Arch Deluxe

In 1996, McDonald's set out to target more educated tastebuds in a massive advertising campaign for its newest burger creation. We watched while Ronald McDonald golfed, danced and leisurely hung-out with real-life grown-up humans, instead of the puffy Mayor McCheese and that bunch of wacko puppets. Supposedly the Arch Deluxe, with the "Adult Taste" would appeal to those dancers and golfers and anyone else with a sophisticated palate. But let's face it, we're not talking Beef Wellington here. The Arch Deluxe is just a hamburger after all, with only a couple of elements that set it apart from the other menu items. The big difference is the creamy brown mustard spread on the sandwich right next to the ketchup. And the burger is assembled on a sesame seed potato roll (which actually tastes very much like your common hamburger bun). Also, you can order the burger with the optional thick-sliced peppered bacon, for an extra ka-ching. Okay, so the plan hasn't quite worked out the way Micky D's had hoped. Sales of the Arch Deluxe have been disappointing for the fast food giant, to say the least. That's why I thought this would be a good recipe to clone for all of you out there who just won't be able to live without the Arch Deluxe when McDonald's decides it's time for the sandwich join the McD.L.T. and the McLean Deluxe on the great list of fast food duds from our past. Perhaps that's what it will take to get Ronald back to work.

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard (French's "Hearty Deli" is good)
1 sesame seed hamburger bun
1/4 pound ground beef
1 slice American cheese
1-2 tomato slices
1-2 lettuce leaves, chopped
1/2 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons chopped onion

1. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and the brown mustard. Set aside.

2. Grill the face of each of the buns on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.

3. Roll the ground beef into a ball and pat it out until it's approximately the same diameter as the bun.

4. Cook meat on hot griddle or frying pan for about 5 minutes per side or until done. Be sure to lightly salt and pepper each side of the patty.

5. Build the burger in the following order, from the bottom up:

On Bottom Bun
beef patty
American cheese slice
1-2 tomato slices
lettuce

On Top Bun
mayo/mustard
ketchup
onions

6. Slap the top onto the bottom and serve hot.
Makes one burger.

Tidbits:

If you can find thick-sliced pepper bacon in your supermarket, you can add it to the burger just as you could at the restaurant chain. Cut one slice in half after cooking and place the slices next to each other onto the bottom bun before the beef patty when building the burger.

If you can't find pepper bacon, you can make your own by sprinkling seasoned pepper in the bottom of the pan before you cook regular bacon until it's a golden brown.

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Big Mac Sauce ("Special Sauce")

If you like Big Macs, it's probably because of that tasty "secret" spread that is plopped onto both decks of the world's most popular double-decker hamburger. So what's so special about this sauce? After all, it's basically just thousand island dressing, right? Pretty much. But this sauce has a bit more sweet pickle relish in it than a typical thousand island salad slather. Also, I found that this clone comes close to the original with the inclusion of French dressing. It's an important ingredient -- ketchup just won't do it. That, along with a sweet & sour flavor that comes from vinegar and sugar, makes this sauce go well on any of your home burger creations, whether they're Big Mac clones or not. This is the closest "special sauce" clone you'll find...anywhere.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well.

2. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a couple of times as it chills.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

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BigXtra!

McDonald's huge test market roll-out of the BigXtra! is another bomb dropped on the battlefield of the burger war. Burger King took the first shot by introducing the Big King - a pretty good clone of McDonald's signature Big Mac, with a bit more meat. Now Mickey D's has fired back with a clone of Burger King's popular Whopper hamburger, with, you guessed it, a bigger beef patty. 20 percent bigger to be exact. That's just under 5-ounces of ground beef, stacked on a huge sesame seed bun, with the same ingredients as you would find piled on the Whopper -- lettuce, onion, tomato, ketchup, mayo and pickles. Plus McDonald's addition of a special spice sprinkled on the beef as it cooks. It's all very tasty. That is, if you like Whoppers.

1 large sesame seed bun (4 3/4-inch diameter)
5 ounces ground beef
seasoned salt
ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped onion
3 pickle slices (hamburger style)
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1 large tomato slice
non-stick cooking spray

1. Form the ground beef into a very large patty on wax paper. Make it approximately 5 1/2 to 6 inches in diameter (the meat should shrink to the perfect size for the buns when cooked). Freeze this patty for a couple hours before cooking.

2. Grill the faces of the hamburger bun in a hot skillet over medium heat. Grill until the buns are golden brown. Leave pan hot.

3. Grill the frozen patty in the pan for 2-3 minutes per side. Sprinkle one side with seasoned salt and ground black pepper.

4. Prepare the rest of the burger by first spreading the 2 teaspoons of ketchup on the face of the top bun. Follow the ketchup with the tablespoon of mayonnaise.

5. Stack the onion onto the top bun next, followed by the pickles and lettuce. Add the tomato slice to the top of the stack.

6. When the beef patty is done cooking, use a spatula to arrange it on the bottom bun. Turn the top of the burger over onto the bottom and serve.

Makes 1 hamburger.

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Biscuits

Them's the biscuits served at America's most popular stop for breakfast, partners -- simple to make and gosh darn tasty. Get yourself some Bisquick and buttermilk and crank up the oven for a clone that's become one very frequent request here on TSR.

2 tablespoons margarine, melted & divided
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2/3 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine the baking mix, buttermilk, sugar, salt, and half of the melted margarine in a medium bowl. Mix until well-blended.

3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 30 seconds, or until dough becomes elastic.

4. Roll dough to about 3/4-inch thick and punch out biscuits using a 3-inch cutter. Arrange the punched-out dough on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden on top and have doubled in height.

5. Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush each one with a light coating of the remaining melted margarine. Serve warm.

Makes 8 biscuits.

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Breakfast Bagel Sandwiches

Hold an entire breakfast in two hands and bring it right up to your face for a bite. Here are clones for the tasty bagel sandwiches from Mickey D's. The only requirement is that you have a small 6-inch skillet to make the folded scrambled egg omelette. Take your pick:

Ham & Egg Bagel
Spanish Omelet Bagel
Steak & Egg Bagel

Ham & Egg Bagel

Sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

4 eggs
1 teaspoon butter
salt
ground black pepper
8-ounces deli-sliced ham (2-3 slices per sandwich)
4 plain bagels
8 slices Kraft Singles American cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise with the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside until you are ready to use it.

2. To prepare the eggs it's best to make one at a time in a small 6-inch skillet. If you have more than one of these small pans, you can save a little time.

3. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth, but not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Heat a small 6-inch skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted add the egg to the pan. Swirl the pan so that the egg spreads evenly. As the egg begins to cook, use a spatula to pull in a couple of the edges so that raw egg flows from the top onto the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold over one of the edges of the egg using a spoon or fork. Fold it down about an inch. Fold the opposite end over as well. Then fold the remaining two edges over, creating a small rectangular or square mini-omelette. Flip the little omelette over and turn off the heat.

4. Heat up the ham in a covered dish in the microwave for 1 minute. This will make it hot, and keep it from drying.

5. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven set on broil until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small baking sheet or on aluminum foil.

6. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the sauce onto the face of the top bagel half.

7. Place a slice of cheese onto the face of each bagel half.

8. Place the finished omelette onto the cheese on the bottom half of the sandwich.

9. Place the ham onto the egg.

10. Finish by flipping the top half of the sandwich over onto the bottom. Heat for 15 seconds in microwave if needed to warm.

Makes 4 servings.

[More Breakfast Bagels]

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Spanish Omelet Bagel

Sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

2 teaspoons minced green pepper
2 teaspoons minced white onion
4 eggs
1 teaspoon butter
salt
ground black pepper
8 ounces breakfast sausage

4 plain bagels
4 slices Kraft Singles American cheese
4 slices Kraft Singles Monterey Jack cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise with the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside until you are ready to use it.

2. To prepare the eggs it's best to make one at a time in a small 6-inch skillet. If you have more than one of these small pans, you can save a little time.

3. First preheat pan over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter. Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced green pepper along with 1/2 teaspoon minced white onion to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes, or until softer.

4. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth, but not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Add the egg to the pan with the vegetables. Swirl the pan so that the egg spreads out. As the egg begins to cook, use a spatula to pull in a couple of the edges so that raw egg flows around from the top onto the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold over one of the edges of the egg using a spoon or fork. Fold it down about an inch. Fold the opposite end over as well. Then fold the remaining two edges over, creating a small rectangular or square mini-omelette. Flip the little omelette over and turn off the heat.

5. Press the sausage into four 2-ounce patties approximately the size of the bagel. Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until brown. Drain when done.

6. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven set on broil until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small baking sheet or on aluminum foil.

7. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the sauce onto the face of the top bagel half.

8. Place a slice of American cheese onto the face of the top bagel half.

9. Place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese over the face of the bottom bagel half.

10. Place a sausage patty on the cheese on the bottom bagel half.

11. Place the finished omelette onto the sausage on the bottom half of the sandwich.

12. Finish by flipping the top half of the sandwich over onto the bottom. Heat for 15 seconds in microwave if needed to warm.


Makes 4 servings.

[More Breakfast Bagels]

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Steak & Egg Bagel

Sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creamy dill mustard

1 slice of white onion, quartered
1 14-ounce pkg. Steak-Umm chopped steak (7-steaks)

4 eggs
1 teaspoon butter
salt
ground black pepper
4 plain bagels
8 slices Kraft Singles American cheese

1. First prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise with the dill mustard in a small bowl. Set this aside until you are ready to use it.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Separate the onion slices and sauté in the oil until light brown.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Break up the sandwich steak into the hot pan and cook until brown. Drain off fat. Add the grilled onions to the meat and stir.

4. To make the eggs it's best to make one at a time in a small 6-inch skillet. If you have more than one of these small pans, you can save a little time.

5. Beat an egg in a small bowl with a whisk until it is smooth, but not foamy. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the egg. Heat a small 6-inch skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted add the egg to the pan. Swirl the pan so that the egg spreads evenly. As the egg begins to cook, use a spatula to pull in a couple of the edges so that raw egg flows from the top onto the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold over one of the edges of the egg using a spoon or fork. Fold it down about an inch. Fold the opposite end over as well. Then fold the remaining two edges over, creating a small rectangular or square mini-omelette. Flip the little omelette over and turn off the heat.

6. Slice a bagel in half and place it with the faces up on a baking sheet. Grill the faces of the bagel halves in your oven set on broil until golden brown. You may also use a toaster oven for this step, but be sure to place the sliced bagel halves onto a small baking sheet or on aluminum foil.

7. When the bagels are toasted, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the sauce onto the face of the top bagel half.

8. Place a slice of cheese onto the face of each bagel half.

9. Divide the meat into four portions and stack one portion onto the cheese on the bottom bagel half.

10. Place the finished omelette onto the meat on the bottom half of the sandwich.

11. Finish by flipping the top half of the sandwich over onto the bottom. Heat for 15 seconds in microwave if needed to warm.

Makes 4 servings.

[More Breakfast Bagels]

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Chicken McNuggets

vegetable oil for frying
1 egg
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon MSG (Accent)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 chicken breast filets, each cut into 6-7 bite sized pieces

Beat the egg and then combine it with 1 cup water in a small, shallow bowl. Stir.

Combine the flour, salt, MSG, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder in a one gallon size zip lock bag.

Pound each of the breast filets with a mallet until about 1/4-inch  thick.

Trim each breast filet into bite sized pieces.

Coat each piece with the flour mixture by shaking in the zip lock bag.

Remove and drench each nugget in the egg mixture, coating it well. Then return each nugget to the flour/seasoning mixture. Shake to coat.

Put nuggets, bag and all, in the freezer for at least an hour.

Cover and refrigerate remaining egg mixture.

After freezing, repeat the above coating process.

Deep fry the McNuggets at 375F for 10-12 minutes or until browned and crispy. (cook only about 9 at a time.)

Drain on brown paper bags (NEVER drain fried foods on paper towels unless you want them to be soft and soggy!).

Serve with your favorite sauce.

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Egg Burrito

It was in the late seventies, shortly after McDonald's had introduced the Egg McMuffin, that the food giant realized the potential of a quick, drive-thru breakfast. Soon, the company had developed several breakfast selections, including the Big Breakfast with eggs, hash browns, and sausage. Eventually one out of every four breakfasts served out of the home would be served at McDonald's -- an impressive statistic indeed. The newest kid on the McBreakfast block is this morning meal in a tortilla, first offered on the menu in 1991.

4 ounces breakfast sausage
1 tablespoon minced white onion
½ tablespoon minced mild green chilies (canned)
4 eggs, beaten
salt
pepper
4 8-inch flour tortillas
4 slices American cheese

On the side
salsa

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan, then add the onion. Sauté the sausage and onion for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sausage is browned.

2. Add the mild green chilies and continue to sauté for 1 minute.

3. Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and scramble the eggs with the sausage and vegetables. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

4. Heat up the tortillas by steaming them in the microwave in moist paper towels or a tortilla steamer for 20 to 30 seconds.

5. Break each slice of cheese in half and position two halves end-to-end in the middle of each tortilla.

6. To make the burrito, spoon ¼ of the egg filling onto the cheese in a tortilla. Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling, then fold up about two inches of one end. Fold over the other side of the tortilla to complete the burrito (one end should remain open). Serve hot with salsa on the side, if desired.

Makes 4 burritos.

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Hamburgers

1 pound ground chuck (80% lean)
10 hamburger buns (local grocery type)
10 hamburger dill slices (more or less to taste)
10 teaspoons dried, chopped (not minced) onions
Mustard
Ketchup
Salt, Pepper, and MSG

Divide 1 lb of beef into 10 equal sized balls. Form a patty out of each ball about 4 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Do this on waxed paper. Now freeze the patties for at least an hour (this keeps them from falling apart when grilled).

Combine dried onions with water in a small container. Add enough water so the onions can hydrate (You can't add too much, just be sure to drain well before using).

Preheat a griddle or skillet to medium-high. In the meantime, toast the hamburger buns until just golden.

Lay the frozen patties on the hot surface. After about 20 seconds, "sear" them by applying even pressure with the back of a metal spatula; do this only for about 2 seconds. After searing them, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and MSG to taste.

After about one minute since searing the patties, turn them over Careful, don't tear the side you seared. Add about a teaspoon of your prepared onions on top.

Quickly dress your buns. On the crown part of buns (top), Mustard first....five "kisses" the diameter of a pencil evenly spaced in a circle about a half inch from the edge. Then the Ketchup, five squirts the size of a nickle.. in the pattern found on dice.

Place the pickle in the middle.

By the time you finish that, the meat will be done (about 1 minute  or 1:10 after turning). Remove the meat and tilt to the side to allow  excess fat to drain off. Use your free hand to hold down the onions.  Place patties onion side up on the dressed crown, top with toasted  heels (the burger will be upside-down).

Flip upright and serve.

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Lobster Sandwich

Yes, this actually exists. On an excursion through some New England states I practically drove off the road when I first saw a sign advertising lobster at this fast food chain. I just had to get a closer look. That's when I discovered that this unique sandwich is served only at select McDonald's locations, mostly in Maine, for a limited time only during the summer months. It's basically a lobster salad served on a hoagie roll with some lettuce, but with fresh Maine lobster, is quite tasty. Since you can't get this anywhere else, I figured this sandwich was a prime candidate for kitchen cloning. Here's a recipe to make a version of your own that has never before been published.

1\2 cup cooked Maine Lobster (fresh is best)
1\2 tablespoon mayonnaise
pinch salt
1 lettuce leaf
small hoagie roll

1. Mix together lobster, mayonnaise and salt.

2. Slice hoagie roll length wise, and spread the lettuce leaf on the bottom half.

3. Spread lobster over lettuce. Top off sandwich with top half of the roll.

Makes 1 sandwich.

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Shakes

Check out how simple it is to create any flavor thick & creamy shakes from scratch. Just three ingredients to each. How easy is that? Throw everything in a blender and press a button -- the one on the right. AND IF you want your shake thicker, just put it in the freezer for a while. That's it!

Vanilla Shake
2 1/2 cups premium vanilla ice cream
1 cups homo milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract (for extra flavor)
1 teaspoon sugar

Chocolate Shake
2 1/2 cups premium chocolate ice cream
1 cups homo milk
1 Tablespoon Hersey's Chocolate Syrup (for extra flavor)
1 teaspoon sugar

Strawberry Shake
2 1/2 cups strawberry ice cream
1 cups homo milk
1 teaspoon strawberry jam (if you want the seeds[like back when])
or strawberry jelly (if you don't want the seeds)
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Combine all ingredients for the shake flavor of your choice in a blender and mix on high speed until smooth. Stop blender, stir and blend again, if necessary to combine ingredients.

2. Pour into two 12-ounce cups.

Serves 2.

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Sweet & Sour Sauce

This is a clone of one of the sauces that you can get with your order of McNuggets at the world's largest hamburger outlet. Now, instead of hoarding those little green packs from the fast food chain, you can make up a batch of your own to use as a dip for store-bought nuggets, chicken fingers, fried shrimp, tempura or as a sauce for a sweet and sour dish that includes pineapple, bell pepper, onion, and sautéed chicken or pork. It's a simple recipe that requires a food processor or a blender, and the sauce will keep well for some time in the fridge.

1/4 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water
1. Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor or a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.

2. Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water, stir, and bring mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for five

minutes, stirring often. When the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Store sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator. Makes about 3/4 cup.

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Yogurt Parfait

This one's super easy to make, plus it's low-fat and delicious. The yogurt in the original is very sweet and creamy, like Yoplait. So that's the brand that you should use, although any brand of vanilla yogurt will work fine. If you use Yoplait, you'll need two 6-ounce containers of the stuff per serving. For the granola, just look for one that contains mostly oats. It should be crunchy and sweet (such as "maple" flavor) and can also include puffed rice bits. You can even make these a day or two ahead of time. Keep them covered in the fridge, and hold off on the granola topping until you serve 'em up.

4 cups vanilla-flavored low-fat yogurt (or 8 6-oz. Yoplait)
2 10-ounce boxes sliced strawberries with sugar added, thawed
1/3 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2 cup crunchy, sweet granola
1. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt into a parfait cup or tall glass.

2. Add 1/2 cup of strawberries into the glass on top of the yogurt.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of blueberries to the glass.

4. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt over the fruit.

5. Sprinkle granola over the top and serve. Repeat for remaining 3 servings.

Makes 4 servings.

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