Friends, good morning!

On Monday, it snowed. Giant, cotton ball, It's-A-Wonderful-Life-like snow. Our little outdoor rink looked magical ...

... but, my word, all I could think was: can this please be it?

The next day felt like spring, meaning rainy and dreary, but in the 40's. Next week, the predicted highs are in the 60's, and I recently spoke to a friend who reported tulips had broken ground. Friends, I feel hopeful! And I hope wherever you are, signs of spring are emerging.

This week, I revisited a sleeper recipe from Bread Toast Crumbs. It's for a very simple way to make chicken cutlets, one I had nearly forgotten about, mostly for one reason: I hate pounding chicken breasts. It makes a mess of my cutting board, and I always feel I leave the meat a little mangled.

Recently, I tried pre-sliced, thinly sliced chicken breasts, which I know have been around for a while, but which I've always dismissed for a specific reason: What kind of a cook am I if I am not pounding those breasts myself?

Oh, Friends, it's OK, I have to remind myself, to embrace conveniences like pre-sliced, thinly sliced chicken breasts, which are so beautifully uniform and which cook in three minutes total, and which everyone loves.

If you hate the typical three-step breading station required to make chicken cutlets, this recipe is for you. If you hate pounding chicken breasts, this recipe is also for you.

In sum, a simple mayonnaise-mustard mixture replaces the flour-and-egg coating stations. And I promise you do not taste the mayonnaise — it, along with the mustard, simply acts as an adhesive for the bread crumbs, and it works brilliantly. All you need is a large bowl and a sheet pan spread with bread crumbs. Less counterspace, less mess, less to clean.

My whole family loves these cutlets on their own (with ketchup on the side, of course), and I’ve found them to be a great addition to salads or as a jumping-off point for chicken parmesan, which I’ll save for another post. Stay tuned!

Crispy Chicken Cutlets

PS: I recently bought these silicone cupcake liners, and I love them. They're slightly taller than standard liners, which makes them easy to remove and a little more forgiving if you overfill the well. They peel away from the cupcakes easily, and they're easy to clean, too. I use this cake recipe for the cupcakes (see notes for making cupcakes) and this chocolate whipped cream cheese frosting recipe I shared last week.

Review of the Week

Giant sandwich roll dough, halved on a cutting board.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Giant Overnight Sandwich Roll

"We’ve made this 3x times now. The bread has a great crust, and it’s light and airy inside. Now there are weekly demands for “the big sandwich!"

—Rosa

PS: I received an email from one of you recently sharing how to adapt this recipe to sourdough: substitute 1/2 cup starter for the yeast.

Susan wrote: "Tender crust, craters of air/gas bubbles — it was a thing of beauty. I'm certain you have other readers who might enjoy the experience."

Thank you, Susan!

A giant sandwich on a cutting board. — *Big Sandwich Inspo!*

6 Recipes to Make Right Now

I continue to make this chickpea and lentil soup weekly, because it is so fast, so tasty, and made from mostly pantry ingredients, which at this point in the year, is the name of the game. Below, find a few of my favorite pantry-reliant recipes.

Super Simple Irish Soda Bread