Cooking in college doesn’t have to be hard. Here’s a list of easy single serving recipes that are perfect for busy college students. This Week Of Easy Recipes For College Students features recipes for Minestrone Soup For One, Salisbury Steak For One, Quesadillas and more!
I hope your Thanksgiving break was a good one. If you returned home to visit family and friends last week, hopefully you were able to relax and recharge. The next few weeks at school will be tough ones with final exams coming up. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are probably the most stressful of the entire academic year, so just take a breath, try not to overload your schedule, get enough rest and try to eat right. The end is in sight.
Here are a few tips to help you focus on what you need to do to succeed in these last few weeks of your semester…
Plan
Sit down and look at the rest of your semester. What types of projects are coming up? How many papers will you need to write? Do all of your classes have final exams? Try to estimate how much work it will take for you to do well in each of your classes.
Implement
Now that you know what you need to do, you need to actually do it. Set aside extra time, if necessary to turn off the television, spend extra time on a particular subject and go to the library. Don’t hesitate to go to the professor for help if you need it. They want to help you succeed and by letting him or her know you’re concerned or need clarification over a particular area, it shows them that you want to do well. Your professors will remember that.
Stay On Track
The problem isn’t making a plan or starting the plan. The problem is usually being consistent and sticking with the plan. Just try to remember the end goal…to finish the semester with success. It can be challenging, but so worth it in the end. Try to give yourself study breaks. Work hard for an hour or so then reward yourself with a movie or fun activity. Get together with friends during this time and try to set up group study time, plan to study for an hour or so, then head out together to throw a frisbee or play an activity outside.
These are just a few tips that will help you during this period. What do you find works best for you? If you have any tips or suggestions to add, please leave them in the comment field below.
Have a great week!
A Week Of Easy Recipes For College Students
MONDAY
Pasta with Sweet Potatoes and Goat Cheese – an easy to make meal that’s perfect for busy college students.
Roasting vegetables is a wonderful way to cook them. Simply peel and chop a sweet potato, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it all together well and place on a baking pan in a preheated 425 degree oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender. You can roast the red pepper the same way, just check to see if the pepper is tender and lightly charred at around the 15 minute mark. You’ll love the flavors of the sweet potato, red pepper and goat cheese together.
Ingredients
8-ounces linguine (or use your favorite type of pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed, peeled, chopped and roasted / *See above for roasting directions
1 medium red pepper, chopped and roasted
4-ounces goat cheese
Directions
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Remove from heat, drain and place pasta back in the pot or in a large bowl. Pour the roasted sweet potatoes and the roasted red peppers from the pan into the bowl of pasta, making sure you also pour the remaining olive oil from the baking pan into the bowl too. Mix well. Top with crumbled goat cheese.
TUESDAY
Minestrone Soup For One – this hearty Italian soup is filled with vegetables, beans, bacon and pasta. It’s an easy recipe for college students that can be made with any number of your favorite vegetables and ingredients.
Find the recipe HERE.
WEDNESDAY
Salisbury Steak
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces ground beef
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE GRAVY
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 1/2 – ounces sliced onions (1/4 small onion)
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon sour cream
Directions
Place the ground beef in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix together until well combined. Flatten the seasoned ground beef into a round patty, about 1/2-inch thick.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the ground beef patty to the hot skillet and cook for 4 minutes per side or until burger is no longer rare. Remove the burger patty from the skillet and place on a plate. Cover plate with aluminum foil and set aside.
Return the skillet to the heat and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have softened, about 3 minutes.
Pour in the beef broth, bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for another 3 minutes.
Stir in the sour cream and mix well. Add the ground beef patty back to the pan and cook for a minute more, spooning some of the sauce over the meat as it cooks.
Remove the beef patty from the pan and place on a plate. Pour the sauce over the top and enjoy.
THURSDAY
Spinach and Orzo Salad For One
This easy to make Spinach and Orzo Salad For One is filled with creamy Feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, chopped red onions, sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Tossed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, it’s sure to become your very favorite single serving salad!
Find the recipe HERE.
FRIDAY
Spinach and Brie Quesadillas – the ideal lunch or dinner for busy college students.
Ingredients
2 large flour tortillas
oil
4 slices of brie, rind removed, about 1/4 inch sliced
1/2 cup fresh spinach
Click HERE for the recipe instructions.
Other college student recipes…
If you are looking for other single serving recipes, please visit One Dish Kitchen – Your Single Serving Recipe Source.
We now have a COOKING FOR ONE Facebook group. We’re new and we’re growing. Join us to share your favorite single serving recipes and find new ones too. We’d love to see you there!
Click HERE to join the community!
Other recipes you might like…
Berry Filled Coffee Cake For One
No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream For One
Thanks so much for these ideas. I’m no student, I’m an old lady with a broken right arm having trouble feeding myself! These are easy and so yummy!