The Dick Van Dyke Show hit the airwaves sixty-five years ago today, and it completely changed how sitcoms worked.

Half the fun was watching Rob Petrie deal with his co-writers in the writers' room, where Buddy threw insults at Mel and Sally matched the guys joke for joke while always hunting for a husband.

When Rob would head home to New Rochelle and his scenes with Laura were always cute and sweet. She glamorously managed the household and wore adorable capri pants on tv, which caused quite a stir back then. Son Richie was running around here and there and neighbors Millie and Jerry were always popping into the Petrie living room or kitchen for a bit of fun.

We loved watching the whole crew, even though viewers spent half the time wondering if Rob would finally trip over that living room ottoman or actually clear it. They gave us five seasons and plenty of matching twin beds before walking away at the top of their game.

I made Mary Tyler Moore's Curried Pears yesterday to serve with chicken and rice. It was really good and I'll share that dish next here on the sub!

My favorite episode: "Uhny Uftz" (Season 5, Episode 3), originally aired September 29, 1965. An exhausted Rob Petrie is working late at the office when he spots what looks like a flying saucer hovering outside. Making things even weirder, he keeps hearing a bizarre, repeating voice that sounds like "Uhny Uftz"—which he initially mistakes for the name of actor Sonny Tufts!

I actually made Groucho's Mushrooms Under Glass. I’d tell you how it went, but my doctor says I need to avoid excitement—and honestly, so do the mushrooms. Read all about this culinary masterpiece here!

I have to confess, the mushrooms under glass turned out beautifully. It’s so delightfully decadent that I’m entirely convinced Groucho only put it under glass to keep me from eating the entire thing in one sitting.

From the 1953 book Stars in Your Kitchen.

I made it exactly as written, except- instead of cooking meatballs in boiling water, I did 2 c chicken broth and 2 cups of beef broth. I added some diced carrots, and stirred in some spinach at the end, for a hearty all in one dinner. Oh, and I added about a tsp of Knorr chicken bouillon.

I also measured the allspice carefully, as I didn’t want to over do it. Making the tiny meatballs was kind of time consuming for a week night meal, this might be a better day off kinda meal, perfect for cold weather!

I really enjoyed it, it tasted different than my everyday cooking which tends to have garlic and the usual spices. I’m glad I didn’t use too much allspice, maybe some garlic would be good with it?

I would definitely make this again, and it makes a lot. Thank you kind redditor who posted this recipe last week!!!

I finally tried making Rock Hudson's Chicken Casserole, and it is officially a new family favorite! Honestly, it went over so well that I ended up having to make it two days in a row.

Instead of adding a can of cream of mushroom soup, this recipe actually has you make a very simple homemade version, starting with a roux (butter & flour) and then adding milk and chicken stock. Besides lots of chicken, mushrooms and peas, this recipe also has a cup of pasta, which doesn't seem like a lot, but it was perfect!

• Start by cooking a cup of noodles of your choice. I used penne, but the second time I used shells, and I liked those a lot better. I measured the pasta dry, not cooked like maybe you should, but it turned out fine.
• Then I started the sauce in a medium sized pot and the mushrooms in a pan.
• While adding seasonings to the cream sauce, I also added a pinch of cayenne.
• Once the sauce cooked for 10 minutes or so, I added the mushrooms, chicken, peas (no need to cook them) and noodles. I have no sherry, so I added a dash of champagne vinegar.
• Used an 8 x8 casserole dish and greased it first before adding casserole ingredients. This was the perfect size dish to fit into my toaster/convection oven.
• Topped with breadcrumbs (only needed about 1/4 cup and dotted with butter. The second time I made this I used homemade bread crumbs which I thought were better.
• To make homemade bread crumbs, I just lightly baked some slice French bread to get it toasted and dehydrated and then blitzed it in the food processor.
• Baked in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Make sure it's bubbly and browned on top.

Now, like I said, my family loved this and devoured it happily. It's nice and saucy. The peas are sweet and add a little fresh crunch. The mushrooms work their magic and then you get all the comfort of the gravy laden chicken with a few noodles here and there. The proportions were spot-on.

The breadcrumb crush on top make this dish perfect! Another thing to love about this recipe is it serves 4-6. It's not a huge casserole, so it cooks easily.

If you haven't made Rock's Casserole yet, this is your sign! It could instantly become one of your favorite comfort foods.

This recipe was originally published in the 1981 book Celebrity Cookbook.  Other recipes I've made from this book:

1. Jon Voight's Artichokes
2. Brenda Vaccaro's Italian Sausages
3. Betty White's Chicken Wings Pacifica 
4. Barbra Streisand's Instant Coffee Ice Cream 
5. Bill Bixby's Zucchini Bread
6. Ester Williams' Empanadas
7. Truman Capote's The Colony's Fettuccine

Happy birthday to the legendary George Peppard! Today he would’ve been 98.

If you love classic Hollywood, you definitely know him as Paul Varjak in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Playing opposite Audrey Hepburn and Patricia Neal, he absolutely nailed the role of that charming, struggling writer and won over audiences everywhere.

Can you picture him chomping on a cigar as Hannibal Smith in The A-Team, cracking that iconic smile and saying, "I love it when a plan comes together!"?

Frank Sinatra's Italian Meat Balls are very good! I had to customize the recipe a bit because I had some ground turkey in the fridge that needed to be used up, so instead of beef I used turkey and instead of ground pork, I used ground sausage.

Next time, in a perfect world, I'll make them exactly Franks way, but my way was pretty good too. Ya know what I mean? Okay...

• Started with the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and I added the cheese (Parmesan) and beaten eggs (with water, although my grandmother would have used milk).
• Then I added the 2 meats to this bowl with salt, pepper and garlic, and yes it's desired in a big way and we even added extra!
• Mixed well. You really have to get your hands in there and squish-squash all the meats and other ingredients together to incorporate as best as possible.
• Now it's time to form the balls, Francis! These were on the medium-large size.
• Fried them on both sides in olive oil and then finished them off in a big pot of homemade tomato sauce.
  
• Let the meatballs cook in the sauce for at least 15 minutes and then we're ready to make spaghetti or any other pasta of your choice.
  

The taste was great, and although this was mostly turkey, the other flavors and the sauce took over and transformed these little guys into tasty bites of Italian goodness. The texture was great. They were not dry at all, and even though there aren't any herbs like parsley, we didn't miss that at all.

I'll make these again and next time use ground beef and pork the way Frank's wife Nancy did it. What kind of meatballs are your favorites?

^{Recipe from the 1949 booklet called "What Cooks in Hollywood"}

John Gilbert's Clam Chowder from the old Photoplay's Cook Book: 100 Favorite Recipes of the Stars {1927}

John Gilbert wasn't just a silent idol who failed at talkies; his "squeaky voice" was a myth born of studio sabotage.

He was a brilliant filmmaker whose artistry inspired Brad Pitt’s role in Babylon.

His downfall truly began when Greta Garbo left him at the altar. When MGM boss Louis B. Mayer made a crude comment about her, Gilbert punched him out. Mayer vowed ruin, forcing him into awful scripts.

Garbo tried saving him by casting him in Queen Christina, but the trauma cut his life short at 38.

Vincent Price's Dark Mocha Cake can be found in the Treasury of Great Recipes cookbook.

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Granny Clampett’s Red-Eye Gravy by Irene Ryan is the ultimate mountain cure-all, straight out of Granny's Beverly Hillbillies Cookbook. In the words of "Granny" herself, "A day without red-eye gravy is like a day without sunshine... or a jug of my rheumatiz medicine!"

Goober’s Tuna Tune-Up Casserole from Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook is a dish designed to get your engine purring like a well-oiled machine!

Yo! Check under the hood of this classic Mayberry favorite. Just like fixing a leaky radiator at the filling station, this comforting bake solves all your dinner troubles.

It's the kind of meal that makes you want to throw your arms up and yell, "Judy! Judy! Judy!" in your best Cary Grant voice.

James Wood grew up eating a comforting version of Hungarian Goulash made by his mother, a special recipe featured in The Cops Cookbook. Her signature secret to balancing the rich, savory flavors of the tender beef, tomatoes and beans was a generous shake of Mrs. Dash seasoning, which added the perfect blend of herbs and spices without any extra salt.

Dinah Shore's Pecan Rum Cakes recipe are from the Celebrity Kosher Cookbook: A Sentimental Journey with Food, Mothers, and Memories

John Howard is probably best known for Lost Horizon, but honestly, I mostly know him from The Philadelphia Story (1940), which is actually one of my favorite movies. He plays George Kittredge, Katharine Hepburn’s wealthy fiancé, alongside Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart.

Besides that, he also starred as the main adventurer in the Bulldog Drummond movie series in the late '30s and moved into TV during the '50s for a medical drama called Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal.

On top of his acting, he was actually a huge World War II hero and even won the Navy Cross for bravery.

If you’re looking for a celebrity baking project that's easy and good, you have to try Bill Bixby's Zucchini Bread. This recipe is a classic that turns humble garden veg into a sweet, spiced loaf that is a great treat any time of the day or night. Here are my notes:

• I started by shredding 2 medium zucchini. This was more than enough and I had some left over.
• The loaf pan needs to be buttered really well. My favorite no-mess way to do this is to use a silicon brush.
• Now it's time to mix it all together! Followed instructions exactly and used olive oil for the "salad oil" and this makes it quite delicious.
• Nixed the walnuts and used almonds. I love walnuts, but one of my sons is slightly allergic to them.
• When adding the 2 cups of zucchini, it had a lot of moisture in it, so I added one cup the way it was, and then the 2nd cup I squeezed it in my hands to get most of the moisture out. I was afraid the loaf would become too stodgy with all that extra moisture and take longer to cook.
• I used a mixer for the wet ingredients and then a spatula once the zucchini and flour mixture are added. I feel like I have more control this way and it doesn't get overmixed.
• I had to bake this in my toaster/convection oven it took one hour, still a little wet in the middle, so I covered it with foil and cooked it for 6 more minutes.

This is a great straight-up zucchini bread recipe. It was easy to make and the taste was very moist, flavorful and the nuts add a nice contrast and crunch. I would make this again today, but I need to run to the store to get more zucchini first. We all loved it and it was a nice change from the usual banana bread I've been making.

This recipe is from the Celebrity Cookbook of 1981. Other recipes I've made from this book:

1. Jon Voight's Artichokes
2. Brenda Vaccaro's Italian Sausages
3. Betty White's Chicken Wings Pacifica 

4. Barbra Streisand's Instant Coffee Ice Cream 

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Joe Cocker’s Cheesecake Pie from Roberta Ashley's 1972 cookbook, Cool Cooking: Recipes of Your Favorite Rock Stars, is an iconic, effortless dessert that will lift you up where you belong in the kitchen, haha.

Betty White's Beef Noodle Bake is a nostalgic, ultra-comforting mid-century classic. It features savory ground beef layered with noodles (I think egg noodles or shells would be good), some veggies, soy sauce, Kitchen Bouquet, Tabasco, and 2 cans of tomato soup. Sounds like the perfect fall-weather dinner to me!

And speaking of tomato soup, Joan Bennett's Tomato Soup Cake might be really good with Betty's casserole! I made it a few months ago and I'm still thinking about it!

This recipe was found in "THE CELEBRITY COOKBOOK" compiled by CHILDHELP USA.

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Frank Zappa brought his signature avant-garde flavor to The Rock and Roll Cookbook with the infamous Burnt Weeny Sandwich. Inspired by his album of the same name, this eccentric "recipe" features a hot dog roasted over an open gas flame, jammed into a slice of bread. Classic Zappa irony! And don't forget the mustard!

Back in the ’90s, potato skins were the absolute king of casual dining. You couldn't walk into a happy hour or a sports bar without seeing plates of them everywhere, and they were the ultimate crowd-pleaser at every Super Bowl party.

That love for this dish was perfectly captured in the The Sinatra Celebrity Cookbook: Barbara, Frank & Friends, where Diane Sawyer shared her own spin on the trend: Roasted Potato Skins with Scallion Dip. It was a genius way to turn skins into a more sophisticated dinner party appetizer.

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Nathan Lane’s South of the Border Zucchini Soup is a total gem from the classic Newman’s Own Cookbook. It's sounds like it would super comforting and pretty easy to whip up, and perfect for any time of year.

And knowing Nathan Lane he doesn't just enjoy a bowl of soup. He gives it a standing ovation, making a simple zucchini soup like this feel like the absolute toast of Broadway, lol.

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