Here we are for another great year at Georgia Southern: ducks by the pond, all-nighters at Club Hendy, and….meal plans. Aw yes, the mandatory meal plan; the start of the freshman 15 for most. Dining locations are easily accessible to the students with the perk of unlimited visitation. This sounds amazing when you can’t grocery shop due to low funds. You have a place to go get breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and a snack in between without having to spend any money (figuratively). This all sounds good on paper right? But, what happens when you start getting bored of the same foods and want to switch it up? Here are some quick and easy ways to make your meal your own in the dining halls.
- Breakfast Bagel: This one is extremely simple. Grab eggs and bacon from The Breakfast Club. Head over to the Sweet Shop and grab a bagel. Want it toasted? No problem! There is a place to warm it up. Place the eggs and bacon on the bagel. There it is a warm and slightly different variation of the normal eggs and bacon breakfast. Not a fan of pork bacon? You also have the choice of turkey bacon or sausage!
- Grilled/ Fried Chicken Salad (almost like Zaxby’s): Start at Signatures, where the salad bar is located. Make the salad your own. There are various toppings and dressings. Add cheese, bacon bits, even tofu pieces. After you make the salad the way you want, head to Backyard Gourmet. Here you will find fried chicken tenders and grilled chicken tenders. Grab a few tenders, rip them up, and mix them into your salad. My personal favorite is the fried chicken tenders; it tastes just like Zaxby’s!
- Cheesy or Baked Mashed Potatoes: We don’t all have money to get steakhouse mashed potatoes, but Backyard Gourmet’s creamy mashed potatoes make up for that. After you get the serving of mashed potatoes you want, go to Signatures. Add shredded cheese and wait for it to melt. Don’t worry the food is always hot so this won’t take long! Want something more like a baked potato? Add bacon bits and ranch! You now have an amped up version of a classic.
- Make Your Own Coldstone- Style Ice Cream: There are 4 ice cream flavors available: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and chocolate covered raspberry. The Sweet Shop has cases full of pie, cake, and cookies. Grab whichever ice cream you like, a random dessert piece, and mix it up. There are small toppings for the ice cream, like Oreos and sprinkles if you want to mix those in. Here’s one mixture to start with: vanilla ice cream+ Oreos+ chocolate mousse pie.
I hope these small recipe changes help. Don’t be afraid to get in the dining hall and experiment. Share your recipes with friends. Bon Appétit!