We’re all in it. The mid-year, ‘I’m sick of the dining hall food,’ slump. Dining halls are great for a variety of options, but after you’ve cycled through the chef’s recipes for an entire semester or two, it’s time for a change. Here are a few ideas for easy ways to get creative with the same food options in the dining hall.
Make your own wrap
Ask for a plain tortilla from the wrap or sandwich station and fill it up with goodies from the salad bar. Add protein by also getting lunch meat or add chicken either from the salad bar or a meat station.
Quesadilla
Again, ask for a plain tortilla or two and fill it with cheese from the salad bar. Sometimes I like to add chicken, peppers or bacon to it also. Then warm it up either in the microwave or a panini press.
Grilled Cheese (and soup)
Sometimes grilled cheese is served, but if it’s not ask the sandwich station for bread and a couple slices of cheese. Then warm it up in the panini press. You can also add bacon or tomatoes to your grilled cheese and rice or veggies to a bowl of soup to go with it.
Taco Salad
For an alternative to tacos, filled up a bowl with lettuce and put the taco toppings of meat, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa on top. Crush up the taco shell and sprinkle it on top to add some crunch.
Make your own sundae
Grab a bowl of ice cream then head over to the waffle station and add waffle toppings to make your own sundae. Some of my favorites to add are oreos, chocolate chips, nuts and chocolate syrup topped with whipped cream.
Ice cream with granola
If you’re looking for a healthier dessert option, a friend of mine once made her own granola from a mix of cereal, a crunchy dessert bar and peanut butter. She then had it over a little bit of ice cream with a cut up apple.
I know these often depend on what your dining hall is serving that day, but don’t be afraid to get creative! The trick I quickly learned freshman year was to utilize the different stations. Your entire meal does not have to come from just one station, you can combine them and use the sides of one to enhance another. For example, I put butter from the waffle station on my bread or add parmesan cheese from the pizza station to pasta. The dining hall only gets boring if you let it!