The vintage recipe of Chicken Parmesan can be prepared and cooked in an hour. It is tasty with two proteins from the meat and cheese baked on top.
Hello from the frozen state of Indiana!
We are in Day 6 of not leaving the house due to frigid temps.
When I say frigid, I mean WAY below freezing – more like zero or below zero wind chill. We had approximately 7 inches of snow on Sunday. The wind has not blown terrifically so I’m praying essential workers (medical, nursing home, First Responders, etc.) can get to work with reasonable visibility.
Today I’m paying for groceries to be delivered – a first for me. I’m going to shovel out my walk so the delivery person can make it safely to my door. I’ll pass on homemade cookies to that person as a big thank-you. Hopefully it will brighten his/her day.
I’m trying not to complain about the weather. In 2022 our furnace stopped working during a terrible cold snap. A new one couldn’t be installed for several days. People from our small country church shared 10 space heaters! Bless them!
As for Winter Storm Fern 2026, our pipes have not frozen, nor has our garage door frozen shut. We’ve not run out of anything and we’re healthy, all of which I’m extremely thankful for.
We’re reading a lot, getting projects accomplished that we had put off. I’ve even done some walking throughout the house to work off energy.
But I have to admit, it’s beginning to feel like a jail here.
Of course, I’ve been cooking/ baking. So far, I’ve made Monster cookies (gluten-free), chocolate pudding (above), sausage corn chowder, quick bread, butternut squash soup. Recipes for these will follow in upcoming weeks.
I’ve begun watching a new cooking show—’America’s Worst Cooks’ –on the Roku Channel.
Two professional chefs try to teach people with no cooking skills how to prepare fancy meals.
It’s interesting and I’ve learned things. It also has made me laugh which is helpful.
Mostly, I feel sorry for the contestants. It would be rough to learn cooking skills and have all of your mistakes made public.
I can identify with those cooks. I have made so many mistakes with my cooking and baking that it’s not funny.
At some gatherings my dishes have been moved to back areas to keep them away from the other food.
That hurt.
But the humiliation made me stronger. I was determined to improve. It’s like I bit a bullet and said to myself, “I’m going to show everyone I can prepare good food.”
That leads me to a question people ask: “How do you decide which recipes to post on your blog?”
I think about the skill set, time, energy of people reading this blog. I try to find recipes that appeal to a wide range of cooks, but mostly I look for recipes that seem approachable for beginners.
The recipes I choose don’t have many steps, nor do they require much time, usually under an hour—often much less time.
They also don’t cost much. I choose mainly chicken, pork, ground beef. No steak, duck, ribs. When raising a family, I concentrated on cheaper cuts to make our budget stretch. I think families are in the same position today.
Vintage recipes are appealing because they typically cost less than modern recipes as they don’t call for fancy ingredients.
I’ll never claim to be a professional chef or trained in culinary endeavors or any kind. I learn something from each recipe.
I’m just a person who has found cooking to be therapeutic and helpful as I continue to deal with grief through the loss of my husband.
So, while this may seem like a rambling post, it’s actually quite personal.
I want to encourage you to try cooking from scratch this week. Just one recipe. It may not turn out perfectly, but it’s a start. Choose from the dozens available on this blog. I bet you have most of the ingredients on your shelves right now!
I guarantee the dish will be healthier, cheaper, and taste good, especially knowing that you made it yourself.
I think today’s recipe below is especially tasty and fool-proof.
Parmesan Chicken is a great comfort food and it is simple. If you’re a novice in the kitchen, try it.
It came from a Campbell’s soup cookbook.
‘ Campbell Cookbook: ‘Easy Ways to Delicious Meals’, 465 Quick-to-Fix Recipes Using Campbell’s Convenience Foods (1968)
Let me know how it turns out and if you have questions.
Take care,
**
Chicken Parmesan
2 pounds chicken parts, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup
¼ cup water
¼ cup onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
¼ teaspoon oregano, crushed
4 ounces Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
In shallow baking dish (12x8x2-inch) arrange chicken, skin-side down.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Turn chicken and bake additional 20 minutes. Spoon off any fat.
Combine soup, water, onion, garlic, and oregano.
Pour over chicken.
Top with mozzarella cheese.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese over all.
Bake 20 minutes more.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser 
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