butter pickle slices. And the cost of a Six Dollar Burger gets even lower when you make your own version at home: How does less than two bucks grab ya?

1. Preheat a barbecue or indoor grill to medium heat.
2. Form the ground beef into a patty with a slightly larger diameter than the sesame seed bun.
3. Grill the burger for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until done. Be sure to lightly salt and pepper each side of the patty.
4. While the patty grills, brown the faces of the bun in a hot skillet over medium heat.
5. After the buns have browned, spread about 1½ teaspoons of mayonnaise on the face of the top bun half, as well as on the bottom bun half.

6. Spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on the face of the top bun half, followed by 2 teaspoons of ketchup.

7. Arrange 3 or 4 bread-and-butter pickle slices on the bottom bun half.

8. Arrange the lettuce leaf on the pickles, followed by the tomato slices and red onion.

9. When the beef is cooked, arrange 2 slices of American cheese on the patty, let it melt a bit, then place the top bun half on the cheese and scoop up the whole thing with a spatula and place it on the bottom half of the burger.

• MAKES 1 HAMBURGER.

BURGER KING ZESTY ONION RING SAUCE

If you’re a big fan of onion rings from Burger King, you probably already know about the spicy dipping sauce offered from the world’s number two burger chain (it’s not always on the menu, and you usually have to request it). The creamy, mayo-based sauce seems to be inspired by the dipping sauce served with Outback’s signature Bloomin’ Onion appetizer, since both sauces contain similar ingredients, among them horseradish and cayenne pepper. If you’re giving the clone for Burger King Onion Rings a try, whip up some of this sauce and go for a dip. It’s just as good with low-fat mayonnaise if you’re into that. And the stuff works real well as a spread for burgers and sandwiches or for dipping artichokes.

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before using.
• MAKES ½ CUP.

BURGER KING ONION RINGS

Since McDonald’s doesn’t sell onion rings, these crunchy, golden hoops from the world’s number two restaurant chain are the most popular onion rings in the world.There are more than 12,000 Burger Kings in 61 countries these days, and after french fries, onion rings are the second-most popular companion to the chain’s signature Whopper sandwich. Check out how simple it is to clone a whopping four dozen onion rings from one onion, using this triple-breading process. When frying, trans-fat-free vegetable shortening makes for the best clone, but you can get by fine using vegetable oil if that’s the way you want to go. Check out the next recipe to clone the Zesty Onion Ring Dipping Sauce for adding a little zing to your rings.

1. In a fryer, heat up 6 to 10 cups of vegetable shortening or oil (use the amount required by your fryer) to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the onion into ¼-inch-thick slices, then separate the slices into rings.
3. Pour the milk into a large shallow bowl, dump flour into another large shallow bowl, and pour bread crumbs into a third large shallow bowl. The large shallow bowls will make breading easier. Easy is good.
4. While the shortening is heating up, bread all the onion rings: First dip an onion ring into the milk, then into the flour. Dip it back into the milk, then into the bread crumbs, and once more into the milk and into the bread crumbs. This will give each of the rings a nice thick breading. Arrange the breaded rings on a plate until all of them are breaded.
5. When the oil is hot, fry the rings, a handful at a time, in the oil for 1½ to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rings from the oil to a rack or paper towels to drain. Lightly salt the onion rings and serve ’em up hot.
• MAKES 4 TO 5 DOZEN ONION RINGS.

BUDWEISER CHELADA

If you’ve never had a Chelada, the idea of mixing beer with Clamato juice may make your stomach turn. This odd combination of beverages has origins in Mexico that date back to the 1940s, when beer was mixed with lime, salt, and hot sauce or salsa. In early 2008, Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser) and Cadbury Schweppes (Clamato) teamed up to produce the first canned Chelada beverage, which they dubbed “The Red One,” and after a successful launch in select western states, the product is now exploding across the country. Many swear by the drink as a remarkable hangover cure, and after some extensive personal experimentation, I must concur.

Combine all the ingredients in an 18-ounce glass or small pitcher, stir gently, and serve.
• MAKES 1 SERVING.

BOSTON MARKET SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This popular pick from Boston Market may be called a side dish, but it tastes more like dessert. With the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter in there, and the oatmeal streusel on top, you will be reminded of sweet potato pie; yet the dish goes great alongside meals as varied as low-key chicken dinners or bigger-key holiday banquets. And the great part is, if you’re planning to use this for entertaining, you can make everything but the streusel a day ahead so you won’t be stressed at crunch time. Just cover the filled baking dish and pop it in the fridge. Take it out a few hours before you plan to bake it so the casserole can come close to room temperature, then you simply top it off with your streusel and pop the whole thing in the oven.

1. To make the sweet potatoes, place them on a baking sheet and pop them into a preheated 400 degree F oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until they are tender. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scrape out the insides and use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the potatoes until they are mashed and smooth. Measure exactly 6 cups of the mashed sweet potatoes into a large bowl.
2. Add the brown sugar, heavy cream, melted butter, cinnamon, and salt to the sweet potatoes and mix well with the beater until all the ingredients are incorporated. Pour this mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
3. Now set the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Make the oatmeal streusel by grinding the rolled oats to a coarse flour using a food processor. Make sure there are still visible bits of oats in there. A blender will also work.
5. Combine the oat flour with the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut the cold butter into the dry mixture using a pastry knife or a fork.You should have a crumbly mixture with pea-size bits. Sprinkle this oatmeal streusel over the sweet potato mixture and pop it into the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top begins to brown slightly.
6. When you remove the casserole from the oven, immediately spread the marshmallows over the top. Let this sit for about 10 minutes.The heat from the casserole will melt the marshmallows, and then it’s ready to serve.
• MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS.

BOSTON MARKET BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Here’s a technique for making flavorful butternut squash that’s crazy easy. Most of your time will be spent cutting the squash into 1-inch cubes so that you can steam it. Use a sharp peeler to remove the tough skin, then skip on over to the chopping block (but please, no skipping with a sharp knife). You can alternately use a microwave to cook the squash whole (see Tidbits), although I prefer the texture from good old-fashioned steaming. After the squash is cooked, mash it up, mix in the other ingredients, and you’ve got a great side that fits right in with many meals, especially spicy dishes. Since this squash comes in varying sizes, you may want to start with just ¼ teaspoon of salt, give it a taste, then add more to suit you and your buds.

1. Cut the squash into quarters. Remove the seeds and slice off the skin, then chop the squash into 1-inch cubes. Put the squash in a steamer rack in a large saucepan over boiling water and cover. Steam for 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
2. When the squash has cooked, use a potato masher to mash the squash until smooth in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and continue mashing until everything is mixed in. Let the squash sit for at least 10 minutes so that the flavors can mingle. Reheat in the microwave for a minute or so before serving.
• MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
Tidbits
If you want to cook the squash in the microwave, poke several deep slices in the whole squash with a paring knife. Microwave the squash on high for 20 minutes, or until you see all of the tough outer skin change color. The entire surface of the squash should be tender. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then slice it in half and scoop out the seeds with an ice-cream scoop. Toss those, then scoop the good stuff into a bowl and proceed with the recipe from step #2.

BAJA FRESH SALSA BAJA

You won’t find freezers, can openers, or microwave ovens at this national Mexican food chain. Since 1990 Baja Fresh has been serving up great food, made fresh with each order. As you’re waiting for your food to come out, that’s when you hit up the salsa bar, where you’ll find several varieties of delicious fresh salsa, from hot to mild, ready to be spooned into little tubs that you can take to your table or to your car. One of the most popular selections is called Salsa Baja: Its medium spiciness, smoky flavor, and deep black color make the salsa unique and mysterious. That is, until now, since I’ve got a Top Secret formula for you right here. Blacken the tomatoes and jalapeños on your grill, then dump all the ingredients into a blender. Now you’re just a button press away from 3 cups of amazing homemade salsa.

1. Preheat the barbecue grill to high heat.

2. Place 6 of the tomatoes, stem-side-down (remove any stems), directly on the grill. Roast the tomatoes over the flame for 10 to 20 minutes.When the tomatoes are very charred and blackened on the first side, flip them over and continue to grill for another 10 to 20 minutes, until most of the surface of each tomato is black. When you flip over the tomatoes, add the jalapeños to the grill (take the stem off first). The jalapeño skin will blacken like the tomatoes.Turn the peppers as they cook so that all the skin darkens.

3. Take the tomatoes and peppers off the grill and put them in a bowl to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Dump the tomatoes and peppers and any liquid in the bowl into a blender. Add the garlic and salt and blend on high speed until pureed. Add the water and lime juice and blend again on high speed for 30 to 45 seconds. As the blackened bits of tomato are chopped finer, the sauce will darken.

4. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Dice the remaining tomato and add it to the salsa. Add the onion and cilantro, then let the salsa cool in the refrigerator.

• MAKES 3 CUPS.

ARBY’S HORSEY SAUCE

Even though Arby’s has diversified its menu over the years with toasted subs and deli-style sandwiches on sliced whole wheat bread, it’s the thinly sliced roast beef piled high on hamburger buns that originally made this chain famous. Since roast beef and horseradish go so beautifully together, Arby’s created this delicious mayo-based horseradish sauce as a spread for the roast beef sandwiches. It also happens to be great on your homemade sandwiches too, but it just isn’t cool to hoard handfuls of those blister packs to take home with you. So, with the help of this secret formula, you can clone as much Horsey Sauce as you want. First step: Get out the blender. You’ll need it to puree the horseradish into the mix so that the sauce is smooth and creamy like the real deal.

1. In a small dish, dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar.
2. Measure the mayonnaise and horseradish into a blender. Add the vinegar solution, and then fire up the blender to medium speed for about 10 seconds, or until the sauce is smooth.
3. Pour the sauce into a container, cover, and chill it for at least a couple of hours to let the flavors get happy.
• MAKES 1 CUP.