Takeout Favorites You Can Make At Home

During the holiday season, it's easy to default to takeout for all but the "big" meals. But, it's the new year, and you have resolutions to keep. Cash to save. Abs to find. Why not give certain carry-out staples like Kung Pao Chicken and Pad Thai a try in your own kitchen? Surely after spending hours doing work in the gym, whipping up a simple dish of Asian noodles will feel like child's play.

Creamy, mustardy Swiss chard, sharp cheddar, and a fried egg take your breakfast sandwich out of its McMuffin rut. Make the greens in advance and it's even easier. Get the recipe on Food52

The brilliance of the sweet potato fry is that with all the sugar in the potatoes, you can really lay on the seasonings. Use chili powder, cumin and cayenne to spice up the first batch, then play around with different combinations. The tangy cilantro sour cream dip will go with all variations. Get the recipe on Food52.

The same mixture of garlic, ginger, cilantro, and chilies gets incorporated into both the rice and shrimp, creating a powerfully flavorful and fragrant dish. Baking the rice means less time laboring at the stove. Get the recipe on Food52.

Tender morsels of chicken eagerly soak up fragrant, velvety sauce in what is a remarkably quick and forgiving recipe. Feel free to customize at will (sliced mushrooms, water chestnuts, and diced celery all make great additions to this stir-fry). Get the recipe on Food52.

Honeyed and fragrant with a fiery kick, these chicken wings are addictive. The ingenious use of the double-fry renders the fat and then crisps the skin to the point where it essentially becomes a shell encasing the juicy meat. We're pleasantly reminded of the best version of General Tso's chicken we've ever had—only better. Get the recipe on Food52.

This substantial sandwich features dry-brined flank steak (marinated in chimichurri), thick, pan-grilled slices of brioche, and a smear of chimichurri aioli. Deli sandwiches, consider yourselves replaced. Get the recipe on Food52.

The caramelized pork could be a recipe all its own, but we sure do like it in this sandwich, as well. The juicy, tender pork pairs perfectly with the crunch of the pickled vegetables, and a French baguette with a crunchy crust and a tender interior completes the meal. Get the recipe on Food52.

This dish is really bacon-and-eggs meets rice-and-shiso. Once they all mingle in a piping hot wok, you get crisp bits of bacon and rice, the egg pulls the ingredients together, and the shiso tops it all off, singing with a licorice-mint fragrance. This may become our new home-alone meal. Get the recipe on Food52.

Once you see how easy this no-knead dough is, you'll never want to order pizza again. You can stick with the classic margherita, or top it exactly to your specifications. Get the recipe on Food52.

Skip the greasy takeout container and make this instead. It's a leaner and meaner version of pad thai featuring plenty of vegetables, no sugar, and barely any oil. Sure, its less traditional, but no less delicious. Get the recipe on Food52.