The Cafeteria — students flock to it, moms ask about it, freshmen fear it — no matter who you are, the Caf is integral to life on the Hill.
We all know the feeling of hiking to Buntrock after a long morning of classes only to mumble to yourself, “Dang, orange chicken again?” or “Wait, what the heck is a Smart Dog?” While there has been some buzz that the Caf is not what it used to be, here are some creative ways your fellow Oles have been making the best out of their dining experiences.
Maybe you’re craving a quesadilla? A curly fry feast? Or, one of my favorites, a PPPB&J—panini-pressed peanut butter and jelly? No matter which of these items appeals to you, the Caf has you covered.
Chicken Quesadilla: take some chicken from the pasta line, cut it up, and place it on top of a big tortilla from — you guessed it — the tortilla line. Next, smother some chipotle aioli from the sandwich bar onto the tortilla and throw your new concoction onto the panini press.
Mock-Caprese Sandwich: wheat bread, tomatoes, cheese, spinach, a light spread of hummus — not too much or it’ll get soggy — and plop it into the panini press.
Curly-Fry-Feast: load up on curly fries — if you’re lucky — smother with cheese, and microwave for thirty seconds. Extra midwestern points if you top it with ranch dressing.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat: grab a rice krispie treat from the dessert section and top it with honey and peanut butter.
PPPB&J: bread of your choice, peanut butter, strawberry jam, and panini press.
Cookie Sandwich: take two cookies from the dessert case, spread some peanut butter on one of them, squish them together, and put into the panini press.
Can we get a round of applause for that panini press? It served as the main source of inspiration for most of these Ole dishes, and could you blame it? So really, this may be the most important piece of advice—when in doubt, panini press it out.
