After a long day of classes, extracurriculars and studying, the last thing any hungry college student wants is to arrive home and struggle to come up with dinner ideas. These go-to recipes have the key features of a college-friendly meal: nutritious, low-cost, quick timing, and a small ingredient list.
A main tip to keep in mind when making dinner recipes is meal preparation. For busy students, it can be difficult to find the time to make multiple meals in one day. Meal prep is a simple and cost-effective solution, since you can buy ingredients in bulk or use leftovers to make many portions of a recipe to take on the go. This is a great way to save time and energy in college, so when making dinner consider cooking extra that you can store and eat later as a meal prep step. Many dorms on campus also have facilities with communal kitchens, so making multiple portions could help save a few trips to those areas by producing meals for multiple days at once.
Pasta
Depending on your access to kitchen appliances, pasta can be made or purchased in many forms. You can try out making pesto sauce from scratch using basil, nuts, garlic, oil, and cheese and pick up a box of macaroni noodles to boil on the stovetop. Or, for a simple grocery store trip consider purchasing a pre-made pesto or marinara sauce, noodles, cheese, and seasoning. For a healthy twist, you can add in spinach or any vegetables of your choosing!
Wraps
These sandwiches enclosed by soft encasings are easy to transport, have customizable ingredients, and can accommodate many dietary restrictions. Plus, there are so many fun recipes on the internet! Search buffalo chicken wraps, cheeseburger wraps, vegan lettuce wraps, or any of your favorite sandwich combinations to find a new favorite recipe.
Bowls
Bowls are a wholly customizable and nutritious option for dinner. Basic elements of bowls include whole grains, vegetables, protein, and a delicious sauce. Depending on your preferred style, you can choose the flavor and base of your bowl and make extra portions as a meal prep option. Staple pantry items like rice, beans, vegetables, and any other ingredient you find in your home can be included.
Pizza
Pizza is arguably one of the quintessential college dishes, and it’s quite simple to make at home! For ambitious chefs, the pizza crust and sauce can be made from scratch. Those looking for a faster option could buy pre-made dough and toppings, which are available in most grocery stores for a low price. Hint: for an even easier alternative, consider picking up a baguette, sauce, cheese and toppings. When you slice the bread in half, it can act as the base for your sauce and toppings in the oven. It may not be the traditional form of pizza, but it sure does taste good!
No matter what your favorite dinner option is, I hope that these simple and low-cost meals provide you with time to wind down from the stress of a busy college day. With so many fun customization options, these meals would be great for nights with friends or to show off your skills to visiting family members!