One of my roommates is a vegetarian, and this can sometimes make planning meals difficult, especially when I have those urges to unleash my inner carnivore. Fortunately, I have figured out a few recipes that are vegetarian friendly, but I can also add chicken to, which is perfect for my modest starving-college-student budget. I bought a bag of frozen chicken tenders at the store for around $11, divided it into four bags of four tenders, and used each bag as my meat allotment for the week. Cooking the chicken takes about two minutes on my George Foreman grill, or you could cook it in the oven or stove.

*Disclaimer, I actually have no idea how to cook, so if I can make these (and they actually taste pretty good), you can, too

1. Chicken Quesadilla

This meal is perfect for when you are in a mood for Mexican food. Simply take a tortilla and add any type of cheese you want on half of it (or all of it, depending on if you want a three or six wedge quesadilla). I usually use cheddar, but I had Mozzarella in my fridge, which worked perfectly. Then I shredded some of my chicken and placed it on the cheese section, added more cheese, and then folded the rest of the tortilla on top (or add another tortilla if you’re making a six wedge quesadilla). Quesadillas can be cooked on the stove, in the microwave, toaster oven, or in a fancy little quesadilla maker, like mine!

2. Chicken Grilled Cheese

This is a fantastic twist on the classic American favorite. Instead of using slices of cheese, I shredded some cheddar, sprinkled it on a slice of buttered bread, and then added shredded chicken. Although flipping this proved to be a bit of a challenge, the chicken and cheese kept falling out, once the cheese got all melted and the bread golden brown, this gooey sandwich was irresistible.

3. Chicken Stir Fry

This one was a complete experiment, and I was a little nervous as to how it turned out, but fortunately it was delicious! First I cut up some broccoli, threw it on a skillet with some teriyaki sauce, and cooked it until the broccoli began to soften. Then I added in some raw chicken and some more teriyaki sauce and stirred until the chicken was thoroughly cooked. Next time I make this, I’m probably going to add some sliced peppers and maybe some of those baby corns if I can find any.

4. Chicken Pasta

I think this might be the easiest one out of my list to make. Simply prepare pasta the way you normally would and drain it. Then cook the chicken, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and add it to the pasta. I also converted this dish into chicken mac and cheese by creating a mozzarella cheese sauce from scratch. It might not be terribly healthy, but it makes a truly delicious dinner.