I grew up helping in the kitchen before my head could even see over the counter tops of my grandmother’s house. Straight out of diapers, there was always a place in my heart for whipping up the latest family recipe. Now that I am living on my own in college, I have grown a new level of fondness for spending time in the kitchen. The one problem is that college life leaves little time for lavish cooking. Here are five of my favorite quick and easy dinner recipes for the busy college student.
- Jambalaya
This is arguably the easiest meal on this list, but it is so delicious and filling that you’ll have leftovers for days. All you need is a box of jambalaya rice mix and a meat of your choice. I personally prefer the Zatarain’s brand of rice, and use skinless polska kielbasa. You can also use chicken, shrimp, or another type of sausage, but you will have to cook the meat separately before adding it to the mixture. Slice your kielbasa into small chunks, pour the rice mixture and your meat into the pan, add water, and bring to a boil. Once that is done, you let it simmer for around 25 minutes and you’re ready for dinner. I always add a little bit of cajun seasoning to mine for an extra kick, but it has a fantastic flavor without it
- Pot Roast
This one can sound daunting, but it takes less than 20 minutes to prep if you do it right. I get around a pound to a pound and a half of chuck roast (we love a good sale at Meijer), some baby carrots, half of an onion, beefy onion soup mix, garlic and onion powder, italian seasoning, pepper, beef bouillon and broth, as well as some parsley and meat tenderizer if I have it on hand. Grab your crockpot, pour one to two packets of the beefy onion soup mix and the corresponding amount of water into the pot.Add a cube or two of bouillon and mix it up. Add your chuck roast and seasonings before pouring one box of broth over the roast. Make sure that your roast is covered completely. I usually add a little extra water to do this and avoid it becoming too salty. Next, cut up your onion into slices and toss them right in. I normally prepare this in the morning before I have to leave and leave it to cook on low for about four to six hours while I am gone. When I get home, I add my carrots and kick it up to high for one to two hours, and then it’s done. Whip up some instant mashed potatoes or add cubed potatoes into the crockpot for another side, and you are set. There is always enough for me and my two roommates to have plenty of leftovers.
- Seasoned/Marinated Chicken
As someone who doesn’t eat a lot of red meat, I cook a lot of chicken. Whether it be breasts, tenderloins, or drumsticks, I have dozens of different ways to cook them so it feels like a different meal. If there is one thing I have learned growing up in my family, it’s that you don’t measure seasonings. I pour until my heart tells me to stop and taste test what I can. Recently, I made chicken drumsticks seasoned with olive oil, paprika, garlic and onion powder, salt, and pepper, then baked it in the oven for about 35 minutes; they turned out delicious! One of my favorite ways to cook chicken is to take chicken chunks in a lightly oiled pan, add garlic salt, garlic and onion powder, and oregano. As it starts to cook some of the oil off, I marinate it in zesty italian dressing. It holds so much flavor and remains some of the juiciest chicken that you can cook. This is great for a chicken salad, or can be paired with any sides you can think of!
- Potato Soup
Would it really be the start of fall if I didn’t have some form of soup on this list? Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge chicken noodle soup girl, but there is something special about a good potato soup when it’s chilly outside. The way my family makes it is really simple. Chunk and boil potatoes until they’re soft. Take a blender and add your potatoes, a couple bouillon cubes, garlic and onion powder, parsley, salt, pepper, and a few other seasonings, and blend that up. It creates a smooth but thick soup base. The best part is that you can taste and season it accordingly. To add a little bit of protein, chop up precooked ham slices and mix the chunks in. If you want to spice it up, you can add onions or other vegetables, but I love keeping it simple. The most important step: scoop some into a bowl, add some shredded cheese and dig in!
- Tacos/Nachos
While it may be last on my list, it is one of the quickest and easiest meals to make, and I always have the ingredients in my house. Personally, I prefer to use ground turkey because there is so much less grease. Brown the meat in a frying pan and drain any extra grease. I typically use about a pound and a half of ground turkey and don’t have to drain anything. Once your meat is browned, chop it up into small chunks and add two packets of taco seasoning and water. Mix together and bring it to a slow boil. Let it simmer for around five minutes or whenever the sauce starts to thicken. Let it sit for a few minutes and you are ready to build your own tacos or nachos. Grab your lettuce, cheese, taco sauce and whatever else you like to dress it up, and you have another quick meal that will render lots of leftovers.
There are so many more meals I could have included on this list, but these were the first to come to mind. I find myself scrolling and saving new recipes on Pinterest every day. Of course I have my nights where it’s chicken tenders or cereal for dinner, but I love getting to make dinner for myself and my roommates whenever I can. When you find easy recipes that fit into your busy schedule, make sure you hold onto those. Happy cooking!