Kelly Wambach

One of the most memorable cooking positions that I’ve had over the years was to cook for the Kappa Delta Sorority girls at NDSU. I’ve often said my years with the girls were some of the most rewarding years of my cooking career. The girls became my friends and I theirs. Early morning chats in the kitchen hashing over the previous evening’s events or the troubles with a boyfriend were the norm. They soon became the little girls I never had and I truly did feel that for some I was the father figure they needed when their real dad wasn’t near.
It didn’t take me long to figure out what made the girls happy when it came to their diets. If there was Captain Crunch in the pantry for breakfast and tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch they were happy.
Once a year the fraternities and sororities held a chili cook off. Somehow my girls managed to sweet talk me into preparing the Kappa Delta entry. This was surely supposed to be a joint effort among the girls, but after a few big hugs and lots of sweet little smiles they managed to convince me that I WAS one of the girls and that it would be OK for me to prepare their entry. To their surprise and mine the Kappa Delta chili entry took first place two years in a row! I later learned that all this buttering up the house cooks was not limited to just our house, but quite common among both sororities and fraternities.
The girls loved tomato soup. I came up with this quick and easy recipe while I was with the sorority for my busier days in the kitchen. I’m also sharing my prize winning chili recipe. Both are the perfect comfort food for those chilly days ahead.

So Easy, But So Good Creamy Tomato Soup
2 29 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 23 Oz. jars of your favorite Marinara sauce
Enough water to rinse your cans or jars
2 tsp chicken soup base
1/4 cup sugar

Heat above to very warm then whisk in 2 cups powdered nondairy creamer.
*Be sure to use original flavor. I BOUGHT VANILLA by mistake once. YUCK! Not good. Lol.
Grill up some grilled cheese sandwiches or just sip from a cup and you’re good to go!
* Tip: When buttering the bread for a grilled cheese sandwich less is better. A thin even coating of butter will give you a nice crispy sandwich instead of a butter soaked greasy one.
Serves 6 to 8 good appetites

Prize Winning Chili
1 large green pepper chopped course
1 large onion chopped course
3 lbs ground beef browned and drained
1 lb stewing beef cut in 1/2 inch cubes and browned
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder (secret ingredient!)
3 tbsp beef soup base
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp course ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
3 15 oz cans dark red kidney beans with liquid
3 15 oz cans chili style beans with liquid
1 can tomato soup
Salt to taste optional
Combine all ingredients and simmer for a minimum of one hour.
Makes about 4 quarts.
Hunker down. Enjoy the season. Cook up a memory!
“The most important ingredient in a recipe is the memory it conjures.”