I remember having my first taste of a Chili Cheese Dog when I was a kid. It was from Joe’s in my hometown and it was a foot-long, hanging off the bun on either side and smothered with chili and melty cheese. It was heaven! I can’t go back in time, but I can make this Homemade Hot Dog Chili Sauce & recreate that memory as best I can.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup Instant Pot/Stove Top
So I was trying to think of the last time I made Soup. It was so long, I had to look it up! I made a White Chicken Chili that can be made in the Slow Cooker, Instant Pot or on the Stove in January, and it’s pretty soup-like but the last bone fide soup I made was in December: My friend Tanya’s Instant Pot Mexican Chipotle Chicken Soup. So I’m due! You, my friends, are due! I’m getting out of my Mexican soup rut and shaking things up with this Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup Instant Pot/Stove Top.

Ground Beef Noodle Bake
I’m not sure what made me think of this old-fashioned recipe…I’d call it comfort food. I don’t think my Mom made it but it was always around at someone’s house. I made it way back when I was a young Mom. I always called it Ground Beef Noodle Bake. I suspect it has roots in the German Kugel but became “casseroled up” in the U.S., much the way our “American Goulash” did.

Nathalie Duprees Meatloaf
Do y’all know Nathalie Dupree? She’s like the queen of Southern cooking; the Southern Julia Child. So when a friend (the same friend who introduced me to Panera’s Steak & White Cheddar Panini and many other meals & recipes over the years – she has great taste!) mentioned that Nathalie Duprees Meatloaf was a family favorite, I couldn’t wait to try it. It’s actually been on my must-make list for a while and I gotta say it’s just the perfect thing to make on a cold winter weekend.

Enchilada Sauce (from the pantry)
There’s nothing like a little Mexican food when you’re just absolutely over Christmas & Christmas leftovers & New Years and New Years leftovers. And then there were the leftovers from the leftovers. So change it up and make enchiladas!