Some Favorites Are Better Made At Home
It can be fun treating yourself to a nice restaurant meal here and there, but it might be smart to really think about what you're ordering. It's no surprise that restaurant food is never cheap, even if some dishes are a lot cheaper to make than they seem. That's why you should save those easy-to-make dishes for home, where you know you'll get your money's worth. Here are 20 restaurant dishes you really shouldn't get because you can just make them yourself.
1. Avocado Toast
Avocado toast is tasty and trendy, but it's also the easiest restaurant dish to recreate at home. There's not even any cooking involved! All you need is bread, a ripe avocado, and some seasonings. And if you make it yourself at home, you can get fancy with it and add an egg, tomato, or more without paying for every little upgrade.
2. Spaghetti With Marinara Sauce
There's nothing wrong with loving a bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce, a dish built to be comforting, but we don't really see the need to order it a restaurant for probably triple the price it takes to make it at home. Pasta, jarred or homemade sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese will effortlessly get you pretty much the same result.
3. Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Grilled cheese is a beloved American classic, but it’s hard to justify paying restaurant prices for bread and melted cheese. You can easily make it at home with better bread, your favorite cheese, and exactly the level of crispiness you like. You even have free reign to add tomato, bacon, or a little mustard depending on your mood!
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4. Caesar Salad
As far as starters go, caesar salad might be one of the most popular and common options around, but that doesn't mean you have to order it. After all, you usually just get a very basic version, which is easy to assemble yourself. Mixing romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan, and Caesar dressing together is basically most of the work.
5. Pancakes
Whether you're eating out for breakfast or brunch, pancakes are a classic morning favorite. But while they're delicious and come in a wild varieties, they're also one of the most budget-friendly, easy-to-make foods. With cheap ingredients like flour, eggs, milk, baking powder, and a little sugar, you can whip up massive stacks for the whole family. You can also customize it to everyone's liking without paying way too much for what it is.
6. French Toast
French toast feels special, but the process is honestly simple enough for any lazy weekend morning. Save money and stay home because all it really takes is bread dipped in eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Restaurants might make them appear fancy with powdered sugar and berries, but you can do that yourself, too.
7. Nachos
Nachos are fun for the table, but if you really think about it, they’re just chips covered with toppings you can buy yourself. Tortilla chips, cheese, beans, salsa, sour cream, and jalapeños are a lot cheaper individually than what you're paying for at a restaurant! Not to mention, they often skimp on toppings without lower the costs.
8. Quesadillas
It's hard to go wrong with quesadillas, but that's because they feature just a few simple ingredients, which means they're easy and cheap to make. At its most basic level, it's really just tortilla and shredded cheese heated up, but you can add in whatever toppings you want, like chicken, peppers, and onions when you're just whipping it up yourself.
9. Loaded Baked Potatoes
Loaded baked potatoes look generous and worth every penny, but they’re built on some of the cheapest ingredients in the grocery store. Buying a potato, butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and green onions basically recreates this filling meal with very little effort (and cost).
10. Chicken Alfredo
Pasta is often seen as a difficult dish to cook, but something like chicken alfredo really isn't that difficult if you give it a shot. You don't even need that many ingredients, just some pasta, cream, butter, Parmesan, and cooked chicken. Many restaurant versions will overcharge you because they’re filling and familiar, not because it's hard to make.
11. Caprese Salad
If you've got tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar at home, skip the restaurant, save a handful of dollars, and make caprese salad at home. It's almost shocking how much a restaurant can upcharge for a dish as simple as this just because it's presented nicely!
12. Garlic Bread
We know garlic bread is hard to resist as a starter, but just think about how much cheaper it is to enjoy if you make it yourself. Bread, butter, garlic, parsley, and a little cheese can turn into a warm, flavorful snack in minutes. Once you make a whole loaf at home, and you’ll probably wonder why you ever paid for it separately.
13. Egg Fried Rice
Fried rice is a common order at any Chinese restaurant, but just think about all those leftovers in your fridge that could be used up if you just made it at home for a weeknight dinner. Day-old rice, eggs, soy sauce, vegetables, and a little oil can create this quick meal with very little planning, and it'll taste just as good.
14. Chicken Tenders
Everyone loves chicken tenders, but why spend a fortune on something so straightforward and simple at a restaurant? Whether you choose to make them yourself at home or simply buy a frozen pack from the grocery store, you'll be able to enjoy the exact same taste and comfort but for a fraction of the price.
15. Mac And Cheese
Possibly one of the most comforting American dishes around, it can be hard to resist mac and cheese when you want something warm and hearty, but we recommend ordering something a bit more complicated when you're out to eat. It's so much more enjoyable when you get to use your own favorite recipe at home without having to pay extra for the comfort of the dish.
16. Omelets
Omelets are a breakfast staple that are much more cost-effective to make yourself. Eggs, cheese, vegetables, and leftover meat are all you need to whip up this filling morning meal. Sure, restaurants might offer a long list of fillings, but most of them are easy to chop and cook at home if you think about it.
17. Bruschetta
Do you really want to spend a lot of money on toasted bread topped with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and balsamic vinegar? Because if you've got those ingredients lying around at home, we know you're feeling hesitant about spending that upcharge on just a slice or two at a restaurant.
18. Flatbread Pizza
Turns out, flatbread pizza isn't as complicated to make as it sounds! If you're okay with premade ingredients like store-bought flatbread and sauce, just top it with cheese and your favorite toppings and it'll come out just as tasty as the ones you order. It's worth your time too, especially when restaurants seem to charge a premium.
19. Smoothie Bowls
Smoothie bowls are colorful, refreshing, and look fancy enough to order at a restaurant, but they’re also often overpriced for blended fruit and toppings. At home, you can make it just as attractive and avoid paying extra for a few berries placed on top!
20. Chili Cheese Fries
Even if you just buy some frozen fries, canned chili, and shredded cheese from the grocery store, we're almost certain you'd be able to recreate a plate for chili cheese fries as good as the ones you'd order in a restaurant. But at least this way, you can make a much bigger portion for cheaper!
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