12 Diner-Style Dishes That Taste Better At Home

Everyone can find their favorite comfort food at a diner, from meatloaf to apple pie. But these classic, homey diner-style dishes taste even better when you whip them up at home.

Turkey Meatloaf

This turkey meatloaf is generously seasoned with sautéed onions, garlic, and a tangy-sweet barbecue glaze, which makes it full-flavored and satisfying. A family favorite!
Perfect Apple Pie

What’s the secret to a perfect apple pie? Simple: blind bake the crust and boil down the juices before filling the pie. These steps add a bit of extra time but ensure a crisp, flaky crust and thick, cider-flavored filling.
Classic Egg Salad

Most egg salads are bland, mayo-laden affairs. But when made properly, they can be so delicious! It’s important to begin with properly cooked hard-boiled eggs, and then you have to really amp up the seasoning.
Classic Tomato Soup

This is the ultimate tomato soup, and it’s surprisingly easy to make. The only chopping involves some onions, garlic and basil, and the rest comes out of cartons and jars (though you’d never know by tasting it).
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

Marinated in seasoned buttermilk and pan-fried to crunchy perfection, these homemade tenders are delicious on their own, dipped in your favorite sauce, or perched on top of a salad.
Southwestern Cheeseburger Sliders

These drip-down-your-chin sliders are jazzed up with smoky Southwestern spices, jalapeno pepper and Jack cheese. They’re phenomenal topped with my Roasted Tomato Peach Jam but ketchup and salsa work too.
Lemon Meringue Pie

This lemon meringue pie is virtually foolproof. And since it’s made with a graham cracker crust and a sweetened condensed milk filling, it comes together quickly.
The Ultimate Chili Recipe

Melt-in-your-mouth tender, thick, and rich — this ground beef chili is wonderful over rice or scooped up with tortilla chips.
Best Homemade Pancake Recipe

These pancakes are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Once you try them, you’ll wonder about all those boxed pancake mixes — these hardly require any more work and they’re twice as good.
Mac and Cheese

I find most homemade mac and cheese recipes to be a bit dry, so I developed this version to be ultra-creamy. The crispy panko-Herbes de Provence topping takes it over the top.
Yeasted Waffles

Yeasted waffles are light and crisp outside, delicate and creamy inside, not overly sweet — and they have a slight tang that offsets your sweet topping of choice beautifully.
Chocolate Cream Pie

With a chocolate cookie crust, silky chocolate pudding center, and pillowy whipped cream topping, this classic pie is a chocolate lover’s dream.