To be clear, this isn’t cutthroat-survival dorm cooking. This is full-kitchen-and-a-moderate-amount-of-supplies-and-ingredients dorm cooking. I definitely became accustomed to full and balanced dinners every night at home (shoutout to my mom for that), and stereotypical college meals just don’t do it for me. Frozen stuff cooked in the microwave? The cheapest noodles on the face of the earth? No thanks. That won’t cut it. I prefer real food. To me, the best kinds of dorm meals either use only one dish, are mostly hands-off, or will last for several days. Each of these covers at least one of those requirements.
Sautéed Kale and Quinoa
This is a combination of several other recipes I’ve found in various places. Now, to be honest, I don’t really follow most recipes. I get the general idea of what’s supposed to happen and then I just wing it. With that in mind, I will attempt to relate some accurate directions. Of course, with a recipe like this, it’s very easy to change the amounts to suit your purpose. Keep in mind the kale will shrink as it is cooked. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Also, I’d like to point out that quinoa can be prepared in a rice cooker instead of on the stove.
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Ingredients:
2 cups chopped raw kale
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
Chopped garlic and onion, to taste
I cup cooked quinoa OR quinoa/brown rice mixture
Other seasonings: black pepper, cumin, red pepper
Add olive oil, garlic, and onion to a medium to large pan and cook until the onion is translucent. Or just stop when you get impatient. I mean let’s be honest, a little raw onion won’t kill anyone. Next, the kale. You may need to add the kale a little at a time as it shrinks. Once the kale has been adequately wilted (3 to 5 minutes), add the quinoa. (This is why a larger pan is necessary.) Add any other spices you might want and mix it all together. I sometimes also add cut up Italian sausage (which is pretty easy to make on the stove) to add some protein and make it more filling.
I love this meal because it really combines all the food groups pretty nicely. I’m much more into food that tastes good rather than what’s good for me, and the Sautéed Kale and Quinoa is great at tricking me into eating moderately healthy.
Crescent Roll-Ups
These are super easy and just fantastic: minimal work, ready in about 15 minutes. Oh, and when in doubt add a second slice of cheese.
Ingredients:
1 package of crescent rolls
Your favorite sliced sandwich meats and cheeses
All you have to do is roll up a slice or two of meat and cheese inside each crescent roll! Then cook them according to the package directions. They’re pretty quick and you’ll only need a baking sheet. Obviously, you can also double it and then maybe have enough for another meal, too.
Baked Chicken
This is probably the most #adulting recipe on this list because it involves purchasing (gasp) raw chicken. Yep, cooking from scratch. I know, shocking, but chicken is such a versatile food! First of all, it can be cooked in a variety of ways, and once you’ve cooked it, you can eat one breast that day, then save the rest. All you do is make a paste-like mixture of the olive oil, breadcrumbs, and any spices you want, then coat the chicken with it. Super easy! Put it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350°. The next day, you can cut it up and make a quesadilla or add it to a basic pasta dish.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Breadcrumbs or crushed crackers
Garlic and other spices to taste
Chicken breasts
So there we have it. My top mostly simple dorm meals! Cooking may not be too fun all the time, but it's much healthier overall than frozen meals or fast food. So go home and make yourself a real dinner this week!
