Top 5 Favorite Things To Cook

Everyone has their favorite recipes. Most of mine are centered around things that I ate a lot of as a kid. Isn't that the same with everyone? My husbands favorite thing to eat was his mom's red velvet cake. She told me years later that it was always just a boxed chocolate cake with red food coloring - but she never had the heart to tell him. (Don't worry, he doesn't read blogs - so the secret will die with me!)

I was lucky enough to have a mom that was (and is) a really wonderful cook. She was adventurous in trying new foods and recipes. At our house, we always sat down as a family to eat - so meals were important. My mom was always trying new things - but the basics always stayed around. Her chicken and noodles is something that she would make whenever someone was feeling a little sick, or down, or got a good grade, or just because!

My mom, Great Grandma (with me) and my Grandma

I was also lucky that I had a Grandma that is a great cook. As a child, we lived about 3 hours from my Grandparents so whenever we got to see them was always a treat. My Grandma would always cook my favorite meals (meat and gravy) whenever I would visit.

Here's my list of my top five favorite things to cook (and eat)....

1. Chicken Noodle Soup. My moms version. Thick noodles, big chunks of chicken. I would always start eating on it out of the pan, long before it ever got to the table. Now, I make almost a double batch - because I still eat most of it before its served. 
2. Meatloaf. Again, my moms version. It's sweet, moist and all around yummy. You can find it here. 
3. Chicken and Dough. A long-time family recipe from my Grandpa's side. It's basically chicken with fried bread. My great-grandma use to make it a lot, a great way to feed a large family when you had little meat but tons of flour. I'll share it with you sometime. 
4. Meat and Gravy. This is one of my Grandma's. She use to make this for me every single time I would visit. It's become a family favorite. Cube steak simmered all day with rich gravy. My mouth is watering right now! 
5. Meatballs. Pretty similar to my moms meatloaf. My kids can eat these by the plate fulls. Another one that I'll share sometime soon.

What are you favorites? Where do they come from?