Eating at home...

2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground sausage (not Italian)
1 lb Andouille sausage (diced)
1 large onion, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs (or Panko)
2 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
2 Tbsp brown mustard
2 Tbsp catsup
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Use a large wooden spoon, or your hands, to mix thoroughly. Empty bowl onto a baking sheet, form into a loaf. Cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for at least 90 minutes.

8 oz shitake mushrooms
8 oz portabello mushrooms
1 small onion, sliced into small strips
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups whipping cream

Sauté the onion in the butter until translucent. Add the mushrooms, then salt. Sauté another minute or two until the mushrooms are tender, then add the wine. Allow this to cook down slightly, then add the whipping cream and soy sauce. Allow to come to a boil, reduce heat, and allow to reduce, stirring often.

When the meatloaf is done, slice portions, and top with the mushroom sauce.

Here's another simple recipe.

2 Avocados
1 small red onion
1 roma tomato
black pepper
fresh cilantro
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp garlic (minced)
1tsp onion powder
1tsp garlic powder

Avocados should be firm, but not hard. Slice around the pit lengthwise, twist the two halves and pull apart. Remove the pit, and use a spoon to scoop out the fruit. Place this in a a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the onion (quartered), garlic, powdered onion and garlic, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Slice the tomato, remove the seeds, and place this in the bowl also. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems, you'll want about a small handful. Add this to the bowl, and mash again with a fork, the texture should be slightly chunky, but not overly so.

Growing up in the midwest, I've eaten at Steak 'n Shake more times than I can remember. My two favorite items are their triple Steakburger, and their Chili 5-Way. Up until recently, there was no Steak 'n Shake in my area, and while I couldn't duplicate their burgers (to be honest, I never really tried), I found that duplicating their chili wasn't all that hard.

Several of the popular brands of chili with beans prove to be a fair match, but what always set their chili apart was the special sauce. As it turns out, this is fairly easy to duplicate. Just whip up a batch, ladle chili over some spaghetti noodles, and drizzle this sauce over the top:

4 Tbsp catsup
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
4-5 dashes Tabasco pepper sauce

The above is good enough for a single serving, scale accordingly and to taste for the number of bowls you're serving.

7 oz Pasta Shells (small)
1/2 purple onion
1/2 red bell pepper
2/3 cup peas
2 carrots
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
3 tbsp dill
2 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tbsp crushed rosemary
1 tbsp marjoram leaves
1 tbsp taragon
1 cup Miracle Whip (Lite works fine)

Julienne carrots, about 1/4 inch in length or smaller. Boil pasta, add salt to water. Mince onion and bell pepper. Be sure to remove the seeds and light colored ribs from inside the pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrots, onion, red pepper, peas, and the rest of the dried ingredients. Add about half of the Miracle Whip, and mix well, then add the pasta, and the remainder of the Miracle Whip. Mix thoroughly. The mix should be fairly moist at this stage, let sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, and the pasta should absorb most of the excess as it sets.

The main dry ingredient is the dill, after that, feel free to improvise with whatever you happen to have on hand. I make a version of this pasta salad every year for a family BBQ, and I've never made it the same twice, it all depends on who's kitchen I end up cooking in, and what they have on hand. As with any cooking, don't be afraid to be creative with what you have to work with.