Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke dip is one of the most popular appetizers on the Applebee’s menu. This recipe is inspired by their wonderful dish.

Serves 6–8 | Prep. time 6 minutes | Cooking time 25–30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan-Romano cheese mix
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup prepared alfredo sauce
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly to incorporate.
3. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, and bake until the cheese begins to bubble (25–30 minutes)
4. Enjoy with tortilla chips or bread

 

 

Fiesta Lime Chicken

This chicken dish from Applebee’s is loaded with flavor and is a tribute to the southwest. This recipe inspired by Applebee’s is sure to liven up your dinner table.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup ranch dressing
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup Colby cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

For serving

• Mexican Rice
• Pico de Gallo
• Tortilla strips

Directions

1. Preheat the grill or the oven to 400°F.
2. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper as desired.
3. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side, or bake for 20 minutes in the oven, until it is cooked through and the juices run clear.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the ranch dressing, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic. Stir well.
5. Just before the chicken is done, spread a bit of the dressing mixture over each breast and top with a portion of the cheeses. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted.
6. To serve, plate a scoop of Mexican rice and place a chicken breast on top. Add Pico de Gallo and tortilla strips.

 

 

Honey Barbecue Riblets

Perhaps the most famous of Applebee’s dishes is their amazing riblets. They are fall-off-the-bone tender and bursting with delicious barbecue flavor. With this recipe, you can make a pretty close replica of their amazing sauce.

 

Serves 4 | Prep. time 25 minutes | Cooking time 2-5 hours

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork baby back ribs (or riblets if you can find them), about 2 ¼ pounds
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke

For the sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• ½ cup corn syrup
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke flavor

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F.
2. Season the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Place a wire rack in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Pour in about half a cup of water and ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke.
4. Place the ribs on the rack, making sure they aren’t touching the liquid. Seal the roasting pan with either the lid or aluminum foil.
5. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 2–5 hours, depending on how many ribs you are cooking. Check every so often for desired tenderness. (You can speed this process up if you have an Instant Pot or another pressure cooker.)
6. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
7. When the ribs have reached the desired tenderness, remove them from the oven and place them on a baking sheet. Set the oven to broil. Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and broil until the sauce starts to turn a little brown/black. Be careful not to let it burn.
8. Remove the ribs from the oven and serve with additional barbecue sauce.

 

Cinnamon Apple Turnover

This is a limited-time dessert that Applebee’s only serves during special times of the year. This make-at-home version lets you enjoy the delicious dessert any time of the year.

Serves 4-6 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup applesauce
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray or using a bit of oil on a paper towel.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together the apples, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Stir to make sure the apples are well covered with the spices. Then stir in the applesauce and the vanilla.
4. Lay out your puff pastry and cut it into squares. You should be able to make 4 or 6 depending on how big you want your turnovers to be and how big your pastry is.
5. Place some of the apple mixture in the center of each square and fold the corners of the pastry up to make a pocket. Pinch the edges together to seal. Then brush a bit of the melted butter over the top to give the turnovers that nice brown color.
6. Place the filled pastry onto the prepared baking pan and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake 20–25 minutes, or until they become a golden brown.
7. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

 

 

Maple Butter Blondie

Some foodies go to Applebee’s just for this famous Maple Butter Blondie. This recipe is inspired by that amazing dessert.

Serves 9 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup pecans, chopped (or walnuts)

 Maple butter sauce

• ¾ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temp
• ¼ cup pecans, chopped
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
3. Sift in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour, and stir until it is well incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 20–25 minutes.
5. While those are in the oven, prepare the maple butter sauce by combining the maple syrup and butter in a medium saucepan.
6. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted. Add the brown sugar and cream cheese. Stir constantly until the cream cheese has completely melted, then remove the pot from the heat.
7. Remove the blondies from the oven and cut them into squares.
8. Top with vanilla ice cream, maple butter sauce, and chopped nuts.

 

All the recipes are from Lina Chang’s cookbook Copycat Recipes Making Applebee’s Bar & Grill Most Popular Recipes at Home. To learn more, click on the cover or here.

 

To download or print the recipes, click here.