Southern style meatloaf, made with ground chuck, onion and sweet bell pepper and finished with a brown sugar ketchup glaze.

Southern Style Meatloaf

Y'all know how I feel about labeling recipes or methods of cooking as "real" or "true" southern. I say it all the time, and I will continue to repeat it as long as I'm sharing recipes here on my blog, that one true reality I have learned in my now about ten years of blogging about southern food, is that there is no one "true" way to cook in the south. We sometimes do things a little bit different from one another.

Truth is, it rests solely on two things - the region of the south where you grew up, and what your own mama did - which was likely drawn from what her mama did. I am a southerner, born and raised, but my way of cooking some things may be potentially far different from your way, though it doesn't make either one better or more "right" than the other.

 

 Ham, egg and cheese breakfast cups, are little mini omelets, baked in a Texas muffin pan and stuffed into a crispy ham cup. Shown here with mushrooms and spinach, but easily adaptable for your own favorite add-ins, these reheat and freeze beautifully, making them a perfect make-ahead breakfast.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Cups

I was flipping through my Woman's World magazine and was reminded about these little cups. I really enjoy that magazine! Have you ever read it?

I used to pick up a copy at the grocery store every now and again, so when I checked on a subscription, at first glance I had a little sticker shock! But after realizing it's actually a weekly subscription and not just monthly, I thought I would treat myself.

The magazine features things of interest to me as a woman - diet, fashion, gardening, health, crafting, spiritual inspiration, new cookbook features and, of course, recipes. This week's issue has the most adorable cupcakes and treats for Halloween so you might want to pick one up at the grocery store. One of the other recent issues featured egg cups similar to those I used to make often when I was working in the corporate world and had that long commute each way, every day.

An Italian-American pasta dish, this southernized version of ziti comes together fairly quickly in a skillet on top of the stove, but with no sacrifice of the classic flavor.

Skillet Ziti

Although my ancestors come from the same area of Europe, it wasn't until recently that I learned that there actually is Italian lineage in my family tree. Seems that at least one of my great times I don't know how many grandparents was actually 100% Italian! I sure do seem to gravitate toward good Italian food. And good French food too for that matter. Aw heck, just good food I reckon!

I can tell you for certain that I sure do love my homemade baked ziti. Love, love, love it! But... like a good lasagna, homemade baked ziti takes a little bit of work and a whole lotta love to come together. It's a process, usually involving the entire family, to help make the sauce, the meatballs and all of the stuff that goes into making a good homemade meal, full of love.

That makes it a mostly weekend, and usually Sunday meal too, and as Rachael Ray has proclaimed in her newest book, Everyone is Italian on Sunday {affil link}. Ah, finally some validation for this southerner's love of Italian food... thanks Rach!

 

A filling and satisfying cabbage soup made with a beef stock and tomato with V8 base, ground beef, turkey or sausage, and served over rice, with flavor that is reminiscent of an unstuffed cabbage roll.

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup

There's a lot to be said for cabbage soup. For those of us who love cabbage, it's an easy way to prepare it, it's tasty and filling. I have several versions here on the blog, including my interpretation of the one that's been around forever, and is known as zero point, diet soup and free soup, and made popular by Weight Watchers. With a tomato base and loads of vegetables, it's low cal, diet friendly and filling, making it a favorite diet soup, although it's pretty well loved by all cabbage lovers.