Name: Mom's Baked Fried Chicken and Gravy
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, cut into parts; milk; 1 stick (1/4 pound) butter; 1 cup flour; 1 tablespoon seasoned salt; 2 teaspoons paprika; 3/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons chopped scallion; 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms; 3 tablespoons butter and drippings from baking dish, combined with scraped up crispy bits from chicken; 2 tablespoons of the leftover flour seasoned for chicken preparation; 1 cup milk; 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)

When cooking for my college roommates years ago, I discovered that although tuna-fish casserole is consumed in millions of households, love of mother's own must be imprinted during infantile nurturing. As my friends summarily banished all my childhood favorites, I concluded that a hankering for mother's recipes could be used to distinguish genuine family from interlopers (call it genetic tasting). But I soon forgot the recipes.

So, it took a call to Pam Ross, my sister and sole surviving mother in our clan, to retrieve this cholesterol-boosting pleaser from our Mom. My nieces like it, and it doesn't wear out the cook. Pam serves it with garlic mashed potatoes.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Tater Tots Tossed in Date Butter

Put these out at a gathering, and we guarantee you’ll be hearing rave reviews for a long time.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Cod With Lemon Butter Sauce

A flurry of fresh tarragon makes this speedy weeknight dish of seared cod and luscious, sun-colored pan sauce feel restaurant worthy.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

Eggplant Roasted in Satay Sauce

Among the top tier of sauces is Indonesian satay sauce, because it is the embodiment of joy and life. In fact, this sauce is also trustworthy and highly respectful of whatever it comes into contact with—perhaps it is, in fact, the perfect friend?