I have this crazy idea to cook my way through The Sims 3, starting with waffles and ending with Lobster Thermidor (if not the life giving, ghost resurrecting Ambrosia salad).  One thing that threatens to sink my plan is, how the heck do you cook waffles in a giant pan in the oven?  I have found that there is such a thing as a "waffle pan," which is a non-electric way to make waffles on the stove top.  But I haven't yet found anything that looks even remotely like what your Sims put into the oven when they make waffles.

Mm, waffles.  I had to take a break because I suddenly realized that I had some Eggos in the freezer.  Okay, anyway, if you want to make either waffles or pancakes, I strongly suggest this recipe from Metafilter user goofyy.  I was a devoted Bisquick fan, but this has become my go-to recipe.

I assume no one needs help with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or hot dogs.  If you want to make macaroni and cheese from scratch, it's really pretty easy!  (I was surprised to learn this, myself.)  Here is a basic recipe, and you can improve on it by following the suggestions of the commenters.  Bacon - you can't go wrong with bacon!

I didn't think that Autumn Salad was a real thing until I started looking into Sims recipes.  Turns out it IS real, and it looks like it would be pretty yummy.  

Ratatouille isn't just a movie about an adorable cooking rat.  It's also a traditional Mediterranean dish that's packed full of delicious roasted vegetables.  And cheese, let's not forget the cheese!  Ratatouille is basically lasagna with eggplant slices in place of pasta.  I have to admit the one time I tried to make this (years ago) I ended up with a gloppy soup.  Maybe you'll have better luck!

Carbonara is another Italian favorite.  You can make it as "goopy" as you want!  I'm actually planning to try my hand at carbonara this weekend, since it looks relatively foolproof.  Unbelievably fattening, but foolproof!  Here's a great combination recipe and tutorial on the Pioneer Woman's blog.  Doesn't that look absolutely delicious?  Worth eleven simoleons for six plates' worth, that's for sure!

Grilled cheese is the next plausible item on the list of Sims 3 recipes.   I have perfected the grilled cheese sandwich, here's how it works:  

1.     Heat a pan on the stovetop to medium.  (My burners go up to 10 - I set it to 3.5 for this.)
2.    While you're waiting for the pan to heat, butter the outsides of the bread and slice the cheese.
3.    Use the best cheddar cheese you can find!  I like Tillamook Medium or Sharp.  Swiss cheese can also be good if you want to mix things up a little.
4.    Layer the sandwich in the pan (buttered sides out, obviously).  Cook it for 2 minutes on each side.  Set a timer, and watch it the first few times you make it!  Grilled cheese scorches FAST.