“What do you want to do for dinner?”
A simple phrase, yet one that strikes fear into the hearts of many college students.
Although food is a basic necessity for survival, it becomes complicated for young adults. Eating out all the time is not an option for students scrambling to scrounge up enough for rent. Cooking can be incredibly intimidating to other students, who went from having food provided for them in high school to living in a dorm for the first year or two of college and are only just now experiencing having their own kitchen for the first time.
Others may not know how to approach grocery shopping — the planning, the budgeting, the deciding which ingredients are needed for the upcoming week’s meals. Even more may struggle to find the time to cook and eat between classes and extracurriculars (something that I can absolutely relate to).
As someone who struggles with all of these aspects of cooking in college, I have found a few recipes that I absolutely love in terms of simplicity, price, and time. These recipes are delicious, quick, and only require a few ingredients (from affordable local grocery stores). Many of these ingredients are also staples for a variety of meals, so they will not be a wasted purchase. I hope you try and love some of them.
- pesto flatbread pizza
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Ingredients:
- Artisan flatbread (Aldi)
- Jar of pesto (Aldi)
- Cherry tomatoes (Aldi)
- Mozzarella slices or shredded cheese (Aldi)
- Balsamic glaze (Aldi)
Pesto flatbread pizza has become a go-to of mine for a quick, easy, delicious meal. I simply put a layer of pesto onto artisan flatbread from Aldi, arrange my mozzarella slices, cut some cherry tomatoes in half and arrange them on the pizza, then I put the pan in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5-6 minutes (just enough to toast the flatbread).
Once the pizza is out and cut, I drizzle on some balsamic glaze, which absolutely makes the meal.
This pizza is honestly incredible, and just one flatbread makes enough pizza for 2-3 meals for one person. The pack comes with two flatbreads, so you can absolutely make multiple meals for a low price with this one.
- orange chicken, rice and broccoli
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Ingredients:
- Frozen orange chicken (Trader Joe’s)
- White rice (Aldi)
- Frozen broccoli (Aldi)
Trader. Joe’s. Orange. Chicken.
This stuff is just too good and too easy. Follow the instructions on the bag for the chicken, make some rice and steam some broccoli (I’d recommend adding a touch of salt and butter when you’re done) and you have yourself a delicious dinner.
Disclaimer: although you can microwave the chicken, it is so much better if you have the time to put it in the oven or pan fry it. It will still be delicious if you’re in a rush and need to use the microwave, but I would recommend the oven.
- hot italian sausage farfalle
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Ingredients:
- Hot Italian sausage (Aldi)
- Farfalle pasta (Aldi)
- Frozen broccoli (Aldi)
- Red pepper flakes (Aldi)
- Parmesan cheese (Aldi)
- (Optional) minced garlic (Aldi)
Honestly, any pasta is incredible for a cheap, easy, and tasty meal, but this one has had a special place in my heart lately. Cook yourself some hot Italian sausage, boil some farfalle/bowtie pasta (which is usually less than a dollar at Aldi), and steam some yummy frozen broccoli.
Make sure to add salt and olive oil to your pasta water, then save some water when you drain the pasta. Combine the sausage, broccoli, and pasta into the same pot, add red pepper flakes, plenty of parmesan cheese, and some minced garlic if you’re feeling it, and mix it all together.
The starchy pasta water with the parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes makes a cheesy, spicy coating on the pasta that is delicious. This meal is so quick, so easy and so good for no reason.
- stir fry
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Ingredients:
- Thai wheat noodles (Trader Joe’s)
- Bell pepper (Aldi)
- Chicken (Aldi)
- Green onion (Aldi)
- Soy sauce (Aldi)
- Sriracha (Aldi)
- Minced garlic (Aldi)
Stir fries in general are great for busy college students, just like pasta. Lately, I have been loving pan-frying chicken, adding Thai wheat noodles, bell pepper, and green onion to the pan, and cooking it all in a soy sauce/sriracha/minced garlic sauce.
Teriyaki and sweet chili sauces are also both delicious and can be purchased at Aldi.
- fish tacos
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Ingredients:
- Tilapia or mahi mahi (Aldi)
- Tortilla wraps (Aldi)
- Chili powder (Aldi)
- Paprika (Aldi)
- Garlic powder (Aldi)
- Mango salsa (Weis)
- Hot honey garlic sauce or make your own with hot sauce, honey, and minced garlic (Aldi)
I love fish tacos for a fast dinner. Pan-fried tilapia cooks so fast and is very affordable in terms of fish.
Usually, I buy frozen tilapia and make sure to thaw it for about an hour in a warm bowl of water. I cover the tilapia in a mix of chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder, then pan fry it in olive oil. While the tilapia is cooking, I make a hot honey garlic sauce on the side. As soon as the tilapia is done, I put it in a tortilla wrap, add some mango salsa, and drizzle the hot honey garlic sauce on top.
This meal is refreshing, fast, and delicious.
Aldi and Trader Joe’s are the most affordable grocery stores I have found in State College for shopping for nutritious food on a budget, so I would highly recommend going there for these ingredients before Giant, Weis or Target.
I hope these meal ideas can help alleviate some stress on a busy day this week or help you with your next grocery list. Remember to always make time to eat, even during midterm/finals season. Food is so important to keeping that amazing brain of yours sharp.
Enjoy and eat up!