5 of my Favorite Easy College Recipes that Taste Delicious!
Hello everyone, it’s me again! This semester was my first time living off-campus, and with that came having to cook my own meals. I’ve never cooked before this semester, so I definitely had low expectations! But, let me tell you: With these 5 easy recipes, you can convince yourself that you are a master chef! Think of this as a sort of guide on easy college dinners to cook for yourself!
The cookbook that my Mom made me
Ground Turkey Taco Bowl
This is my favorite healthy recipe because it certainly does not taste healthy! Ground turkey is a great healthy alternative to ground beef, and with this recipe, you cannot even taste the difference. The ingredients consist of:
- 1 pound of lean ground turkey
- 1 can of black beans (I prefer the reduced sodium beans)
- 1 package of taco seasoning (I prefer mild)
- 1 bag of shredded four cheese mexican mix
Directions:
Step 1: Place the ground turkey in a pan and cook on high. While cooking, cut the ground turkey into tiny pieces.
Step 2: Once the ground turkey is mostly cooked, pour out the excess water. Place the ground turkey back on the stove after this.
Step 3: Pour the taco seasoning onto the ground turkey and stir.
Step 4: Scoop the black beans out of the can with a spoon, and place them in the pan. (You don’t have to use the full can… use as many beans as you desire!)
Step 5: (Remember that this is all while cooking, so keep the heat on.) Sprinkle as much cheese as you would like into the pan. Once everything is mixed up and melted, remove the pan from the heat.
Step 6: Scoop it into a bowl, add guacamole, and enjoy!
Alfredo Pasta
This is probably the easiest recipe to exist, and is also the best pasta you’ll ever have!
Ingredients:
- 1 box of ziti pasta (you can use whichever type of pasta you like, I just prefer ziti with this recipe.)
- 1 jar of Ragu Alfredo Sauce
- Oregano
- Garlic powder
- Grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Step 1: Boil water in a large pot, pour in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes (or whichever time the directions say on the box.)
Step 2: Once the timer runs out, pour the pasta into a strainer. Place the pasta back into the pot and place back on the stove with low heat.
Step 3: Pour in the alfredo sauce and mix.
Step 4: Add desired amount of oregano and garlic powder.
Step 5: Add desired amount of parmesan cheese; I usually pour a layer over the top and then mix.
Step 6: Turn off the heat, place in a bowl and eat!
Chipotle Chicken Sausage and Cilantro Lime Rice Bowl
My roommate introduced me to chicken sausage, and I fell in love with it! Trust me, I know it sounds gross, but don’t knock it until you try it. The chipotle flavored chicken sausage has monterrey jack cheese inside of it– it is so tasty!
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of chipotle flavored chicken sausage
- 1 cup of minute white rice
- Cilantro
- 1 lime
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
Step 1: Cut up the chicken sausage into bite size pieces. Place in a pan and cook on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes.
Step 2: Boil 1 cup of water in a pot, place the rice into the boiling water, cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Leave this covered for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Pour out any excess water in the rice– if there is any– and then mix in the chopped up cilantro, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4: Cut up the lime and squeeze in as much lime juice as desired.
Step 5: Mix the rice and chicken sausage into a bowl and enjoy!
Chicken Stuffed with Ham and Cheese & Mashed Potatoes
I promise it’s easier than it sounds, and so very tasty! The chicken is my mother’s recipe, and the mashed potatoes are just a side I make with them… you could replace this with any side that you’d like!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of chicken breasts
- ½ pound of ham– sliced very thin
- ½ pound of swiss cheese
- 2 eggs
- Italian style bread crumbs
- Reser’s Steakhouse Mashed Potatoes
Directions:
Step 1: Cut the chicken breasts in half
Step 2: Place a few slices of ham and about 2 slices of cheese on top of a chicken breast. Layer a second chicken breast on top of this to make a sort of “sandwich.”
Step 3: Mix two eggs in a bowl, pour the bread crumbs into a second bowl. Dip this “sandwich” into the eggs, and then into the bread crumbs.
Step 4: Pour a thin layer of oil in a baking dish. Place the chicken breasts in this baking dish. Put this in the oven at _______ for ___ minutes. Spoon oil over the chicken periodically.
Step 5: Follow the directions on the microwavable mashed potatoes. I personally put two cloves of garlic in the mashed potatoes after warming them up, and some salt and pepper!
Step 6: Put the mashed potatoes and the chicken on a plate and eat up!
Beef Stroganoff
My mother also wrote this recipe for me… in case you couldn’t tell by now, my mother made me a little recipe book! (Cutest mom ever). However, I came up with some of these recipes by myself! Anyways, I’ve never even heard of beef stroganoff until I read the recipe book, but I am OBSESSED with it!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of boneless beef sirloin
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (Don’t shy away from this recipe because of the cream of mushroom soup!! I thought it would be disgusting too, because I hate mushrooms. Just trust me on this one, you won’t regret it!)
Beef Stroganoff that I made 🙂
- 1 medium onion, chopped up
- ½ tablespoon of paprika
- ½ cup of sour cream
- 1 bag of egg noodles
Directions:
Step 1: Slice the beef into bite size pieces. Simultaneously, boil a pot of water and cook the egg noodles as instructed on the package.
Step 2: On medium high heat, place 1 tablespoon of oil in a different pan and brown the beef. Take the beef out of the pan and set it aside once this is complete.
Step 3: Leaving the pan there, reduce the heat to medium, add the second tablespoon of oil, add the onion, and cook until the onion is tender.
Step 4: Add the soup and paprika, heat to a boil, and stir in the sour cream.
Step 5: Add the beef back into the pan, heat through, and pour over the noodles. Now, try this wonderful creation that tastes like a million bucks!
I really hope that these quick, easy, and delicious recipes help anyone who struggles with cooking! If you try these recipes, you will definitely change your opinion on cooking, as it can actually be a fun activity 🙂
