‘Fakeaway’: Three meals that taste just like takeaway but are better and cheaper

Make your own version of three of Australia’s most popular takeaway means on a budget. See delicious recipes.

Julie CrossNational Social Affairs Reporter

@juliejourno

5 min read

August 20, 2022 - 8:35PM

News Corp Australia Network

Takeaway v Fakeaway - taste.com.au's food editor Michelle Southan get cooking

National

Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.

There’s nothing worse than spending a fortune on an expensive takeaway and being disappointed.

Which is why Michelle Southan, food director of taste.com.au, took up the challenge to create three fakeaways – a homemade take on takeaways – and make them better and cheaper than the real thing.

First up was the humble McMuffin with a hash brown side, which Michelle turned around in less time than it takes to drive to Maccas and order it, and all on a sandwich press. At $2.14 a serve, it was less than a third of the price.

Her 13-year-old son Xavier, who knows his way round a McMuffin, was the perfect person to taste his mum’s version.

He rated it a winner, saying the rasher of bacon, egg and a slice of ‘plastic’ cheese and a frozen hash brown reheated, tasted like the Maccas one, but better.

Michelle Southan with her son Xavier Southan, 13, trying her homemade bacon and egg muffin. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Next up was a chicken kebab, which I was lucky enough to sample. Just smelling the pre-marinated chicken cooking in the air fryer got my salivary glands working overtime.

The sizeable feast didn’t disappoint.

The chicken had a great, punchy authentic flavour and, combined with hummus, sriracha and sumac spiced onion, chopped lettuce and tomato, on a Lebanese flatbread, it far outclassed the kebab shop version, which was a little tasteless in my opinion.

With a house full of boys, it’s one I will be replicating. And for $3.96 a serve – compared with $14.90 from the kebab shop – it’s a money-saving steal.

However, the stand out dish was the sweet and sour popcorn chicken with fried rice.

The fakeaway was so good, I wouldn’t have believed it was homemade if I hadn’t seen Michelle create it with my own eyes.

It had more fresh veggies in it than the takeaway version, and the colour of the sauce was not as frightening as the bought one.

To make it healthier, just swap the battered chicken for chicken breast or thigh and, voila, you have a perfect Friday night treat for less than a fiver per person.

Here’s how Michelle did it:

McDONALDS BACON AND EGG MCMUFFIN – Cost to buy takeaway muffin $4.85, hash brown $2.55 = $7.40 each

BACON AND EGG MUFFIN

makes 4; prep 2 mins; cooking 15 mins;

cost per serve $2.14

4 frozen hash browns

4 short cut rindless bacon rasher

4 eggs

4 English muffins, split horizontally

4 slices cheese

1. Preheat a four slice sandwich press. Place the hash browns on the press and cook for 4 minutes. Turn over the hash browns. Add the bacon to the press and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Turn over the bacon and add the eggs to the sandwich press. Lock the height on the side of the press to just above the top of the eggs. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the buns to the press and place the cheese on top of the eggs. Cook for 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

3. Place the muffin bases on a chopping board. Top with the bacon and eggs. Top with the remaining muffin halves. Serve with the hash browns.

Michelle Southan’s bacon and egg muffin with hash browns (left) next to McDonalds. Picture: Justin Lloyd

4 eggs

12 pkt 700g Coles eggs

$4.90 = 41c each

$1.64

4 short cut rindless bacon rasher

Primo short cut bacon 200g pkt = $5.80 (you get 7 in a pkt) = 83c each

$3.32

4 English muffins, split

Coles English muffins 6 pkt = $2.00 = 33c each

$1.32

4 slices cheese

DairyLea cheese slices 12 pkt $4.40 = $0.37 each

$1.48

4 frozen hash browns

Coles frozen hash browns $2.95 (15 in a pkt) = 20c each

$0.80

Total

Per serve $2.14

Total $8.56 for 4 serves

KEBAB – Cost to buy takeaway $14.90

CHICKEN KEBAB

Makes 4; prep 5 mins; cooking 25 mins;

Cost per serve $3.96

1 Lilydale boneless butterflied honey and sriracha marinated chicken

4 Lebanese flatbreads

1 small onion, halved, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp sumac (optional)

1/2 iceberg lettuce

1 large ripe tomato

200g tub Coles hummus

Chilli sauce or barbecue sauce, to serve

1. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C for 3 minutes. Cut a square of baking paper just large enough to line the base of the airfryer basket. Cut the chicken in half crossways. Place half the chicken on to the paper. Place the remaining chicken in a freezable sealable bag and place in the freezer for another day.

2. Lift the chicken and paper into the airfryer basket. Air fry following packet directions or until cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the Lebanese breads on high for 1 minute or until warmed through. Combine the onion and sumac, if using in a small bowl. Finely shred the lettuce and thinly slice the tomato.

4. Spread the flatbreads with hummus and top with the lettuce, tomato and onion mixture. Thinly slice the chicken and place on top. Drizzle with sauce and roll up in the bread to serve.

Kebab made at home.

1 Lilydale boneless butterflied honey and sriracha marinated chicken

$13 each, only using ½

$6.50

4 Lebanese flatbreads

1 x 6pkt $1.60 = 27c each

$1.08

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 onion = 54c

$0.54

1/2 tsp sumac (optional)

70c for 10g (1/2 tsp = 5g)

$0.35

1/2 iceberg lettuce

1 lettuce = $6.20

$3.10

1 large ripe tomato

1 truss tomato (about 140g) = $1.67

$1.67

200g tub hummus

200g Coles brand tub = $2.00

$2.00

Chilli sauce or barbecue sauce, to serve

Masterfoods chilli sauce 74c per 100ml = 20ml per serve = 15c per serve

$0.60

Total

Per serve $3.96

Total $15.84

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN – Cost for take away $16.80

FRIED RICE – Cost for take away $9.00

Total $25.80 = per serve $6.45

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN WITH FRIED RICE

Serves 4 prep; 10 mins; cooking 30 mins;

Cost per serve $4.56

350g Inghams Original Chicken Munchies

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 green capsicum, de-seeded, coarsely chopped

1 red capsicum, de-seeded, coarsely chopped

1 brown onion, coarsely chopped

227g can pineapple pieces, drained

210ml bottle Ayam sweet and sour sauce

Fried rice

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 eggs, lightly whisked

2 bacon rashers, coarsely chopped

3 cups cooked white long-grain rice

2 green shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced

80g (1/2 cup) frozen peas

1 tbsp soy sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the chicken on the tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a non-stick wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add eggs and swirl over base. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until almost set. Use a wooden spoon to break up and move to one side of the wok or pan.

3. Add bacon and rice to the wok. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and rice is lightly fried. Add shallot and peas. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce. Stir until heated through. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.

4. Heat the oil in the wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the capsicum and onion and cook, tossing, for 3-4 minutes or until softens slightly. Add the chicken, pineapple and sweet and sour sauce. Cook, tossing for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve with the fried rice.