Warm & cozy

Preheat oven to 425 F. Prick potatoes with fork four or five times each for steam to vent and place directly on middle rack in oven; bake 40 to 60 minutes, until soft when squeezed using an oven mitt. In a medium pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add carrots and cook another minute or two. Stir in broth, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer, then add broccoli; cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly until golden brown with a nutty scent. Whisk in milk; continue whisking until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese a handful at a time until fully melted. Remove from heat and stir cheese sauce into pot with broccoli. Cover and set aside. Split potatoes open with knife and fluff insides with fork. Generously top with broccoli cheddar.

Cut potatoes into approximately 2-inch chunks. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with water, and swish potatoes around to remove dirt and excess starch. Drain well. Peel carrots and cut into 2-inch pieces. Peel onion and cut into 2-inch wedges.

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large roasting pan, toss potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic with olive oil. In a medium bowl, whisk cornstarch with a small amount of the beef broth until smooth, then whisk in remaining broth. Pour broth over vegetables in roasting pan, then sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover pan with foil and bake 40 minutes. Pull pan out of oven and remove foil. Place sausages on top of the vegetables, leaving space between them. Bake 8 minutes, then flip sausages over and bake another 6 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the sausages reaches 160 F, vegetables are soft, and gravy is thickened.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook beef with onion for 5 minutes, breaking beef into small pieces. Add peppers and garlic; cook, stirring until peppers are soft. If needed, add small amounts of water to prevent burning. Mix in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, water, Italian seasoning, and rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until rice is tender. Makes 3 quarts.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef with onion, breaking beef up into small pieces for 5 minutes. Stir in green pepper, jalapeño, garlic, and spices; cook until peppers are soft, adding small amounts of water to prevent burning. Mix in black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, corn, and black olives; simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in water, then butter, then eggs.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spoon meat mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish and spread cornbread mixture evenly across the top and to the edges. Bake on middle rack of oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until cornbread is golden brown and firm when pressed. Let cool a few minutes before serving.