Cold wintry days may be keeping you inside curled up reading a good book or watching team sports. Dark (and maybe snowy) days invite us to enjoy a hot steaming bowl of soup or another comfort food. We are celebrating a short month. It is the month of the Super Bowl, groundhogs, Valentines, and presidents. Celebrate days of long shadows. Let’s eat!

Brunch Bake Casserole

Mix 6 eggs and 3 Tablespoons sour cream together; pour into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees; remove from oven. While the eggs are baking, fry 8 ounces pork sausage, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, one-half chopped onion, and 1 chopped tomato. Cook until sausage is done; drain. Spoon over the egg mixture. Top with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese. Finish baking at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Crushed Pretzel Salad

In a small bowl, mix two 3-ounce packages strawberry gelatin with 2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved, cool slightly, and set aside. In another bowl, mix 2 cups crushed pretzels, three-fourths cup melted butter, and 3 Tablespoons sugar. Press into a 9 x 13- inch pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool. Mix one 8-ounce package soft cream cheese with three-fourths cup sugar and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in an 8-ounce container of frozen whipped topping or 1 cup whipped whipping cream. Spread the whipped topping mixture over the cooled pretzel crust. Refrigerate until well-chilled. Add 2 10-ounce packages frozen strawberries and one 8-ounce can crushed pineapple to the gelatin mixture. Gently pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Serves 8.

Marinated Cheese Snacks

Cut an 8-ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese and an 8-ounce block of cream cheese into one-fourth-inch slices. Place slices in a shallow baking dish. Mix together one-half cup olive oil, one-half cup white vinegar, 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 3 chopped green onions, 1 teaspoon sugar, three-fourths teaspoon dried basil, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 small jar drained pimientos, and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk (or put in a jar with a lid on it and shake). Pour marinade over the sliced cheeses. Cover; refrigerate for 24 hours. When ready to serve, plate with crackers and spoon some of the marinade over the cheeses. Serves 8.

Quick Sunday Sauce

In a saucepan, mix 2 small cans tomato paste with 2 16-ounce cans tomato sauce, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 sliced onion, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon dried basil or Italian seasoning. Cook on low heat for 30 to 60 minutes. Serve with or without meatballs over the cooked pasta of your choice. Serves 6 to 8.

Bourbon Brown Sugar Flank Steaks

In a bowl, mix one-half cup dark brown sugar, one-half cup minced green onions, one-half cup bourbon, one-half cup soy sauce, and one-fourth cup Dijon mustard. Reserve one-half cup of the marinade; refrigerate. Pour the rest of the mixture into a zipped baggie along with 2 flank steaks (cut in half if they are large). Marinate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Grill or pan-fry steaks. Remove steaks from skillet and let rest. Into the skillet add the reserved marinade along with one-half teaspoon cornstarch. Cook until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve sauce along sliced flank steaks. Serves 3 to 4.

Mrs. Zee’s Super Bowl Snack Mix

Bring 2 cups brown sugar, one-half cup light Karo syrup, and 2 sticks butter to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and one-and-one-half teaspoons salt. Mix and boil for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 cups Crispix, 4 cups any type of pretzel, and 2 cups dry roasted peanuts (or any mixed nuts). Pour the sugar mixture over the cereal and stir to coat. Spread mixture out onto a large rimmed cookie sheet or baking pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes—stir every 15 minutes or so. Pour out onto wax paper to cool. Add a 1-pound bag of candy-coated chocolates or other candies. Serves 12 to 15.

Barbecue Bites

Thoroughly cook 1 pound ground beef. Drain grease. Stir in one-half cup barbecue sauce, one-fourth chopped onion, and 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (add chopped chilies or other seasonings if desired). Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Separate the biscuits of a tube of biscuit/crescent dough and press each piece of dough into a lightly sprayed cupcake tin. Firmly press in bottom and up the sides (making a cup). Spoon beef mixture into each biscuit. Top with one-half cup to one cup grated cheddar cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 12.

White Chicken Chili

Heat a Tablespoon of oil (canola or olive) in a large skillet. Add 1 cut-up carrot, one cut-up celery stalk, and one-half chopped onion. Sauté for several minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon oregano. Transfer mixture to a Crock pot. Add 2 to 3 cans Great White Northern Beans, a can of Rotel tomatoes, and 2 cans of chopped green chilies. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 4 cups cooked chicken (shred a ready-made rotisserie chicken or cook and cut up several chicken breasts). Add a can of Mexican corn if desired. Cook for 1 to 2 hours on low, then add chicken broth if chili is too thick. Add 1 cup shredded Jack cheese and 8 ounces sour cream during the last 20 minutes of cooking, or serve them on the side along with chopped green onion and tortilla strips. Serves 8.

Chocolate Valentine Heart Love Cookies

Blend together two-and-one-fourth cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, one-fourth teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon cinnamon, and one-fourth cup cocoa powder. In another bowl, mix 1 cup brown sugar with 2 sticks soft butter, 1 egg, and one-and-one-half teaspoons vanilla. Mix until creamy. Slowly add the flour mixture and blend. Pat the dough into a round disk and refrigerate for several hours.

When ready to bake, roll out to about one-fourth-inch thick. Cut shapes with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove and let cool. Frost with Nutella or your favorite frosting, or dust with powdered sugar. Makes 24 cookies.

Editor’s Note: Kate has been an Omaha area culinary instructor for 14 years. She attended The Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha.