The Recipes

Two people standing in a kitchen, smiling and talking near a stove and kitchen cabinets.

Grandma and Grandpa Corkery

Food has always been about more than just ingredients or technique — it’s about connection, love, and the stories we share around the table. The Recipes is a collection of some of my favorite family dishes — the ones that shaped who I am as a foodie and as a person. Each recipe holds a special memory, a familiar smell, or a comforting taste that instantly takes me back to family gatherings, laughter in the kitchen, and those unforgettable “just one more bite” moments.

Growing up, some of my fondest memories were made at Grandma Corky’s house. I can still picture the cozy glow of the TV late at night, sitting next to Grandma and Grandpa, feeling completely at home. Every time I asked for a snack, Grandma would head to the kitchen and make her famous peanut butter and butter sandwich — simple, comforting, and absolutely delicious. That humble little sandwich sparked my lifelong love affair with peanut butter and, more importantly, taught me that food doesn’t have to be fancy to be meaningful. It just has to come from the heart.

Now, through The Recipes, I want to share those same feelings with you — the warmth of a kitchen filled with good smells, the joy of cooking for the people you love, and the stories that live on in every bite. These recipes are more than family traditions; they’re a taste of my past, and I hope they bring a little nostalgia, comfort, and inspiration to your own table.

So grab your apron, gather your loved ones, and let’s make some delicious memories together — Galena style.

- Devin Ganka, Founder Galena Foodie Adventures

Recipes recovered the way they were written.

Several square crackers topped with a chunky, brown spread or mixture, placed on a dark surface.

Hanky Panky Sandwiches

    • 1 LB Ground Sausage

    • 1 LB Ground Hamburger

    • 1 LB Velveeta Cheese

    • ½ tsp Oregano

    • ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce

    • ½ tsp Garlic Salt

    • 1 Package, Cocktail Bread

    1. Brown and drain meats together on medium high heat until fully cooked.

    2. Mix in cheese until well combined.

    3. Add spices and Worcestershire.

    4. Spread a heaping spoonful of the mixture and put on the cocktail bread

    5. Broil, keeping an eye on them until golden brown

    6. Serve immediately.

    • Recipe by Sharon Corkery

    • Feeds 20

Close-up of a bowl containing macaroni salad with mayonnaise, diced tomatoes, and green herbs.

Best Macaroni Salad

    • 1 LB Elbow Macaroni, cooked al dente

    • 1 Onion, diced

    • 2 Carrots, diced

    • 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced

    • 2/3 Cup Vinegar

    • 1 Cup Sugar

    • 2 Cups Mayonnaise

    • 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

    1. Cool pasta

    2. Whisk together vinegar, mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk.

    3. Add pasta and vegetables to mixture and stir to combine.

    4. Chill for two hours to overnight for best results.

    • Recipe by Tim Corkery

    • This macaroni salad is world famous in my family's eyes. This makes an appearance for every party, graduation and family reunion. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Handwritten recipe for sweet bacon on lined paper, describing the ingredients and instructions, with a small drawing of a jar, a spoon, and a garlic bulb at the bottom right corner.

Liver Skillet Supper

    • ½ LB Bacon, sliced

    • ¾ Cup Flour

    • 1 tsp Garlic Salt

    • 1 tsp Onion Salt

    • 1 tsp Pepper

    • 1 LB Beef Liver

    • 6 Large Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

    • 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced

    1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Reserve drippings in skillet.

    2. Combine flour and half the garlic salt, onion Salt and pepper.

    3. Cut liver in 2 inch strips. Dredge in the flour mixture, coating well.

    4. Gently brown liver in drippings on medium heat.

    5. Add potatoes and onions. Sprinkle with remaining seasoning.

    6. Cook until the potatoes are browned and tender. Stirring occasionally.

    7. Crumble bacon over top and garnish with green pepper rings, if desired.

    • Unknown author

    • Picture listed for this recipe is the actual hand written recipe found when cleaning out my grandparents home. My grandma loved recipes and would write anything down with whatever she had! We found totes and totes filled with recipes. This is one of those recipes.

Baked cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with a baking spatula nearby.

Grandma’s Sugar Cookies

    • 1 Cup Margarine

    • 2 Eggs

    • 1 Cup Sugar

    • 1 tsp Vanilla

    • 3 Cups Flour

    • 1 tsp Baking Soda

    • ½ tsp Salt

    • 2 tsp Cream of Tarter

    1. Cream margarine, eggs, sugar and vanilla together.

    2. Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a separate bowl.

    3. Slowly mix into egg mixture.

    4. Roll out to desired thickness on a floured surface.

    5. Cut with cutter and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

    • Recipe by Sharon Corkery

    • I grew up eating these cookies. My mom would dye part of the dough red. She then would braid into the uncolored dough and shape into candy canes for the holidays.

A hand holding a blue spoon above a jar of homemade cucumber pickles with black peppercorns, garlic cloves, and a lime. Garlic bulbs and an avocado are in the background on a striped cloth.

Bread & Butter Pickles

    • 4 Quarts cucumbers, sliced

    • 6 Medium Onions, sliced

    • 3 Garlic Cloves

    • 1/3 Cup Salt

    • 5 Cups Sugar

    • 1 ½ Tbs Mustard Seed

    • 3 Cups Vinegar

    1. Cover cucumbers with ice and let stand for three hours.

    2. Drain and then combine with other ingredients.

    3. Bring cucumbers and mixture to boil over medium high heat.

    4. Using your favorite canning method, can and seal.

    5. Cucumbers will turn color after.

    • Recipe by Wanda Clark

Close-up of sliced strawberries submerged in strawberry-flavored liquid.

Strawberry Salad

    • 1 Large Package Strawberry Jello

    • 1 Large Package Frozen Strawberries

    • 1 (16oz) Can Crushed Pineapple

    • 3 Large Bananas, sliced

    • ½ Cup Chopped Nuts

    • 1 Pint Sour Cream

    1. Dissolve jello in boiling water.

    2. Add the remaining ingredients besides the sour cream.

    3. Place half in a 9 × 13 pan and refrigerate until set.

    4. Add ¼ cup of sugar to the sour cream and spread the mixture over refrigerated salad.

    5. Spread the rest of the jello mixture over the sour cream and refrigerate until set.

    • Recipe by Ginny Delong

Three women standing in a living room, smiling and posing for the photo.

The three most important women in my life — my Grandma Corkery on the left, my mom in the middle, and my Grandma Ganka on the right — have each shaped who I am in their own special way.

From my Grandma Corkery, I learned the beauty of home-cooked meals and the magic that happens when food is made with patience and love. From my mom, I inherited creativity in the kitchen and the joy of bringing people together around a table. And from my Grandma Ganka, I discovered my love of travel — a spark that eventually led me to food tours around the world and, ultimately, to starting Galena Foodie Adventures.

These three women gave me the foundation for everything I do today. The recipes I share here are more than just dishes; they’re memories, stories, and small pieces of the people who inspired me most. Each one carries a bit of home, a hint of adventure, and a whole lot of heart.

So as you explore these recipes, I hope you feel a sense of connection — to family, to flavor, and to the adventure that food can bring.

Baked chicken thighs topped with chopped parsley, surrounded by creamy mashed potatoes with herbs in a green baking dish.

Pork Chop’n Potato Bake

    • 6 Boneless Pork Chops

    • ½ Cup Sour Cream

    • 1 Can, Cream of Celery Soup

    • ½ cup Milk

    • ½ tsp Seasoned Salt

    • ¼ tsp Salt and Pepper

    • One 24 ounce Package O’Brien Potatoes, thawed

    • 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

    • 1 Can French Fried Onions

    • Vegetable Oil

    1. Brown pork chops in a lightly greased skillet. And set aside. Sprinkle with salt.

    2. Combine soup, milk, sour cream, pepper and seasoned salt. Stir in potatoes, ½ cup cheese and ½ cup fried onions.

    3. Spoon mixture into a 9 × 13 baking dish. Arrange pork chops over potatoes.

    4. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

    5. Top with remaining cheese and onions.

    6. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes longer.

    • Recipe by Deanna Corrigan

Fried chicken pieces on a white oval plate placed on a gray wooden table.

    • 1 Tbs Margarine

    • 2/3 Cup Bisquick Mix

    • 1 ½ tsp Salt

    • ¼ tsp Black Pepper

    • 2-4 Cups Fryer Chicken

    • 1 ½ tsp Paprika

    1. Heat oven to 425 degrees

    2. Melt margarine in oblong pan, 13×9×2 in oven.

    3. Mix baking mix, Paprika, salt and pepper. Coat chicken.

    4. Place chicken, skin down on pan.

    5. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes. turn and bake for another 10 minutes.

    • Recipe by Wanda Clark

Oven Fried Chicken