If you know me personally, you already know how much I love to cook. There’s something amazing about being able to provide a home-cooked meal for your family and actually having fun doing so. Many people dread having to cook meals every day, but I enjoy it. The other thing about me and cooking is that I never use recipes; I may use them to get a general meal idea, but measuring and following the instructions to a T just isn’t me. With all of that said, I will probably never give you a complete recipe, but I will give you ingredients and part of how I cook. If you want a few easy no-measurements-required dinner ideas, follow along for my best cold-weather recipes that you can measure with your heart.

Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Biscuits & gravy has been a staple in my family for my entire life. It was one of those meals we all got super excited about when my momma would make it. I always thought she was the only one who could ever make it right, but luckily, she taught me how to do it too.

Although you can make your biscuits from scratch if you want, I usually just buy premade biscuits or use Bisquick. Ultimately, the gravy is what truly matters!

Let’s get crunchy with the best sausage gravy:

1. Gather your ingredients:

• • • Ground sausage (I like Bob Evan’s the best!)
    • All-purpose flour
    • Milk

2. Brown the sausage and grind into small chunks (this is also where you can add some seasonings if you want; I usually add some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes for extra heat.

3. Coat the sausage in all-purpose flour—you don’t need a ton. It just needs to be enough to coat it all.

4. Add milk until all of the sausage is covered. Keep it on medium heat and stir every few minutes until the gravy thickens.

5. Cover your freshly-baked biscuits with gravy and serve with eggs and hash browns for the perfect brunch!

Slow-Cooker Pork Chops

Slow cooker recipes are incredible, especially if you don’t really feel like cooking. This is my favorite way to enjoy pork chops, and I bet you’ll love it too!

Break out your slow cooker!

1. Gather your ingredients:

• • • Pork chops (I prefer bone-in for this recipe)
    • Whatever broth you have
    • Milk
    • Cream cheese
    • Sour cream
    • Cream of mushroom soup
    • Minced garlic
    • Seasonings: Ranch dressing mix, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper

2. Add your pork chops to the slow cooker, and then measure everything else with your heart! Just make sure all of the chops are completely coated.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 hours, and enjoy!

Tasty Tip

We like to have potatoes with this dish, so I cut little golden potatoes in half and add them to the slow cooker for the last 30 minutes of cook time. Serve with a veggie for a complete meal!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I absolutely love enchiladas, which is another fabulous fall meal. But sometimes you just need some soup from a slow cooker! I’ve always loved getting different chicken soups from restaurants, so I kind of just made this one up on my own. It’s been a hit with my husband the few times I’ve made it.

Let’s turn enchiladas into soup:

1. Gather your ingredients:

• • • Chicken breasts or tenderloins
    • Chicken broth
    • Butter
    • Red enchilada sauce
    • Tomato paste
    • Stewing tomatos
    • Black beans
    • Onions (your choice, but I prefer red)
    • Minced garlic
    • Lime juice
    • Seasonings: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, poultry seasoning, and salt

2. Put your chicken in the slow cooker and add all of the other ingredients, measuring with your heart. Keep in mind that it is a soup, so you’ll need a significant amount of broth.

3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. When the chicken is done, remove from the slow cooker to shred it and add it back in.

4. Scoop it into your favorite bowl or mug and enjoy! I like to garnish mine with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, and tortilla strips.

Mashed Potato Bowls

Almost everyone is familiar with this dish, as it’s a copycat recipe for a popular menu item from a well-known fast food place. It’s one of the easiest meals I make, but it’s always tasty.

Make this famous bowl at home:

1. Gather your ingredients:

• • • Potatoes (home-mashed or instant)
    • Corn (canned or frozen)
    • Chicken gravy
    • Popcorn chicken
    • Shredded mild cheddar cheese

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grab an oven-safe dish. Make your mashed potatoes however you see fit, and cover the bottom of the dish evenly. Add the rest of the ingredients in layers on top of the potatoes.

Pro Tip

I like to air fry my frozen popcorn chicken for a few minutes before adding it to the dish to make it crispy.

3. Put the dish in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top.

4. Let cool for a few minutes, scoop into a bowl, and enjoy!

Tasty Tip

I always top my mashed potato bowl with buffalo wing sauce; it gives it a little extra kick.

Classic Lasagna

Lasagna is a classic dish for almost every family, but I’ve learned that not many people actually know how to make it homemade instead of buying it in the frozen section. I absolutely love pasta, so this dish stays very close to my heart.

Let’s layer the best lasagna ever:

1. Gather your ingredients:

• • • Lasagna noodles
    • Tomato-based pasta sauce
    • Ground beef or turkey
    • Ricotta cheese
    • 1 egg
    • Parmesan cheese
    • Shredded mozzarella cheese
    • Minced garlic
    • Mushrooms
    • Yellow onion
    • Seasonings: salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder

2. Brown your beef or turkey, adding all of the seasonings you want. You can also add onion and mushroom here if you desire. Add the tomato-based pasta sauce to the meat and leave it on low.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grab a deep, oven-safe dish. Boil water and cook the pasta; strain and let it cool.

4. Make the ricotta mixture: combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1 egg, and seasonings in a separate bowl.

5. Start layering in the dish: noodles, ricotta mixture, meat sauce. Repeat until the dish is full, and then top with mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake for 30-45 minutes; let it cool for a few minutes before serving, and then enjoy! I like to serve mine with a side salad and garlic knots.

Fall can be chilly and dreadful for some, but you can make the most of the season with by doing some fun fall activities to do with your favorite people and making the best cold-weather recipes that you can measure with your heart. Sweater weather is officially here—get cozy and cook accordingly.