Cracker Barrel down-home Southern cooking offers favorites that everyone loves. Why not recreate their most iconic and favorite dishes at home with these easy-to-make copycat recipes!

 

Pinto Beans

This Cracker Barrel copycat recipe is a great side dish to serve with any meal. The smoked ham hocks add an abundance of flavor.

Serves 4–6 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 3 hours

Ingredients

• 1 pound ham hocks or country ham
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 quarts water
• 2 cups dry pinto beans, sorted and washed
• 1½ teaspoons salt

Directions

1. Cook the ham hocks until well done. Reserve the stock and pull the meat from the bone.
2. Remove any pebbles from the beans, rinse them, and add them to a large pot with the water. Season with salt, and add the ham and reserved stock.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 3 hours or until beans are tender.
4. Alternatively, you can add all of the ingredients (with the ham still on the bone) to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6–8 hours.

 

Corn Muffins

Cracker Barrel’s corn muffins are just as good as their famous biscuits. This copycat recipe is right on the money for amazing corn muffins.

Serves 12 | Prep. time minutes | Cooking time 18 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1¼ cups self-rising flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners or grease thoroughly.
3. Combine the cornmeal, flour, and sugar in a mixing bowl.
4. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the honey and buttermilk and whisk until well combined.
5. Slowly add the buttermilk to the cornmeal mixture, stirring as you add. There will be some lumps, but don’t over-mix.
6. Transfer the batter to muffin pan and fill holes to the ¾, and bake for 18–20 minutes or until set.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

 

Old Country Store Biscuits

This recipe is a copycat of the light and fluffy treasures that Cracker Barrel serves at the restaurant.

Serves 6 | Prep. time minutes | Cooking time minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• ⅓ cup solid shortening
• ⅔ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk, shaken
• Melted butter

Directions

1. Place the oven rack in the middle row and preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and cut the shortening in with a pastry cutter or two butter knives. Pour in the buttermilk all at once, then fold it into the flour and shortening.
3. When the dough starts to gather together, and all of the flour has been mixed in, turn it out onto a lightly floured countertop. Push gently into a circle about an inch or so thick. Don’t over-handle the dough, as that will make the finished biscuits a little tough and not as fluffy as you would like.
4. Cut the dough into circles with a biscuit cutter or a glass. Place onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with melted butter and transfer to the preheated oven to bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Serve with apple butter.

 

Creamy Chicken and Rice

Let’s face it, sometimes you run out of ideas on what to do with those chicken breasts. Now you’ll never worry again because, with this delicious copycat recipe from Cracker Barrel, you will always have an amazing go-to dish.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 diced onion
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 packet chicken gravy
• 1½ pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the rice. When it is just about finished, toss in the diced onion so that it cooks too.
3. Prepare a baking dish by greasing or spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Dump the rice into the prepared baking dish. Layer the chicken strips on top. Spread the undiluted cream of mushroom soup over the chicken.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken gravy with 1 cup of water, making sure to get all the lumps out. Pour this over the top of the casserole.
6. Cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

 

Chicken Fried Steak

This is the beef version of Cracker Barrel’s famous chicken fried menu items. It may be a copycat, but it sure tastes close.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 8–10 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¾ cup Bisquick or other buttermilk baking mix
• 2 pounds bottom or top round steak, cut into four portions and pounded well to tenderize
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil

Gravy

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1¼ cups milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°F.
2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. In another dish, combine the egg and water. Put the baking mix in a third dish.
3. Dip the pounded steaks first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the baking mix. Pat the steaks down gently to help the breading stick.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the battered steaks.
5. Cook the steaks for about 4–5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. You may need to add some more oil as the steaks cook.
6. Remove the steaks from the skillet and transfer to the oven to keep warm.
7. Prepare the gravy by whisking the dry gravy ingredients together in a bowl. Then whisk them into the oil in the skillet, stirring thoroughly to remove lumps. When the flour begins to brown, slowly whisk in the milk. Continue cooking and whisking for about 2 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
8. Serve warm and top with some gravy if desired.

Coleslaw

Cracker Barrel’s coleslaw is among the best out there. This copycat recipe allows you to make it at home.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Chill time 3 hours

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup Miracle Whip
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup milk
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Toss the carrots and cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the Miracle Whip, celery seeds, salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, buttermilk, milk, and lemon juice. Toss again to completely combine.
3. Refrigerate for about 3 hours before serving.

 

Cherry Chocolate Cobbler

This delicious cobbler is simple to put together but makes a rich, decadent dessert.

Serves 8 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup butter
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 21 ounces cherry pie filling
• ½ cup finely chopped nuts like pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut the mixture until there are lumps the size of small peas.
3. Melt the chocolate morsels. Let cool for approximately 5 minutes, then add the milk and egg and mix well. Beat into the flour mixture, mixing completely.
4. Spread the pie filling in a 2-quart casserole dish. Randomly drop the chocolate batter over the filling, then sprinkle with nuts if desired.
5. Bake for 40–45 minutes.
6. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Lina Chang’s Copycat Recipes: Making Cracker Barrel’s Most Popular Dishes at Home. To get your copy now, click on the cover or here.

 

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