The Best Copycat Recipes To Make For Lunch

When it's lunchtime and your stomach is grumbling, it's all too easy to reach for your car keys and make straightaway for your favorite fast-food joint — but is that really what's best for your wallet (as well as your health)? If you want to watch how you're treating both but you can't quite stand to give up some of your favorite lunchtime treats, you're going to want to try out some of these lunchtime-ready copycat recipes from Mashed's recipe developers.

A little more budget-friendly than dining out every day and a little less processed, our fast-food copycat recipes are sure to satisfy your cravings. Whether you're in the mood for a Taco Bell burrito, a Panera bowl of soup, or a plate of Panda Express, we've got a little bit of it all plus more — and you can make them all easily either during your lunch hour or ahead of time for simple reheating.

Maybe your lunchtime routine includes buying an afternoon pick-me-up coffee at Starbucks along with one of the coffee chain's sandwiches. If that's the case, cut your Starbucks order in half with this copycat ham and Swiss cheese panini recipe. It only takes 15 minutes to make, so it couldn't be easier, and all you need are a few ingredients from the deli case. No panini press? Check out our tips for replicating the process without one.

Sometimes, you're just craving a McDonald's hamburger: that perfect combination of grilled patty, tangy mustard, pickles, diced onions, and fluffy bun. You don't have to sit through the drive-thru to get your fix, though. You can make a McDonald's copycat hamburger at home in just 15 minutes. You'll even save a few calories. Our recipe comes out to 223 calories per burger, while the McDonald's original hamburger is 250. Plus, when you make your burger at home, there are endless ways to customize it, just in case you or someone in your family is a picky eater.

One of P.F. Chang's most talked-about dishes is the restaurant's lettuce wraps. With butter lettuce filled with a combination of chicken, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and a symphony of spices, it's easy to see why. They're delicious! But you don't always have time at lunch to go sit down in a restaurant for a full meal. So, the next time you're dying for some of these delicious lettuce wraps around lunch, use our copycat recipe to make a near-perfect version at home in under 30 minutes.

Whenever you have a free hour on a Sunday, whip up this Panera broccoli cheddar soup copycat recipe and then reheat it all week long for a scrumptious lunch that'll hit the spot and fuel the rest of your day. Creamy, smooth, and oh-so-delicious, this soup can be served alongside a variety of other lunch options for a more well-rounded meal, whether you prefer a simple salad, fresh baguette, or a sandwich.

Fried chicken sandwiches are all the rage right now, but if you don't want to head to the drive-thru to jump on this trend, you can make your own version of Popeye's chicken sandwich at home with the help of our scarily accurate copycat recipe. While it takes about an hour to whip up these sandwiches, they're the perfect lunch for a slow work day or weekend, and our recipe makes four, so you can share your lunch with the fam.

There's no denying that In-N-Out boasts a cult following, and if you count yourself as a member of that cult, then you likely get a hankering for an In-N-Out burger every once in a while. The unfortunate part of this is that if you don't live anywhere near the regional chain, you're not going to be able to put that hankering to rest — until now. Whip up our In-N-Out burger copycat recipe for a taste of the good stuff, no travel required.

Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken is a little bit underrated. It doesn't get quite the hype that Chick-fil-A's fried chicken does, but if you've never tried this option, you're missing out. Luckily, you can make your own copycat Chick-fil-A grilled chicken sandwich at home in less than 15 minutes. Our recipe packs in a lot of flavor thanks to a mixture of orange and grape juice, molasses, chicken stock, paprika, apple cider vinegar, and more.

If your favorite Olive Garden menu item, though, is neither breadsticks nor pasta but instead the delicious, comforting concoction that is Zuppa Toscana, you definitely need this copycat recipe in your life. Easier and requiring fewer ingredients than you might think, this soup blends potatoes, kale, and Italian sausage into a mixture of heavy cream and chicken broth for a light yet filling soup that hits the spot. You'll need an hour for this recipe, but it's definitely one that tastes great as leftovers.

Up there with the chain's thick milkshakes, shoestring fries, and steak-filled chili, Steak 'n Shake's Frisco melt is an iconic menu item. But this mysterious sandwich with a mysterious name isn't such a mystery once you break it down with our copycat recipe. With 30 minutes and some basic pantry ingredients and condiments, you can make your own Frisco melts at home anytime you're craving one for lunch. Plus, our recipe makes two sandwiches, so there's room to share (though we wouldn't blame you if you didn't).

The Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme is one of the most copied Taco Bell menu items, and for good reason. It's amazing. The next time you're craving one of the delicious works of foldable art at lunch, spend your lunch hour in the kitchen rather than the drive-thru thanks to our copycat recipe that comes together in just about 30 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to chow down. It's all entirely possible with just some standard taco and burrito ingredients.

This Panera Bread autumn squash soup copycat recipe is like a little burst of fall flavor that you can enjoy any week of the year. All you need is about an hour of time and less than a dozen ingredients. Butternut squash, apples, cinnamon, turmeric, and curry powder come together for a deliciously hearty, rich, full-flavored soup that's sure to warm you down to your toes. You'll never need to wait for the Panera Bread seasonal fall menu to make its return again.