This may sound redundant, especially considering the fact that most college student’s version of cooking is doing something along the lines of microwaving Ramen. This article is designed to help steer you clear of that sodium-filled snack.

Cooking in college is actually much easier than one might think. Something that is “cooked” may have as few as three or four ingredients. For autumn cooking, a lot of dining halls have apples on hand to take to go. Their quality may be slightly compromised and be mushy or bruised. A simple way to enjoy less-than-satisfactory apples is to throw them in a saucepan with butter, sugar, and a little bit of cinnamon. In about ten minutes’ time, you will have a sweet dessert-like treat that’s actually very healthy. If your school has to-go containers for other things, you can repurpose other ingredients as well. Getting some veggies to throw into a pasta dish can make you seem like quite the chef. Pasta is very student friendly. A simple flavoring of olive oil, garlic, and some cheese is a no fuss dish sure to please. Throwing in some frozen chicken or shrimp can even elevate your dish.

Pinterest can be your best friend in finding easy dorm-friendly recipes. In the easy scroll down interface, whatever seems to pop out at you is a click away. Using the board feature also allows for you to share favorites with your friends and revisit the dishes you have made.

Mug recipes will be your best friend. Microwave brownies and nachos will soothe your midnight snack cravings. Be warned, though, unless you make one recipe frequently, the quantity of ingredients you end up buying may become absurd. Therefore, make to have friends on hand who want to help you eat stuff. The s’mores recipes that call for a bag of chocolate chips may be eaten unaccompanied if you let them out of your sight. Everyone should have a mug at college, for coffee, tea, or food.

With this tiny nugget of food knowledge, vow to try cooking something at school every once in a while. It’s a great way to bond with friends and have some fun!