A tomato-based ground beef and sausage meat sauce, baked with rotini pasta and a mix of Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

Baked Rotini in Meat Sauce

Wow, has this cold and flu season been a challenge for me this year. You hear about how frightening it is around the country, but when it hits home and you experience it in your family multiple times, it's exhausting. Course, The Cajun, who is exposed to those pesky little germs much more often than me, and has such a strong constitution and rock solid immune system, he's done well fighting it, unlike me. I'm feeling okay today, but that seems subject to change at any time this winter. Hope y'all are faring better than I have, whew!

Even though my taste buds have yet to recover, still gotta feed the man, so here's another quick and easy dish and I'm sure all for that here lately! It's a mix of ground beef and sausage baked in a tomato-based sauce and layers of cheese. Be sure to undercook the pasta a tad so it stays more firm in the baking process. Instead of making a white sauce, I went with our southern béchamel, aka cream of mushroom soup, although if you're opposed to using that, I've included a homemade béchamel sauce down in the cook's notes in the recipe.

Russet potatoes and chunks of carrots and onion are cooked stovetop in a tomato-based sauce with seasoned pork chops or pork steaks, for an easy one pot meal.

One Pot Pork Chop Dinner

The Cajun is a big meat and potatoes man. I may have mentioned that before I think! He's just not that into vegetables, so he's always a little disappointed when the first of the year rolls around and I'm back to trying to eat more balanced, and maybe even a bit healthier than usual. Meaning more greens and vegetables.

I'm a little bit slow starting this year, as I've been under the weather since right before Christmas and let's just say it's been one thing after another. Haven't had much of an appetite, but I think I dropped a couple pounds as a result. I'm actually still on the mend today and frankly, still not feeling that well, so food hasn't been all that appealing to me. I guess I'll let him have his meat and potatoes way.