Top Secret Recipes: Creating Kitchen Clones of America’s Favorite Brand Named Foods - Applebee's Baked French Onion Soup, Benihana Ginger Salad

SNEAK PEAK:Top Secret Recipesby Todd WilburTop Secret Recipesversion ofApplebee’sBaked French Onion SoupDon’t even try to find this one on the menu at Applebee’s, because it isn’t there; though it’s the most popular soup served each day at this huge restaurant chain. This is the first of several bigtime soup clones we’ll unveil here in the next few weeks to help get you through the cold winter months. And they’re all a cinch to make. Just be sure you have some oven-safe soup bowls for this one, since we’ll have to broil it a bit before serving. Under the gooey melted provolone of the original version you get from Applebee’s is a unique round crouton that’s made from bread similar to a hamburger bun. So that’s exactly what we’ll use in our clone. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil6 medium white onions, sliced8 cups beef broth (Swanson is best)1 cup water2 1/2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper5 plain hamburger buns10 slices provolone cheese10 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese1. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start to become translucent. You don’t want them to brown.2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the pan and bring mixture to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.3. To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top of the hamburger bun so that the bread is the same thickness as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the tops away. Now you should have 10 round pieces of bread – 5 bottom buns, and 5 top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them. 4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe bowl. Float a crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the provolone.5. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are making more than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve. Repeat process to pre pare remaining servings. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com) Makes 10 servings.Top Secret Recipesversion ofBenihana Ginger Salad DressingAs far as salad dressings go, this is one of the most requested, and tasty. At the Benihana chain of hibachi grill restaurants, you are served a side salad before your meal that is doused with this tangy, slightly sweet, fresh ginger dressing. This Top Secret Recipes version of that dressing is a real cinch to make, once you’ve got the ingredients. Just dump everything into a blender, whiz it, and you’re set. Although this recipe is inspired by the many variations of the clone recipe that are floating around (and that I have received by e-mail), you should know that this is an original never-before -published creation that comes closer to the original product than any other version I have seen. See what you think.1/2 cup minced onion1/2 cup peanut oil1/3 cup rice vinegar2 tablespoons water2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger2 tablespoons minced celery2 tablespoons ketchup4 teaspoons soy sauce2 teaspoons sugar2 teaspoons lemon juice1/2 teaspoon minced garlic1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is well-pureed. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com)Makes 1 3/4 cups. Top Secret Recipesversion ofBoston Market MeatloafIf you already have a recipe that claims to be a clone for this delicious meatloaf…you can now toss it out, purge if from your hard drive, burn all hard copies. No clone recipe that I’ve found yet – and there are several circulating – has come even close to the tender, tasty meatloaf you can get from this popular chain. Don’t be fooled! To make a REAL clone, first thing you’ve got to do is use ground sirloin, just as the restaurant chain does. And then you need to know how to make the special sauce that goes into the meatloaf and on top (no it’s not ketchup and it’s not V8). And there’s no minced onion in there (just look at it!), or onion soup mix for that matter. So, search no more for the perfect clone of Boston Market’s tasty meatloaf. You’ve now got the result of days and days of vigorous testing. TO BE CONTINUED… Download now and get all the Recipes!