When I first started doing the copycat recipes a few years ago, I thought why not make it cheaper at home? In a lot of ways, eating out is done cheaper at home.

There are some exceptions. With the battle of the restaurants trying to compete for your money, sometimes it is not cheaper to make it at home. Variables to think about when the question of dining out vs attempting a copycat:

When there are only one or two of you going out.
Where you are going?
How long you want to spend at dinner?
All the extras you can get with your meal. (sides, even desserts)

Now I love to eat out probably more than anybody. There are times that my wallet is screaming “NO” but my belly is yelling back “YES.” Even though I love eating out, I always try to use coupons and I look for the specials at my favorite restaurants.

Sorry, got off track a little, started thinking about food and got distracted from the task at hand.

As I was saying, with the restaurants competing for your money, you can eat out a little smarter now. But guess what?? When you make something at home, you ALWAYS know what is in the recipe. You know how it was made and you also know how fresh the food is.

The New York Strip is one of my favorite steaks. It is lean, moist and tender (if you do not overcook). I found these on sale for about $3.99 a pound. I bought a few and took them directly home and vacuum packed them individually.

Try this recipe at home. I am sure it will be one of those you go back to again and again.

Copy Cat Applebees Bourbon Street Steak Ingredients

2-8 oz New York Strip Steaks
2 oz Soy sauce
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp powdered ginger (optional)
1 Tbsp Dried minced onion
1/4 cup Jim Bean Bourbon Whiskey (any mild whiskey will do)

Copy Cat Applebees Bourbon Street Steak

{Step 1} Mix all ingredients together and place in a ziplock plastic bag. Add the New York steaks and marinade for a few hours or overnight.

{Step 2} Place steaks on a hot grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side basting with left over marinade until done. I cooked on top of stove the same amount of time they were in the grill pan.

{Step 3} Let the steaks rest for about 3-5 minutes before serving in order for the juices to redistribute in the meat. Dong this keeps the juices inside creating a much more tender piece of steak.

At-Home Price Comparison

I served our steaks with a baked potato, seasoned broccoli and some sautéed onions. Depending on how much you spend on your steaks, this meal is a lot cheaper than the 2 for $20 specials at Applebees!