Eating less at restaurants and preparing more meals at home does not mean saying goodbye to your favorite restaurant-style dishes.

It is easier and quicker to prepare restaurant-style foods than you might think. When you control the ingredients that go into these dishes, you can also make them healthier and emphasize the flavors that you enjoy.

If a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin or Breakfast Burrito has been your go-to breakfast when you are on the run, don’t worry. Just bake an egg casserole on the weekend and freeze individual portions in zipper bags. When you are ready to eat, defrost a portion in the microwave and add it to a toasted English muffin or wrap it in a tortilla. 

To get started try one of these recipes. Breakfast Burritos Anytime or a Kicked-Up Breakfast Sandwich is like an Bacon Egg McMuffin on steroids. 

If you crave warm baked goodies with your morning coffee, avoid spending 2 or 3 dollars at Starbucks and make your own. On the weekend, bake up a loaf of banana bread or any of your favorite quick breads, this time of year pumpkin bread is very popular. When it is cool, slice it and freeze the slices individually so they are ready to enjoy throughout the week. Use a bit of wax paper to keep the slice from sticking together before freezing.

Recreate your favorite restaurant-style lunch and dinner entrees as well. Classic favorites like Rubio’s Fish Tacos or café-style soup and panini are quick and easy to prepare.

Have a hankering for KFC? Your favorite sides at KFC are awfully expensive.  You can make them at home and save big time. Try Better Than KFC Coleslaw or choose from over a dozen other KFC taste-alike recipes.

As you think about replicating the restaurant-style dishes you crave, try to identify the flavors of the dish that make it special. Look for healthy and delicious recipes that highlight these flavors and enjoy them straight from your own kitchen.

You might be surprised at how much money you will save. For the same price as a one meal at a nice restaurant you can feed up to 4 people like royalty.