15 Diner-Inspired Recipes, From Milkshakes to Hash Browns

It’s nearly impossible to recreate the full diner experience at home. Very few people have a griddle large enough to execute pancakes, scrambled eggs, and patty melts at once. And who’s going to work that griddle when you’re also juggling waffles, pies, and meat loaves? But luckily, you don’t need to have a diner’s worth of dishes to evoke the nostalgia of diner food.

A diner-inspired meal should be simple, comforting, and relatively easy to make. You can have an omelet for dinner, a club sandwich for breakfast, or a milkshake for lunch. This is a no-judgement zone! Think of this list as your diner menu. Browse, and make something that will bring you joy — that transports you to those squeaky, vinyl-coated booths and pies on display. Whatever you pick should be just as delicious with a group of friends as it is alone, hunched over with a newspaper and bottomless coffee.

Home Fries

While home fries can come in different shapes and sizes, they’re typically made from chunks of potatoes that have been blanched, then fried on a skillet. These ones from F&W recipe developer Jasmine Smith are as simple and delicious as they come — crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and seasoned with savory garlic powder.

Get the Recipe

Buttermilk Pancakes

These pancakes from associate editorial director of food, Chandra Ram, are extra fluffy thanks to the addition of buttermilk — the acidity in buttermilk reacts with baking soda, resulting in a softer crumb. Cover a full stack in maple syrup, or serve them with eggs, bacon, and potatoes for a makeshift Lumberjack Special.

Get the Recipe

Hash Browns

If you’re not getting home fries with your eggs, you’re probably getting hash browns — shredded potatoes that are fried until crispy. This extra crunchy version comes from F&W recipe developer Marianne Williams. Serve plain, drizzled with ketchup, or with some sour cream and chives.

Get the Recipe

Ultimate Breakfast Sandwiches

Every diner has a breakfast sandwich, and this one from recipe developer Ian Knauer is a showstopper. Served on a griddled English muffin, it’s layered with crunchy bacon, a fried egg, and melty, cheddar cheese. Pro tip: use the leftover bacon fat to toast your English muffin.

Get the Recipe

Greek Omelet

A large portion of diners in the United States are owned by Greek families. While they serve all the staples, you can also expect Greek specialties like spanikopita, gyros, and the Greek omelet. Packed with plum tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta, this recipe from F&W recipe developer Melissa Gray has all the flavors of a Greek salad in breakfast form.

Get the Recipe

Vanilla Milkshake

A diner date is incomplete without a milkshake — with two straws, of course. This vanilla shake from F&W food editor Paige Grandjean, topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, contains the perfect ratio of ice cream to milk for the ideal consistency. Is vanilla not your preference? Make a chocolate, strawberry, or black- and-white shake.

Get the Recipe

Light and Crispy Waffles

Baking soda, baking powder, buttermilk, and whipped egg whites make these waffles from cookbook author Pam Anderson airy and light. They’re delicious topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup, or even served with fried chicken.

Get the Recipe

Patty Melt

A patty melt might be the ultimate diner sandwich. You get all the classic nostalgia of a burger and the fresh-off-the-griddle taste of a pressed sandwich in one meal. This version from F&W recipe developer Julia Levy comes with rye bread, caramelized onions, mustard, and gooey Swiss cheese. 

Get the Recipe

Broccoli Melt

Whether or not you eat meat, there is a melt out there for you. This vegetarian one, created by 2023 F&W Best New Chef and soon-to-be diner owner Caroline Schiff, comes open-faced and with a pile of tender broccoli salad. And it wouldn’t be a melt without melty cheese — in this case, Swiss.

Get the Recipe

Cherry Pie

A bright red cherry pie has always been a diner staple, even before it was featured at the Double R Diner in Twin Peaks. This version from F&W recipe developer Melissa Gray features tart sour cherries and a buttery lattice top. 

Get the Recipe

Classic Meatloaf

Andrew Curren, the chef-owner of 24 Diner in Austin, developed this meatloaf recipe as a culmination of all the meat loaves he’s tried. His version stays true to what you’d get at a diner, but with a couple, umami-boosting additions, like an Italian-style soffritto, cubed Monterey Jack cheese, and a creamy onion gravy.

Get the Recipe

Club Sandwich

A great club sandwich doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but every ingredient has to be treated with care. Toasted bread, crispy bacon, and thinly sliced turkey ensures that this double-decker sandwich from F&W associate editorial director of food, Chandra Ram, doesn’t fall apart after the first bite.

Get the Recipe

Chicken-Fried Steak with Creamy Gravy

If you’re going to a diner in the South, you’re bound to find chicken-fried steak on the dinner menu — tenderized cubed steak that’s breaded and fried like schnitzel. The cornflake crust makes this version from F&W recipe developer Anna Theoktisto extra crispy, even when topped with a creamy buttermilk gravy. 

Get the Recipe

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

This double-crust apple pie from baker AJ Perry at Sassafras Bakery in Columbus, Ohio, is as classic as they come. Filled with a whopping three pounds of apples, it’s bound to be just as tall as the apple pies in a diner pastry case.

Get the Recipe

Passover Matzo Ball Soup

The soup section on a diner menu isn’t typically massive, but it should have a “Soup of the Day,” and if you’re lucky, matzo ball soup. Andrew Zimmern’s recipe, with light and fluffy matzo balls and pre-made or store-bought chicken broth, can and should be eaten beyond Passover.

Get the Recipe

Read the original article on Food & Wine