Behind every good chef is a great sous chef, right?  I always have company beside my “prep bar”.  She sits patiently on my stool that I use when my feet begin to hurt.  My only problem is finding the gumption to kick her off

In honor of my feline sous chef, I offer you a recipe shared with me (and the rest of the world) by another cat loving chef named KITTENCAL.  We love this homey chicken casserole!

Kittencal’s Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (or any cheese of choice) or 3/4 cup swiss cheese (or any cheese of choice)
• 1/2 cup  whipping cream

FILLING

• 4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
• 4 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped (can use green onions)
• 2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (or use about 2 cups, can use cooked turkey)
• 1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (or use 1/2 teaspoon white salt or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 2 -4 tablespoons mayonnaise or 2 -4 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 -2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)
• Set oven to 350°F.
• 2 Butter a casserole dish (any size to hold crescent rolls).
• 3 In a saucepan, mix half and half cream, 3/4 cup grated cheese (can use more cheese if desired) and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).
• 4 Heat just until the cheese melts (do not boil).
• 5 For the filling — (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder (if using).
• 6 Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined.
• 7 Add in 2 tablespoons whipping cream or mayonnaise; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry).
• 8 Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste.
• 9 Unroll the crescent rolls.
• 10 Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end.
• 11 Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish.
• 12 Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.
• 13 Drizzle the remaining sauce on top (you don’t have to use the full amount of cream sauce, just use as much as desired) and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired.
• 14 Bake for about 30 minutes.

RECOMMENDED TO ME BY KITTENCAL

I am so ready for this deck to be bathed in sunshine instead of snow!  Time for cookouts, ice cream and fruit kabobs and maybe a little suntanning, too.

Before we go all crazy with the hopes and dreams, I have a feeling we are going to need one more pot of hearty soup to get us to the Ides of March.   Or to Peter Cottontail.  This yummy potato soup is perfect for that order.

Baked Potato Soup

8-10 servings

• 4 large baking potatoes (about 2 3/4 lb.)
• 2/3 cup butter or 2/3 cup margarine
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4-2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon pepper (to taste)
• 6 cups milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes or until tender; cool completely.

2 Peel and cube potatoes.

3 In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.

4 Gradually add milk.

5 Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

6 Remove from the heat; whisk in sour cream.

7 Add potatoes and green onions; mix well.

8 Ladle into serving bowls; top with bacon and cheddar cheese.

My mom introduced my little girl, Mary Ashley to the Beatles.  It’s not like I didn’t know them, but you know…they aren’t on the radio right now, so I just never thought about it.  She ADORES them.  She is a huge fan!  Her school had a Fifties program to put on, so we donned her fav Beatles shirt, some capris and a ponytail and off we went.

When Mary Ash has an interest, she dives into the subject head first, learning all she can.  That sounds like I’m making her out to be some genius, but come on, it’s the Beatles, not nuclear fission.  Anyway, I’ve never…never…stumped her with a trivia question about them.  So, I started looking up obscure facts tonight with which to torture her and found out that the Beatles were quite funny.  I know, I was surprised, too.

They especially liked to mess with the press, according to the folks at Kulichki.com.  Here are a few anecdotes I found there.

Press: Does it bother you that you can’t hear what you sing during concerts?
John: No, we don’t mind. We’ve got the records at home.

Press: Can we look forward to any more Beatle movies?
John: Well, there’ll be many more but I don’t know whether you can look forward to them or not.

Press: Do you speak french?
Paul: Non.

Press: What is your favorite food?
Ringo: I’m hung up on hamburgers.
George: All four of us are mad about hero sandwiches.
Paul: I have a yen for grilled cheese sandwiches.
John: George and I usually wait until someone else orders, then say “I’ll have that, too”.

I think I have a sandwich that every single one of those boys would like.  It’s simple, but brilliant in its simplicity.  And delicious.  I imagine them eating it on their tour bus.

Gerber Sandwich

• 1 loaf French bread
• 1/4 cup garlic butter, spread (or butter with garlic powder to taste)
• 3/4 lb deli ham
• 1/2 lb provolone cheese, sliced thin
• paprika

1. Slice the loaf of bread lengthwise.
2.  Place on a cookie sheet.
3.  Spread butter on both pieces of bread.
4.  Put a layer of ham on both pieces of bread.
5.  Top it with a layer of cheese.
6.  Sprinkle with paprika if desired.
7.  Note: This is an open-face sandwich.
8.  Put in 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
9.  You may need to adjust the quantities of ingredients depending on your taste.

I’ve made quite  a few “copycat” recipes, most of those not quite up to snuff.  The same went for a recent Olive Garden Dressing I made.  I should have known when it began with a bottled dressing, but I gave it a try.  Finally, I combined a recipe I found with a cruet of Italian Dressing that I prepared from 2 envelopes of Good Seasonings, and I had my dressing!

*Here’s what I want you to do…Make 2 packets of Italian Dressing using Good Seasonings brand envelopes.  Set it aside.  Make the dressing below.  Combine the two.  Yum!

Italian Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian spices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 envelopes Good Seasons Italian Dressing, prepared per directions on envelope with white distilled vinegar

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender on high until combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour into small bowl and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Stir before serving.
4. **Don’t forget, add your 2 prepared recipes of Italian Dressing from the envelopes (I used Good Seasonings Brand) to this.  Yes,yes, it makes a ton of dressing.  Put it in the fridge, you’ll drink it later.

OK, so it’s been awhile.  I *have* been cooking though, I swear it.

My most recent attempts were very successful (eggrolls!) and moderately successful (Wonton Soup).

I’m giving you both recipes, because the eggrolls were so delicious, but the soup might be up your alley?  I was in the minority in not liking it, so there you go.  You’ve been warned.

Wonton Soup

• 2 green onions
• 1/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 12 -18 wonton skins
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup spinach or 1/2 cup bok choy, leaves halved lengthwise,shredded
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot

Reserve one green onion top for garnish; chop remaining green onions.  Combine chopped onion, ground beef, celery, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl; mix lightly.  Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoonsful of ground beef mixture in center of each wonton square.   Lightly dampen edges of square with water.  Bring together corners; pinch to seal.  Set aside.

Bring broth to boil in large saucepan; reduce heat to medium.  Add 1/2 of wontons; simmer 4 minutes.  Remove cooked wontons with slotted spoon; keep warm.  Repeat with remaining wontons.  Cut reserved green onion top into thin diagonal slices.  Add to hot broth with spinach and carrot.  Place wonton in soup bowls.  Top with broth mixture.

Egg Rolls

Beef Spring Rolls

These. are. fantastic.

Whenever we go to an Italian restaurant, no matter how fancy, my husband orders this. He looks at me almost apologetically when he makes his decision, passing up dishes with names we can’t pronounce that sound heavenly. So, when his birthday rolled around, my decision was easy: Spaghetti and Meatballs! This recipe was produced by combining two tried and true favorites. I hope you enjoy it!

Meatballs

1 cup breadcrumbs
4 -5 eggs
1 tablespoon parsley
2 lbs ground chuck
1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped very fine
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese or 2 teaspoons romano cheese
salt and pepper
oil (for frying)

Mix bread crumbs, eggs and parley together; add remaining ingredients except oil. Mix thoroughly; if mixture is dry, you maay add a little milk. Mixture should be workable. Roll into balls; fry in oil about 10 minutes. Put the meatballs in the marinara sauce of your choice and simmer for at least one hour.

Marinara Sauce

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 -2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pinch sugar
salt and pepper 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
parmesan cheese, grated

Crush tomatoes with a potato masher. Film bottom of large wide pot with olive oil over medium heat. (I use a skillet). Add onions, saute until soft. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add oregano, red pepper, sugar, salt and pepper and stir. Add tomatoes and paste, rinsing both cans with water and adding this to pan. Add parsley and lower heat to simmer 30-45 minutes. Add basil, cook a few minutes longer and serve.