When you visit Cracker Barrel, the homely decor and southern charm might lead you to believe everything on the menu is made from scratch daily. However, not all items meet this homespun expectation. In this article, we pull back the curtain to reveal which popular Cracker Barrel dishes aren’t freshly prepared each day, providing a glimpse into the kitchen practices of this beloved chain.
1. Macaroni and Cheese
Cracker Barrel’s macaroni and cheese, a staple comfort food, surprisingly doesn’t start from scratch. The dish is assembled with a pre-made cheese sauce that is mixed with cooked pasta before being baked to achieve that golden crust we all love according to insiders.
The mac and cheese is known for its creamy, comforting texture, often making it a must-try dish at the restaurant. Despite its popularity, the process involves more reheating than actual cooking from raw ingredients.
For those looking to recreate this dish at home, many copycat recipes suggest adding ingredients like real cheese to enhance the flavor and texture, providing a more authentic and homemade experience.
2. Hashbrown Casserole
The beloved hashbrown casserole at Cracker Barrel, praised for its creamy and hearty nature, also starts with a mix. While it is baked fresh in-house, the base ingredients come pre-packaged, which allows for consistent flavor but takes away from the ‘made-from-scratch’ appeal as detailed in food reviews.
The dish features a blend of cheese, onions, and seasoning with hashbrowns, but the initial preparation involves mixing these elements from ready-made packs rather than fresh ingredients.
This casserole remains a crowd-pleaser, yet it’s interesting to note the balance Cracker Barrel must strike between homemade taste and kitchen efficiency.
3. Chicken Pot Pie
Another dish that combines fresh and pre-made elements is the chicken pot pie. While the final assembly happens in the kitchen, components like the sauce base are not made from scratch. Instead, condensed cream of chicken soup is used to expedite the cooking process according to employee accounts.
The use of pre-cooked chicken and frozen vegetables further speeds up preparation. However, this doesn’t detract from the rustic charm and flavor that many guests come to enjoy.
Despite these shortcuts, the pot pies are still assembled and baked on-site, ensuringa degree of freshness that guests appreciate.
4. Fried Chicken
Cracker Barrel’s fried chicken, especially the Sunday homestyle chicken, involves a semi-homemade process. The chicken is indeed hand-breaded on-site, but it uses a pre-made dredge mix similar to Bisquick. This process ensures uniformity in flavor and texture but detracts slightly from the authenticity of a truly home-cooked meal as shared by employees.
The chicken pieces are prepped and fried fresh, which adds a layer of home-style cooking to the dish, even though all ingredients aren’t fresh from the farm.
This dish remains a popular choice for its crispy exterior and juicy interior, drawing diners back time and again despite not being fully made from scratch.
5. Biscuits and Corn Muffins
Perhaps surprisingly, Cracker Barrel’s biscuits and corn muffins are not made from scratch but from pre-prepared mixes. This method allows for consistent quality and quicker service times. Despite this, each biscuit and muffin is still shaped and finished by hand in-house, which adds a personal touch reported by insiders.
These items are beloved for their texture and taste, served millions of times each year, demonstrating that the use of mixes does not necessarily compromise the overall dining experience.
While not the old-fashioned way, the preparation of these bread items highlights a practical approach to maintaining tradition within a busy restaurant environment.
6. Country Fried Steak
The country fried steak at Cracker Barrel may come as a surprise to some. While the meat itself is seasoned and cooked on-site, the gravy often used as a topping comes from a mix. This approach ensures quick assembly and a stable flavor profile that meets customer expectations every time according to culinary reviews.
Despite this, the dish remains a hearty southern favorite, often paired with mashed potatoes and green beans for a full, satisfying meal.
The use of pre-made ingredients helps streamline the kitchen’s operations, focusing on delivering comfort food that feels homemade, if not entirely made from scratch.
7. Fried Apples
Last on our list, the fried apples at Cracker Barrel, which are more akin to a warm apple compote, are prepared using pre-sliced apples that are cooked with cinnamon and sugar. This method ensures that the dish is served quickly and consistently, with each batch tasting as comforting as the last as described in food blogs.
While the apples aren’t fried in the traditional sense, this dish provides a sweet end to many meals and highlights how even simple, semi-prepared ingredients can be turned into something deliciously memorable.
This dessert perfectly embodies Cracker Barrel’s approach to comfort food: quick, easy, and always satisfying.
In conclusion, while not every dish at Cracker Barrel is made from scratch, the blend of homemade and pre-made elements in these popular dishes ensures that they retain a charm that keeps customers coming back. Next time you dine at Cracker Barrel, you’ll know exactly what goes into making some of your favorite meals.
