Garden Adjacent
Founded in 1982, Olive Garden has served up some of America's favorite Italian-inspired dishes for decades. There are now 900 locations all around the world, so you can be sure some people in Brazil and Kuwait are just as in love with the breadsticks as you are. If you're avoiding eating out because of rising prices or you’re simply sad that your favorite dish is no longer on the menu (R.I.P. stuffed mushrooms), you can cook many Olive Garden favorites at home using these copycat recipes.
Garlic Breadsticks
There's no other place to start a list of Olive Garden copycat recipes than their famous breadsticks. You'll be dipping them into almost everything else on this list, so you may as well make a double batch. You can freeze them after baking, too. Just skip the topping, then reheat them in the oven and brush with the butter, garlic, and salt.
Recipe: Handle the Heat
Salad Dressing
I loved Olive Garden's family-style giant salad bowls as a kid — as well as using those big tongs to grab some for myself. The best part is the dressing, of course, and it's easy to replicate with a packet of Italian dressing mix plus some extra herbs and seasonings. The tablespoon of mayo gives it that slight creaminess and keeps it emulsified.
Recipe: Family Fresh Meals
Minestrone
Minestrone is such a simple, easy classic that there's no reason to not make this at home for your own soup, salad, and breadsticks meal. It's vegetarian, but it still has a lot of protein thanks to two kinds of beans. Follow the copycat recipe for something very close to what they serve in the restaurant, or add some more veggies from your fridge for a clean-out-the-fridge dinner.
Recipe: Momsdish
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Gnocchi are hearty little potato dumplings, and you don't have to worry about making them because you can buy them just like you would any other fresh pasta now. This creamy soup also includes a few vegetables and lots of chicken. It's a great way to use up leftover chicken, or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Recipe: Creme de la Crumb
Zuppa Toscana
This is perhaps the one Olive Garden recipe that people whip up at home most often. It's filling and inexpensive to make because it's full of bulk Italian sausage and potatoes. Though it's creamy, it's still brothy, so it doesn't make you feel weighed down. This recipe calls for spinach, but if you'd like to make it exactly like the restaurant, use chopped kale instead.
Recipe: AllRecipes
Pasta e fa*gioli
Pasta e fa*gioli is the fourth soup choice at Olive Garden. It's very similar to the minestrone, but it's a little thicker with tomatoes and also includes ground beef. So if you've got a family member that doesn't think of soup as a full meal, see if they change their mind with one that’s full of beans, meat, vegetables, and pasta.
Recipe: Cooking Classy
Lasagna Fritta
Everyone loves a decadent fried appetizer, and Olive Garden took it to the next level with fried lasagna. The recipe is a little involved because it requires cooking the pasta sheets and then assembling, breading, and frying, but the results, with a crunchy outside and melted cheese middle, are worth the effort for a special occasion.
Recipe: Pass the Sushi
San Remo Seafood Dip
San Remo seafood dip is a recipe that's no longer on Olive Garden's menu but was a popular appetizer for a long time. It's a creamy dip full of small shrimp, crab meat, and lots of cheeses that are baked on top of a layer of marinara sauce. When you dip a breadstick into it (go all out and make homemade), the marinara and creamy seafood mix into a lovely pink sauce.
Recipe: CD Kitchen
Toasted Ravioli
They serve meat-filled ravioli at the restaurant, but there's no reason you can't use cheese or any other variety, either. It's a pretty simple process of breading refrigerated or frozen ravioli, then frying until they're puffed and gooey inside, chewy and crispy outside.
Recipe: Damn Delicious
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are no longer available on Olive Garden's menu, but they had been around for decades. Interestingly, they were stuffed with a clam filling, which gave them a savory and briny flavor. Copious amounts of cheese and butter make them extra delicious too, so if you miss this app, make this recipe at home.
Recipe: CD Kitchen
Related: 40 Dishes Under 100 Calories Per Serving
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Hot spinach and artichoke dip is a standard appetizer at tons of chain restaurants. The Olive Garden version is a little different because of all the cheese included. It uses mascarpone, a type of Italian spreadable cheese, along with cream cheese and a ton of Parmesan for a sharp bite. Garlic, onions, and herbs give it extra flavor.
Recipe: Refinery 29
Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta
Another cheesy, hot dip, fonduta hasn't been on the Olive Garden menu in a while. It's simple to make at home if you miss it though: Just mix sour cream, seasonings, and massive amounts of Italian cheeses together before baking them until browned and bubbly. A mix of fresh chopped tomatoes and parsley on the top adds freshness.
Recipe: Tastes of Lizzy T
Alfredo Sauce
I don't know what the most popular pasta dish at Olive Garden is, but I'd be willing to bet it involves Alfredo sauce in some way. Many Alfredo recipes rely on cheese and mixing pasta into the sauce for thickening, but this version uses a roux to thicken cream and milk, which makes it more stable and able to be poured onto anything. Add seasoned, chopped chicken or shrimp to recreate your favorite pasta bowl, or just use it to dunk your breadsticks.
Recipe: The Cozy Cook
Lasagna Classico
Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food, so it's no wonder that practically every Italian restaurant serves it. This recipe for it comes directly from Olive Garden, so it's going to be pretty close to what they serve. The meat sauce has ground beef and Italian sausage, plus a full pound of ricotta and mozzarella cheeses for extra richness.
Recipe: Pop Sugar
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
OG's ziti al Forno is a baked pasta dish full of cheese and topped with breadcrumbs. It uses the chain's creamy five-cheese marinara sauce, which is replicated in this recipe by mixing jars of marinara and alfredo sauce, but you can use homemade if you like. The five cheeses are ricotta, mozzarella, Fontina, Parmesan, and Romano, and an extra thick layer of breadcrumbs on top gives it texture.
Recipe: Gonna Want Seconds
Chicken Scampi
Scampi is most commonly a shrimp dish (more on that later), but Olive Garden has popularized a chicken version. It's got garlic, white wine, and lemon sauce that scampi lovers will recognize, but it's also got colorful bell pepper and onion strips, Italian herbs, and cream. It's perfect for coating angel hair pasta.
Recipe: Dinner, Then Dessert
Garlic Herb Chicken con Broccoli
I used to order this dish many years ago, but it hasn't been on the menu in a long time. It uses orecchiette pasta, which looks like little ears, in a light garlic cream sauce with chicken and steamed fresh broccoli all around. The herb seasoning is key, especially the rosemary, which was always a prominent flavor in the dish.
Recipe: Epicurious
Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
Traditionally, carbonara doesn't include chicken, shrimp, or bell peppers, but don't let that stop you from making this dish that's also delicious. Bacon, shrimp, and panko-crusted crispy chicken are coated in a creamy egg and cheese sauce and tossed with spaghetti. Don't skip the red bell pepper because it adds color and cuts the richness.
Recipe: CopyKat
Capellini Pomodoro
Olive Garden used to have capellini Pomodoro on the menu and a lot of people miss it because it was light and fresh-tasting compared to all the heavy, creamy, and baked pastas. It doesn't have many ingredients, and it's a good way to use fresh garden tomatoes and basil in the summer. Don't skimp on the olive oil or Parmesan cheese.
Recipe: The Spruce Eats
Shrimp Scampi with Asparagus and Tomatoes
This is Olive Garden's version of the classic shrimp scampi, and similar to the chicken version, it's got more components than most. It's got garlic, white wine, and lemon sauce, along with plump shrimp, asparagus spears, and chopped fresh tomatoes. The extra vegetables are a great addition and eliminate the need for a side dish.
Recipe: Saving Room for Dessert
Stuffed Chicken Marsala
Stuffed chicken Marsala is no longer on the menu, but it was a really popular dish. It's got a rich, savory mushroom and Marsala sauce, but instead of plain chicken, it coats a chicken breast with a creamy stuffing made with sundried tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and lots of cheese. If you're a fan of chicken Marsala, this is a great upgrade to try.
Recipe: The Cozy Cook
Chicken Margherita
Another one of the lighter dishes offered, chicken Margherita combines basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella just like a Margherita pizza. Brine and grill chicken breasts, then top with fresh basil pesto, grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a simple garlic and lemon sauce. Bake it for a few minutes to get the cheese melted and serve with Parmesan broccoli like Olive Garden does, or try it with pasta on the side.
Recipe: Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo
Steak isn't generally something you think of when you think Olive Garden, especially pasta dishes. But this former menu item is for the red meat lovers. A simple Alfredo pasta with spinach and gorgonzola cheese mixed in is topped with sliced steak, more gorgonzola, and a drizzle of sweet and tangy balsamic glaze.
Recipe: Three Olives Branch
Tiramisu
It's hard to resist a good tiramisu. Ladyfinger cookies are soaked in espresso and coffee liqueur for a kick and layered at the bottom of a serving dish. On top of them is a sweet, custard-like mixture of egg yolks, vanilla, cream cheese, and mascarpone. A sprinkle of cocoa powder on top gives it just enough chocolate flavor to complement the coffee.
Recipe: Dwell by Michelle
Chocolate Brownie Lasagna
Everyone loves the chocolate brownie lasagna at Olive Garden that even the Food Network has developed a recipe for it. The 8-layer festive dessert is simplified for home cooks with a box of devil's food cake mix that's cut into four layers. It's sandwiched back together with copious amounts of cream cheese frosting with chocolate syrup and shavings for decoration.
Recipe: Food Network
Black Tie Mousse Cake
This might be the most complicated recipe on this list, but the show-stopping result is worth it, especially for celebrations. A layer of chocolate cake sits on the bottom, followed by chocolate mousse, white chocolate mousse, and then a coating of silky chocolate ganache on top. Plan to make this one the day before you eat it so it sets up in the fridge.
Recipe: Mindee's Cooking Obsession
Related: 20 Most Decadent Chocolate Desserts Across America
Bellini Peach-Raspberry Iced Tea
Olive Garden always has some fancy non-alcoholic drinks available. The current rage is a peach-raspberry iced tea inspired by bellinis, the brunch staple. To make it, you need to start with raspberry and peach simple syrups, which are easy to make. Once you have those, just add some to brewed iced tea to taste. Float some fresh raspberries or peach slices for a gorgeous edible garnish.
Recipe: Snacks and Sips
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This article was originally published on Cheapism
