If you are anything like me, cooking is not your forte. Picture this, I’m standing in the kitchen, looking down, and barely being able to distinguish pots from pans (embarrassing I know). Until I came to college my freshman year, I spent little to no time in the kitchen unless it was to go get some food from the fridge. So, upon living on my own I realized that cooking is a pretty big part of that. Freshman year I lived off Chipotle, eating it 3 to 4 times a week. However, I soon realized that eating out every day was expensive and not sustainable on a college budget. I forced myself to get creative and face my fear: the kitchen. So, I started cooking and with trial and error, I learned some of the best and easy meals to make as a lazy and inexperienced college student. I have decided to save you all some time and trial and error and give you all some tips and tricks for some easy meals to make on a budget.
For breakfast, we have the egg scramble. It’s perfect for early mornings and only takes 5 minutes.
- Add olive oil (or butter) to a pan over low and medium heat. At this point, if you want to add tomatoes or vegetables to the pan this is the time to do so.
- Meanwhile, you crack eggs into a small bowl and add some salt and pepper and then whisk.
- You then add the eggs to the pan and cook for a few minutes until they are done.
- Lastly, if you want to serve on some toast or roasted potatoes be my guest. And voila! Delish.
Next up, lunch. For busy students, it is in their best interest to make something that is easy to eat on the go. My personal favorite is a wrap – you can make a million different combinations, so you never get tired of them.
My go-to wrap is:
- a whole wheat pita wrap
- sriracha mayo
- turkey
- lettuce
- onion
For a veggie option, try substituting hummus and bell peppers!
Finally, the holy grail of all meals, dinner. This was definitely the most intimidating meal for me when I first started cooking. An easy favorite that I love to make for myself, and all my roommates is chicken and dumplings.
For this recipe, you will need:
- two chicken breasts
- chicken broth
- one can of Pillsbury grande biscuits
- one can cream of chicken soup
Here are the steps to making the perfect batch:
- Bake your chicken and shred it. I find it easiest to use two forks.
- Combine the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and shredded chicken into a large pot on medium heat.
- While that comes to a boil, pop open the can of biscuits (and try not to jump at the noise like I do!) and cut them into small bite-size pieces.
- Add these to the pot with a little salt and pepper
You’ll have a one-pot dinner done in under 45 minutes! The best thing about this recipe is you will have leftovers for days.
If you find yourself craving something sweet, I recommend a twist on a classic – deep-fried Oreos.
This recipe caught my eye on Pinterest a few months ago and I cannot stop making it!
All you need is:
- one pack Oreos
- Pillsbury crescent rolls
- milk
- optional powdered sugar.
How to make:
- Take your Oreos and give them a quick dunk in your milk
- Wrap them up in the crescent rolls
- Pop them in an air fryer at 350 degrees for 7 minutes
- Top them with powdered sugar for added sweetness. Chef’s kiss!
While the idea of cooking still feels daunting at times, learning the ins and outs of the kitchen has significantly upped my cooking game. If you try any of my recipes, make sure to tag me @dahliacohn and @gordonramsay for a review. 😉