I understand that meals can be expensive and the time spent preparing meals are often more valued than the meals themselves. However, everyone deserves to eat food that is not produced by a robot at a fast food take-out joint. Let’s not talk about food you eat to get by, and I don’t think the food you described is worth the wait after having spent a long day at school. I think these are the first meals I would share with a roommate (just to clarify sharing means I want to impress my roommate or maybe I’m paying them to do the dishes, you know how it is). You’re going to have to put effort into stocking your pantry, and you’re going to have to put effort into preparing food. I’m referring to meals that are not going to require you to buy five overpriced spices that you’re only going to use once and are going to carry with you to three different homes.
Contents
- 1) Garlic Butter Pasta
- 2) One-Pan Quesadillas
- 3) Egg Fried Rice
- 4) Sheet Pan Sausage
- 5) Peanut Noodles
- 6) Chicken Burrito Bowls
- 7) Tomato Soup And Grilled Cheese
- 8) Chickpea Salad Wraps
- 9) Black Bean Tacos
- 10) Pesto Pasta
- 11) Microwave Baked Potato
- 12) Ramen Upgrade
- 13) Pantry Pasta
- 14) Stir-Fried Udon
- 15) Teriyaki Bowls
- 16) One-Pot Mac And Cheese
- 17) Enchilada Skillet
- 18) Greek Chickpea Salad
- 19) Breakfast Scramble
- 20) Creamy Tuna Pasta
- 21) Tortellini Soup
- 22) Easy Shakshuka
- 23) Butter Chickpeas
- 24) Oven Nachos
- 25) One-Pot Creamy Pasta
1) Garlic Butter Pasta
I understand that this meal is my ‘I only have twelve minutes of motivation’ meal. Boil the pasta. Next, melt some butter and sauté the minced garlic for 30 seconds. Finally, mix all the ingredients together, and add some Parmesan cheese and black pepper for seasoning. Here’s a magic trick that doesn’t require any effort on your part: if you add a little pasta water to your sauce, it will go from greasy to smooth. You can also throw in frozen peas or frozen spinach and say it was intentional!
2) One-Pan Quesadillas
A great way to use your leftovers is by making quesadillas. Sprinkle some cheese on a tortilla, add some beans or cooked chicken (maybe some sautéed onions), and fold it. Using a dry pan, cook the food and cheese until browned and melted, flipping once. (Here is where you lose your dignity.) If you can’t have sour cream due to your budget, consider using salsa, hot sauce, or yogurt.
3) Egg Fried Rice
This one works best with day-old rice, but I’ve made it with fresh and lived to tell the tale. To start, crack the eggs into a pan and scramble them. Next, add the rice to the stir fry with soy sauce and any frozen veggies you have. Some may say Sesame oil is a “must” in this dish. This is NOT TRUE! You can add some at the end if you’d like, but don’t listen to the internet trolls. Even something as easy as putting a spoonful of chili crisp on a dish can be an example of how to get your life together.
4) Sheet Pan Sausage
Here is where things get slightly ridiculous (in a good way) because you basically dump dinner on a pan and walk away. Chop up any veggies you like, such as bell peppers, onions, broccoli, and zucchini, and slice the sausage. Add a bit of oil, and a bit of salt and smoked paprika. Bake until the edges are browning and the sausage is looking the part. You can eat them by themselves, with rice, or even in a late-night hero roll!
5) Peanut Noodles
You can make a surprisingly realistic tasting peanut butter sauce. Best of all, it only takes a handful of ingredients. All you have to do is mix soy sauce and peanut butter, and add a bit of hot water. If available, stir in some lime juice. A little bit of vinegar can be included too. Toss with ramen noodles or spaghetti and top with cucumbers, carrots, or whatever crunchy thing you can find. I ate this item at 11:47 p.m. As I stood at the counter… and felt genuinely soothed.
6) Chicken Burrito Bowls
Using a rotisserie chicken for dinner makes life simple. You can pull off the chicken and combine it with some rice, beans, corn and salsa. With some added creaminess, it would work great with cheese or avocado. Being able to divide that for lots of extra meals is vital when you’re about to dive into a week of midterms.
7) Tomato Soup And Grilled Cheese
Canned tomato soup is fine. If you want it to be creamier, you can add some milk when you cook the onions/garlic, which will add some flavor. Your grilled cheese should be as golden as possible otherwise it’ll look like a cheese sandwich and mean nothing. I don’t really care what you think, I want to dip like a child.
8) Chickpea Salad Wraps
Use a fork to smash the chickpeas. After that, combine these with the mayonnaise (or yogurt), mustard, chopped celery, and a little bit of salt. It offers the same satisfaction as tuna salads and has the additional advantage of being shelf-stable. You can add pickles, and we won’t hold it against you. Wrap it up, or eat it with crackers while you pretend you’re “snacking” and not having dinner.
9) Black Bean Tacos
You can also add garlic. Put black beans in a pan with some cumin and chili powder, and heat them. When the beans are smashed, they get creamy and sticky, and that’s the right texture for a taco. Put any toppings you want in the tortillas. It’s cheap and fast, and, after a long day of people watching, it is surprisingly satisfying.
10) Pesto Pasta
I get that some people criticize buying pesto at the store, but I personally enjoy the freaking thing. The frozen green beans can go in during the last few minutes of boiling so they finish with no extra work. With some pesto and a little water to help it stick, it basically becomes dinner. And without the lemon, you can elevate it to another level.
11) Microwave Baked Potato
When I want to avoid washing a pot, I make this meal. To start, I take a potato, stab it with a fork, and microwave it until soft. Then, I open it, mash the insides, and add butter and salt. After that I mix it with some microwaved broccoli and put cheese on top to melt into the grooves. It may not be expensive but it feels like an accomplishment.
12) Ramen Upgrade
Instant ramen is yummy. But there are ways to make it even better! For instance, try adding a soft boiled (or fried) egg. You can also add some spinach to it as well to make it a bit better for you. I usually only add a little bit of the seasoning that comes with the ramen because some of them have a ton of salt in them. A little bit of chili oil makes the ramen ten times better and perfect for a late-night snack!
13) Pantry Pasta
This is for the times you want strong flavors without the cost of fresh ingredients. Simmer canned tomatoes with garlic, olives, capers, and crushed red pepper. Even shake cheese will do, so sprinkle some cheese on top and mix it with your pasta. The flavor is most certainly strong and salty.
14) Stir-Fried Udon
It is not easy to find vacuum sealed udon noodles, and it is somewhat of a miracle if you manage to find it. Any noodles can work if you can’t find udon though. In a hot pan with stir fried veggies, add the noodles along with a mixture of soy sauce and sugar. Finish the dish with a fried egg. For me, half the points come from the yolk playing the role of a sauce.
15) Teriyaki Bowls
You can skip the teriyaki sauce at the store by making your own with soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic. To add to the mix, you can throw in a cornstarch slurry. To start, prepare the chicken or tofu, add the sauce, and reduce the heat until all the components are evenly coated in the sauce. Serve over rice with broccoli or whatever veg isn’t sad. In these kinds of situations, one might get the sense of a mix of luck and skill.
16) One-Pot Mac And Cheese
Traditional mac and cheese can feel mildly terrifying if you’re new to cooking, so I like the lazy version. Put the pasta in the pot of boiling water. Set on low heat, and add in the milk and shredded cheese, stirring as you add. You don’t need a cooking show’s worth of enthusiasm to whisk butter and flour this creamy. If you’d like to relive that cafeteria experience, go ahead and use frozen peas. (I do, sometimes).
17) Enchilada Skillet
Imagine these are like enchiladas, but without the existential crisis. In your skillet or baking dish, tear the tortillas into strips. Add a layer of enchilada sauce, beans, and cheese. Bake it until the edges start bubbling and are golden brown. Also, placing sliced onions or jalapeños on top makes it look like you put a lot more effort into it.
18) Greek Chickpea Salad
Chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, olive oil, lemon, and feta make a bright little meal that doesn’t require heat. I like oregano, but I like a lot of black pepper even more. You can eat it right out of the bowl, you can plug your outlet in on the floor, or you can even put it in a pita! Students have limited variety for their meal choices.
19) Breakfast Scramble
Wearing sweatpants to a group meeting is a little risky, but they are really comfy. The same applies to eating breakfast for dinner. Sauté diced potatoes (or use frozen hash browns), add peppers/onions if you have them, then scramble eggs right in the pan. Establish your reality. What will it be? Salsa, hot sauce, or ketchup? It’s also super easy to miss if you don’t have a ‘plan.’
20) Creamy Tuna Pasta
I totally get that not everyone is gonna love pasta and tuna. Here is how to make it. Mix the canned tuna with the warm pasta and add some butter or olive oil if you want. Then, add a little bit of milk (or the water you used to boil the pasta), squeeze some lemon, and throw in some pepper. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can add peas or capers. It won’t taste like the tuna melt you hate, and it will give you some protein.
21) Tortellini Soup
This soup project is great! You just take jarred marinara sauce, mix it with broth or water, then add cheese tortellini. Cook it until the tortellini is done, then add spinach at the end so it wilts and looks fresh. If you have some Parmesan cheese, it will make the bowl feel like a little celebration.
22) Easy Shakshuka
In theory, shakshuka is simple. Are you looking at the pan and wondering if the eggs are ready? Welcome to the club. In a pot, mix the canned tomatoes, minced garlic, a little salt, and spices (paprika and cumin). After that, let the mixture come to a simmer. Place the eggs on top and cover the dish until the egg whites have set. Use a slice of toast, pita, or any other bread lying around like a loyal dog, and use it to scoop!
23) Butter Chickpeas
This is not traditional butter chicken, but it scratches the same cozy itch for most people. If you have garam masala, you can use it. If not, use curry powder. Warm up the chickpeas and your sauce which is made from canned tomatoes and cream or yogurt and butter with some mild spices. Pair it with rice for a win! The next-day flavor upgrade of leftover food always struck me as a bit unfair.
24) Oven Nachos
You can make dinner with homemade nachos, although you might need to spend some time getting them ready. Spread chips on a sheet pan, add beans and cheese, and bake until melty and browned in spots. You will also have to collect more items like salsa, yogurt, and lettuce. This is to verify that the achievement was completed correctly. I have seen an entire group of friends go silent over nachos.
25) One-Pot Creamy Pasta
The final part to stay with “maximal comfort, minimal dishes”! While your pasta is cooking, add the spinach and stir until it wilts and is soft green ribbons. If you want a creamier texture, you can add cream cheese, a splash of milk, and some grated cheese. These are really soft and satisfying and they also won’t cause you to have an existential crisis in the kitchen.
