Both of my parents are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G cooks. My mom is all about presentation and enjoys cooking like she’s feeding a small army on the daily. She also has two fridges and two freezers for just herself and her boyfriend, but that’s beside the point (ok, so this is where I get my food hoarding from).
My dad is a super simple cook, but most of his recipes are hand-me-down recipes from his family in Canada, which gives me all the feels. I hated cooking growing up. Never enjoyed it. If I was on my own, it was a Michelina’s frozen meal, ramen noodles, or spaghetti with garlic salt and butter (I do still love this, though). It wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I discovered a deep love for cooking.
Now, it has become my distraction, a hobby, something I adore. I also feel like I show love through cooking meals for people. I know I got this from my parents—both of them are also quick to jump on what meal they could cook for someone as a gesture of love.
To follow are a few of my favorite recipes that work year-round, but are perfect for the coziness of fall cooking. Buon appetito!
Quiche
- 6-8 eggs (depending how much filling you use)
- 1 cup favorite breakfast meats (ham, turkey bacon, bacon, sausage, turkey sausage)
- 2 cups veggies (any you like! We use asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, red onion, scallions.)
- 1/2 cup potatoes O’Brien (the little diced potatoes with onions and bell peppers)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- Salt and pepper
Saute your veggies and breakfast meat in a non-stick skillet with a dab of butter (if you want even more flavor, use bacon grease if you’re a sucker for all things bacon and keep the grease like I do!). Roll out pie dough into a pie dish, fill with filling once veggies are tender, and pop into the oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
Goulash
- 1 box of noodles (I like small shells or elbows)
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 lb hamburger or turkey burger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cans tomato sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes (or diced tomatoes w/green chiles if you like spicy)
- Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- Garlic salt
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
- 5-6 large Russet potatoes, sliced thin
- Sliced, boneless ham
- Onion, sliced thin
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or 1 can cream of mushroom, and 1 can cream of chicken)
Steak & Rice
- 2 lbs round steak, sliced in thin strips (can also do chicken)
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1 large onion
- Optional additions: pea pods, bok choy, bean sprouts, etc.
- 1/4 Soy sauce
- 1/3 Teriyaki sauce or Hoisin sauce
- Minced garlic
- Corn starch
- Rice
- Optional vegetable additions: peas, mini corn, bean sprouts, etc.
Ham & Potato Soup
- 3-4 large red skin potatoes
- 2 Tb butter
- Honey ham (about 1-2 cups, chopped)
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 1 cup milk/half & half/ (I use 2%)
- 1/3 cup flour
- Celery/onion/carrots (about 2 cups total, chopped)
- Garlic (1 tsp, minced)
- Thyme (pinch), salt, pepper, bay leaf (1)
- Cheese: optional
Saute veggies in butter in a large stockpot. Add ham. Stir 2-3 minutes. Add flour and coat, let saute additional 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and then add chicken stock and milk. Simmer 25 minutes until soup thickens and veggies are tender. Add shredded cheese or even American cheese slices (those melt perfectly!).
