When I showed up to Cheddar's, I wondered what exactly it meant to be a scratch kitchen. I learned that it meant that the kitchen would make the food each day, and after tasting it I can see why. It's good food for a good price, and the whole family is usually satisfied, and quite happy with the leftovers if we have any. Here are six Cheddar's must tries, according to my family.
1. Country Fried Chicken
This is my absolute favorite thing to order, and I usually get the dinner portion so I can guarantee that I have leftovers. While I can't make a decent gravy when it comes to Thanksgiving, I know a good one when I taste it, and the gravy they make here is just thick enough that it has bold flavor. As you continue on, you'll also notice that chicken is a specialty here at Cheddar's.
2. Texas-Sized Nachos
There's a reason that these are called Texas-sized nachos, beyond the fact that that's where Cheddar's originated from. I ordered these as an appetizer for me and my sister thinking it would just be the size of an appetizer. Boy, was I wrong; the nachos covered a whole entire baking pan, and I finished about a third of the pan before I was full. I ate about a bite of my food before I asked for a takeout box. Even though it wasn't what I expected, I was quite satisfied with this result. I never thought that BBQ sauce would compliment nachos, but it strangely does whether you get the chicken or the ground beef.
3. Grilled Chicken Alfredo
When we first started coming to Cheddar's this was my sister's go-to order. Now, they've changed the recipe recently, and while I can say that the Alfredo sauce itself has improved, I miss the vegetables that were included in the old recipe. This dish does still come recommended by me though, probably because the bread that comes with it is great for dipping in the new sauce.
Grandma Sau's Favorite: Honey Butter Croissants
If you ask my grandma what her favorite thing to have for breakfast is, she would tell you that she loves to enjoy a croissant with her morning milk. Coming from scratch, my my grandmother is especially impressed that the croissants from Cheddar's comes out with just the right amount of flakiness. My grandma is even impressed by how the honey butter has the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness.
5. Chicken Pot Pie
The hardest thing when it comes to pie is making a crust. But just like croissants, the crust on this pie is perfectly flaky. Moreover, the peas are burst in your mouth refreshing against the buttery flavor notes of the filling. My mom doesn't cook well, so to say that it's as good as mom's would kind of be an insult, but the flavors definitely come from the comfort of a Mom's home kitchen.
6. Chicken Tenders
As I mentioned earlier, chicken seems to be the specialty here at Cheddar's. If I'm going out for chicken tenders, I definitely want them from here. They boast about some secret ingredient that they use in all their food, and while I would like to assume that it's crack, they're definitely putting it in their chicken tenders. Although, I think the real secret is that they batter the chicken right before frying. That's certainly something that my sister does, and her chicken is my favorite.
Before going, I would also like to give honorable mention to their Monte Cristo. It was what I ordered when I went for the first time, and it was good enough that I came back, so it's definitely something to try.
What do you like making from scratch? Do you know of any other restaurants that boast cooking from scratch? How do you think chicken is best prepared?
Until my next blog, I hope you enjoy some tasty times, especially in these stressful times.