CopyCaturday: The Series — We Visit It, Then We Try to Make It

Somewhere in Instagram-land, Saturday became Caturday. We have six cats. We love them. We were not posting a cat every Saturday — there’s only so many ways to photograph being judged.

So Saturday got reassigned. CopyCaturday: we find a copycat recipe for something we actually want to eat, make it in the bus kitchen, and tell you straight how it stacked up. Closest to the original, better than the original, or a beautiful wreck — there’s a stamp for every outcome, and we don’t grade on a curve.

One thing changed after the very first episode. The Popeyes mashed potatoes got judged on memory — “I think it’s close” — and memory, it turns out, is a liar. Since then the rule is law: the original sits in front of us while ours cooks. We visit the place, we get the real thing in hand, then we haul it back to the bus and try to beat it.

The recipes come from the internet’s copycat detectives, credited where they belong. We make the version our pantry can actually support, and we swap honestly when something’s missing.

The Stamp System

Every episode ends with a verdict stamp — no stars:

• Copycatted It! — we actually pulled it off. The triumph.
• Nailed It! — we did not. Said the way the show says it, over the wreckage.
• Deserves a Redo! — the attempt never got a fair trial: judged on memory, the original wasn’t in hand, or a missing ingredient forced a swap that changed the test. Not a verdict — a redo is owed.

The Legacy Shelf (the originals)

• Copycat Hostess Zingers – Homemade Raspberry Coconut Snack Cakes — stamp: Copycatted It! (‘ours might be better’)
• Are Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos Worth Copying? — stamp: Deserves a Redo! (the takeout arrived with no slaw — the original never really showed up to be tested)
• Copycat Kandy Kakes Recipe: Our Kitchen Disaster Story — stamp: Nailed It! (‘the glorious fail’)
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps ~ P.F. Chang’s — stamp: Copycatted It! (‘a near-perfect match’)
• Hashbrown Casserole Copycat – The Cracker Barrel Situation — stamp: Copycatted It! (‘90% identical’ — and better: no crowds, no waiting)
• Crunchwrap Supreme Copycaturday: Our Take on the Taco Bell Classic — stamp: Copycatted It! (still in rotation, still freezer-friendly)
• Copy Caturday ~ Popeyes Mashed Potatoes — stamp: Deserves a Redo! (episode one was judged on memory, before the original-in-hand rule existed — it never got its fair trial)

Visit-First Episodes (coming up)

• Chocolate Truffles — from Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate, St. Louis
• Flashback Pizza (tribute) — the source closed June 2026; the Home Alone Cookbook cheese pizza is the farewell cook
• Oatmeal Creme Pies — from Little Debbie Park, Collegedale TN
• Jumbo Jelly Beans — from Wakarusa Dime Store, the self-declared Nailed It Edition
• Brewery Pretzels vs. House Pretzels — from Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis
• The Real Mac & Cheese Quest — from the Giant Kraft Noodle, Springfield MO
• Lemon Zingers — the variant episode: lemon curd filling + lemon jello soak