Grandma's Cookbook

Written by Caitlin McGonagle Illustration by Kayla Tomlin

If you are lucky enough to have a Grandma that cooks for you, surely you have a list of her favorite dishes filed away in the “Favorite Grandma Recipes” folder of your brain. Since I have four Grandma’s, I have folders overflowing with recipes that remind me of how loved I am.

Cooking on a shoe-string budget with limited resources is a challenge but I am here to tell you it can be done. Your Grandma’s favorite recipes can be streamlined to fit the lifestyle and budget of any busy college student. As I have adapted to student life at ‘Cuse so too have I adapted my fav recipes to make them “student-friendly” and easy to whip-up on a student schedule and budget.

MOM-MOM’S APPLE CAKE Ingredients for apple layer: ½ cup peeled chopped apples ¼ teaspoon all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1 pinch cinnamon Ingredients for cake batter: 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 pinch cinnamon 1 pinch salt ¼ cup milk ¼ teaspoon vanilla Instructions: 1. In a small bowl mix together dry ingredients for the cake batter 2. Place butter into a large, microwave safe mug and microwave on high for 30 seconds 3. Pour the melted butter along with milk and vanilla into the bowl of dry ingredients; mix together with a fork and set aside 4. Add the chopped apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and ¼ tsp of flour to the bottom of the same mug used to melt the butter. Stir together until sugar and flour distributed coat the apple 5. Microwave the apples on high for 45 seconds, or until slightly softened and look moist. Stir again. Pour the cake batter on top of the apples, do not stir. 6. Microwave again on high for 90 seconds. If the cake is not done, microwave in 10 second increments until it is cooked through. Either unmold the cake onto a plate or serve right from the mug!

MA’S CHICKEN CASSEROLE Ingredients: 1 whole rotisserie chicken 1 can cream of mushroom soup ½ cup butter 1 pint of sour cream 1 cup chicken broth 8 oz stuffing mix Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. Take meat off rotisserie chicken and combine with sour cream and soup. 3. Pour chicken mixture into a casserole dish. 4. Make the stove top stuffing mixture according to the package. Combine with butter and broth. 5. Spread the stuffing mixture on top of the chicken mixture in a casserole dish. 6. Bake for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 7. Serve straight from the casserole dish and use the leftovers the next day for sandwiches and wraps! GRANDMA’S VODKA SAUCE Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil 1 small clove of garlic, diced ¼ green onion ¼ cup tomato paste ½ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon vodka 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ cup parmesan cheese Basil, chopped, to serve Salt and pepper to taste Instructions: 1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook until soft. Add tomato paste and cook until it appears darker in color. 2. Add heavy cream. Add vodka and cook through until evaporated. 3. Add red pepper flakes. 4. Keep stirring until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Remove sauce from the heat. 5. Cook pasta according to the package. Drain pasta and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water. 6. Add butter to vodka sauce. Stir over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the sauce is “saucy”, says grandma. 7. Add pasta to the sauce and the pasta water as needed to thin it out. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Add more salt and pepper to desired taste. 8. Top with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and basil to serve.

GRAM’S BREAKFAST PB&J OATS Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk 3/4 teaspoon chia seeds 2 tablespoons natural salted peanut butter or almond butter (creamy or crunchy // or sub other nut or seed butter) 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sub coconut sugar, organic brown sugar, or stevia to taste) 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats (rolled oats are best, vs. steel cut or quick cooking) Instructions: 1. To a mason jar or small bowl with a lid, add almond milk, chia seeds, peanut butter, and maple syrup and stir with a spoon to combine. 2. Add oats and stir. 3. Cover securely with a lid or seal and set in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 6 hours) to set/soak. 4. The next day, open and enjoy as is or garnish with a dollop of your favorite jam!