Homemade Fast Food Favorites

As tasty as fast food is, it simply isn't economical to dine out as often as we would like, particularly if you have a large family. So if dining in is to be your fate, why not make the best of it and enjoy a nice home-cooked spin on your favorite fast food dish? We've prepared a few instructions to get the meal you're craving at a price you can afford.

First up is the great American burger and fries. For this, you'll need some ground beef or ground steak, 1 egg, a dash or coriander and paprika, salt and pepper, about a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and finely chopped onion. Adjust all of the seasonings and the onion to your taste preferences. Mix all the ingredients into a bowl until they're fully blended. Roll the seasoned meat into balls, and then flatten into a patty shape. Place in a slightly-oiled skillet on a medium heat (or on a barbecue grill) and cook thoroughly, turning occasionally. Top with condiments of your choice, such as onion, tomato, lettuce, pickles, ketchup/mustard, etc. If you can, toast your burger buns just before serving to give it that little extra something.

For the fries, get a few large potatoes (peeled), and cut into 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch strips. Add oil to a Dutch oven and heat to about 320 degrees F. Completely submerge the potatoes in the oil--try to work in small batches--for about 3 minutes or until the potatoes are floppy and pale in color. Remove them, pat them with paper towel, and allow them to cool. Put the Dutch oven back into the oven to heat to 375 degrees F. When the oil is heated, put the partially-cooked potatoes back into the oil for another 3 minutes. When they're done, remove them and pat off any excess oil. Serve hot.

Pizza is another fast food favorite that can put a nice spin on any night in. All you need is a packet of or tube of pizza dough (very cheap at your local grocery store), pizza sauce (also cheap, but you can make it yourself with a bit of tomato sauce and Italian seasonings), grated cheese, and the toppings of your choice. Simply roll out the dough, spread a bit of sauce evenly over the dough, sprinkle with cheese, and add the toppings of your choice. Ground beef, bacon, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and even pineapple are all tasty toppings that many people have on hand. Cook the pizza according to the instructions on the pizza dough package; serve hot and enjoy!

Another great fast food favorite is Long John Silvers's fish (or chicken). The batter for this is simple: 1 cup of plain flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, a bit of garlic, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 1/4 tablespoon of salt, and 3/4 cup of water. Mix all of the ingredients until the batter is smooth. Dip your fish (or chicken) into the batter until it's fully coated, then deep fry at 400 degrees F for 3 - 5 minutes until batter is golden brown. You might want to stick a knife in to make sure the fish is thoroughly cooked. Serve with cole slaw and fries and you're set!

These recipes are easy to make and you'll find yourself saving a great deal of money when compared to what you'd spend at a fast food joint—plus you can always save the left-overs for later!