We are all too familiar with the dining hall slump, so put the ramen away and dust off your pots and pans! Whether you're just starting your cooking journey or want to take the next step and start meal-prepping, this article is a great place to start! All these recipes have a lot of interchangeable ingredients, so feel free to get creative and make them yours. From these five recipes you could easily make 50 different meals. I'm a vegetarian, and I love adding meat substitutes to all these recipes, though all of them can easily be served with or without meat. Best of luck in your cooking journey!
*Note: None of the pictures used in this article are true depictions of the recipes described.
1. Fried Rice
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This dish is one of my favorite go-to's when I don't know what to cook!
Ingredients:
1 c. Rice (white, brown, long grain, whatever you prefer!Soy sauce
2 c. Preferred vegetables
Preferred meat (optional)
2 eggs
Preferred condiments and spices (salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, etc.)
Cook rice according to package, set aside / Sauté meat until thoroughly cooked, if using / Set aside / Sauté vegetables for a few minutes, before adding eggs / * Sauté the veggies longer if they're frozen / It takes practice to time the veggies, so they finish cooking with the eggs, but you'll get it I promise! / Add in any preferred spices/condiments / Scramble eggs until cooked thoroughly / Add soy sauce to rice, stir in thoroughly (Remember, soy sauce is very salty so be careful not to add too much!) / Stir vegetables and egg in with rice
2. Pasta
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Pasta is one of the easiest dishes out there, and college kids make it a lot because it's quick and cheap. Even though you probably already know how to make it, it's easy to get sick of the same old spaghetti or boxed mac and cheese.
There are so many different meals you can make just by using different sauces like pesto and Alfredo. You can also substitute different meats (not just beef!) like chicken and ground turkey. Try using different types of pasta, too like whole grain, ravioli, etc. Soon you'll be coming up with pasta dish combinations that'll have your roommates swooning!
3. Pot Pie
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I found this recipe online a few months ago and LOVE IT. A delicious comfort food with lots of veggies!
Ingredients:
2 tubes (8 oz/8 rolls) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 t mixed dried seasonings
1 can (10.75 oz) cream of potato soup
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup
â…“ c milk
4 c. preferred vegetables (1 use frozen mixed vegetables with carrots, green beans, lima beans, and corn)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T butter, melted
Heat oven 375 degrees / Lightly grease 9 in pie dish / Unroll a tube of crescent rolls, separate the dough into the pre-cut triangles / Place in pie plate and press over bottom and up the sides to form crust, press perforations to seal Sprinkle / 1 t dried seasoning mix over the crust, bake 6 min / While crust is baking, in a large saucepan, mix both soups, milk, vegetables, and remaining seasonings / Season with salt and pepper, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot / Pour vegetable mixture over crust in the pie dish and unroll second tube of dough / Separate dough into pre-cut triangles / Starting at the short side of each triangle, roll up triangle halfway / Carefully arrange over pie with tips toward center / Brush melted butter over dough, bake 20 min or until crusts are golden brown and cooked all the way through
4. Soup
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Perfect on a cold winter day. Canned soups are packed with sodium and preservatives, so it's not only healthier but easy and rewarding to make it yourself!
Ingredients:
1 c. Preferred grain (noodles, rice, quinoa, etc.)
3 c. Preferred vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces (my go-to veggies for soup are carrots, celery, and corn)
Chicken/vegetarian chicken (optional) in bite-sized pieces
8 c. broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 T Preferred oil (e.g. olive) or butter
Preferred spices/condimentsIn a large pot, heat oil over medium heat / Add preferred veggies and spices / Stir occasionally, until the vegetables are just softened (about 5 min / )Add the broth and grain, bring to boil / Continue to cook the grain with the other ingredients in the broth, according to the grain package (grains all cook differently)Stir in meat and allow to cook a few min, until it's thoroughly heated)
5. Taco Bowl
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These are beautifully versatile, low-carb, and super cheap. Again, tailor it to what you like, but I'll give you lots of ideas of what to put into your tasty bowls!
Ingredients:
Ground beef, ground turkey, chicken, substitute meat
Taco spice mix (optional; gives the meat a kick)
Toppings: Shredded cheese, tomato, beans, sour cream, lettuce, crushed tortilla chips or shredded soft tortilla shells, hot sauce, bell pepper
Sauté ground beef (or other meat) until completely cooked through / (optional) Sprinkle taco seasoning on meat and sauté for another minute to thoroughly coat / Put meat in a bowl, add desired toppings