My dad used to make the best pork roast with mashed potatoes. It was one of the few things he cooked that I absolutely loved. I’d request it whenever I was home from college, and he’d happily oblige. His other specialties were overcooked burgers and steaks well-done. I was married before I realized I actually LIKED hamburgers and steak.
As for my mom, she made fantastic sausage gravy and biscuits. It’s really simple, and I sometimes make it for holiday breakfasts. She also made the best Thanksgiving stuffing. She used the turkey giblets in the stuffing, and it was always soooooo delicious. We never host Thanksgiving, but I buy a turkey and cook it just to make that stuffing to go along with it.
My other childhood favorites were my grandma’s french toast and my great grandma’s chicken and noodles. One day I found out the noodles were just bagged egg noodles and the chicken was from a can. That was a bit of a sad moment, because up until then I’d been convinced she made it all from scratch. I was ten. She passed away when I was twelve, but I still have fond memories of the long drive to her apartment, looking forward to that chicken and noodles!