Mom is often the comforter behind many of the dishes we consider our longtime comfort foods. Then wouldn't it be fun to target some of these hearty favorites, add our own special touches, and give them to Mom as treats in the days leading up to Mother's Day, or prepare them for a memorable brunch or supper on the holiday itself?

Just think back to what you enjoyed most growing up and give it a slight twist. For a little inspiration, the following are some popular topics that gave many of us happiness, like French toast, fried chicken, meat loaf and brownies. Each one, though, has been tweaked, like a few fiery additions to the chicken or a bagels and cream cheese rendition of the French toast.

Another comforting perk: For these dishes to have earned their status as favorites, they usually relied on trusted, highly economical ingredients. That's a bonus not just for yesteryear, but for today's often cost-conscious times as well.

Cooking can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, fun and fast, as the following savvy substitutions prove. The dishes are delicious evidence that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family time in the kitchen that goes along with it!

Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since there are no right or wrong amounts. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you choose to use can't help but draw "wows" at the table, whether it's at a time like Mother's Day or as a way to make any day more special.

Omelet Worth Ovation: While the omelet is cooking, in another skillet, saute olive oil with dashes of basil, oregano and garlic. Add some thin strips of zucchini and carrots, and saute until tender. When the omelet is set, carefully brush half with store-bought pesto and fill that half with the sauteed vegetables before folding the other half over it.

Bagels 'n' Cream Cheese French Toast: Saturate fully entire halves of raisin bagels in well-beaten eggs and cook until well-done on both sides, flipping once in a skillet that is well-heated with half butter and half olive oil. (Besides providing some antioxidants, this tends to make the French toast more light and fluffy than when cooked in margarine or nonstick pan spray.) Serve warm, topped with whipped cream cheese into which you've stirred dashes of maple syrup and ground cinnamon.

Fried Chicken Made More Fiery: To your fried chicken batter, add cayenne pepper and use only three-fourths of the egg wash or buttermilk you might usually, replacing the other quarter with spicy salsa you've mixed in.

Meat Loaf Stuffed With Love: Stuff the meat loaf made from Mom's best recipe with her favorite cheese — like bleu cheese, Gruyere or Parmesan — as well as a mix of some of her favorite finely diced vegetables and fresh herbs, such as mushrooms, broccoli, cilantro and chervil.

Brownies with a White Topcoat: After brownies cool (or atop store-bought brownies), spread a layer of marshmallow cream and drizzle with white chocolate chips. Sprinkle vanilla-wafer crumbs over the top.

ITALIAN CHEESE-STUFFED MEAT LOAF

2 eggs

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

2 cups soft French breadcrumbs

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (8-ounce) jar pizza sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese (6 ounces)

1 (7.25-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, chopped

1/4 cup chopped ripe olives

Yields 8 servings.

Heat oven to 375 F. Line 15-by-10-by-1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, garlic and 1/2 cup of pizza sauce until well-combined.

On a large sheet of foil, shape beef mixture into 12-by-10-inch rectangle. Top evenly with provolone cheese, roasted peppers and olives to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Starting with one 10-inch side, roll up; press seam to seal. Place seam side down in pan.

Bake 40 minutes. Carefully remove from oven; spoon remaining pizza sauce over loaf. Insert meat thermometer so bulb reaches center of loaf.

Return to oven; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until loaf is thoroughly cooked in center and thermometer reads 160 F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. — BettyCrocker.com

Photo courtesy of BettyCrocker.com

Fresh basil, provolone cheese and olives are among the tasty ingredients that stuff this delicious meat loaf.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators' "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.