The criteria for passing Hangry 101? Recipes must be cheap, easy, and fast to prepare.
College kids, welcome back to class. We’ve got you covered with mug cakes, breakfast burritos, super-simple nachos, stir-fries and tacos. Read on for the most gloriously inexpensive, quick and straightforward (but always delicious) dishes in our curriculum.
1. One-Pan Vegetarian Dinner Nachos
These one-pan vegetarian dinner nachos have a chilaquiles vibe thanks to the two fried eggs you plop on top. It’s a dream dinner for you and a study buddy, especially if the two of you eschew meat. We love that you can use pre-shredded cheese in Adrianna Adarme’s recipe.
2. Easy Carrot-Ginger Soup
Got a pot? Got a blender? Great. Make this simple carrot-ginger soup, which will comprise a nice break from your go-to frozen meals. (Hey, we’ve been there.) It’s good for you, too; carrots are packed with Vitamin A and beta-carotene. (Can’t say that about ramen!)
3. Anything With Eggs
Eggs are the ultimate superfood (plus they’re versatile, easy-to-prepare, and cheap!), so understanding how to cook them is key to the college-ready recipe repertoire. Whether you’re making egg-in-a-hole, breakfast burritos, egg muffins, or an egg-topped avocado toast, you’ll have a super-quick meal that’s sure to satisfy. Check out some of our favorite egg-centric recipes for more ideas.
4. Grilled Chicken Taco Salad
We’re gonna go out on a limb and assume you’re not getting your RDA of vegetables. We forgive you, and we encourage you to use up whatever leftover meat or beans are in the fridge for this taco salad. You can skip grilling chicken from scratch; you can make your own buttermilk for the dressing in a heartbeat with half a lemon. Just try to get something green in your body today or tomorrow, OK?
5. Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
For those who don’t mind a weekend project and love starch (we know you’re out there), there’s cheesy pull-apart bread! It’s exactly as good as it looks, and you and your buddies can pick at it all day today and tomorrow. Throw a slab of chicken on there; add avocado and olives to make it a meal. You do you.
6. Spaghetti with Grated Tomato Sauce
A vegetable grater makes short work of reducing plum tomatoes to a chunky sauce, but this quick dish is just as easy to accomplish if a chef’s knife needs to step in for the grater. Salty, crumbled sheep’s milk cheese goes on top, but you could easily sub in grated Parmesan or small spoonfuls of regular ricotta.
7. Vegan Chickpea, Porcini and Farro Soup
You can absolutely swap in canned chickpeas in this sultry vegan chickpea, porcini and farro soup, but soaking them overnight adds a creaminess to the base. Freeze any extra bits of this recipe in small portions you can break out for a cold winter afternoon of studying.
8. Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Keep oyster sauce, sherry and rice vinegar in the fridge just for making this dreamboat of a super-fast stir-fry. Chicken, broccoli and cashews mingle happily in a protein-packed, half-hour extravaganza of simplicity. It’s so good you won’t want to share it, but you should; it’s nice to get a reputation for being generous.
9. Garlicky Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are a less expensive cut of the chicken than the breast, and more flavorful too! This easy recipe needs just 10 minutes of active prep time for a dish that will always feel like Sunday dinner. For a different flavor profile, our Soy-Ginger Chicken Thighs are another easy-to-prepare favorite.
10. Chocolate Mug Cake
Chocolate mug cake, you had us at “microwave.” Ready in six minutes (!!!), and relying upon pantry staples, it’s just what you need to power through a late-night cram or paper-writing session without getting too jolted up on coffee. Enjoy, and happy studying!
