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This installment of College Student Meals features a recipe for an easy and perfectly roasted chicken. By roasting a chicken early in the week and combining a few other ingredients you can easily create a week’s worth of meals plus leftovers.

My son visited us from California last week. We hadn’t seen him in nine months and it was a nice surprise to have him home to celebrate his birthday with the rest of the family. Michael graduated from the University of North Texas last November and he’s been out in LA working as a photographer while looking for film jobs. Being out of school and looking for a job sure is hard these days. You’ve got to have your resume perfect and your interview skills sharp.

While Michael was here, he and his dad spent hours going over his resume. They were looking to see what skills and experience Michael could highlight and make more visible. This time spent with Michael got me thinking that career planning and resume building information might be useful for you too. I don’t believe in waiting until you’ve graduated from college to start writing your resume. Get started early and continue to add and improve it. Here are some links I think might be useful for college students.

The week of college student meals I’m posting today are centered around a deliciously tender and juicy roasted chicken. I love to roast a chicken early in the week and use the leftovers in recipes throughout the week. Roasting a chicken is really easy to do too and often you can find whole chickens at a low price at the grocery.

Have a great week!

MONDAY

Perfectly Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

1 4-6 pound roasting chicken

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 lemon, halved

2 cloves garlic, cut in half

1 tablespoon butter

4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Unwrap the chicken and remove the giblets from the inside cavity. Thoroughly rinse the inside and outside of the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper inside the chicken. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with both halves of the lemon, the garlic and the thyme.

Scatter the carrots around the baking pan and place the chicken in the center of the pan on top of the carrots.

Pour the melted butter over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken and carrots with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and drizzle the olive oil over everything.

Mix the carrots well so they are evenly coated.

Roast the chicken in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken and carrots to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil for about 15 minutes.

Slice the chicken and serve with the carrots and cooked rice.

TUESDAY

Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients

2- 3 flour tortillas

1 cup cooked chicken

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon butter

salsa, optional

sliced olives, optional

Directions

Place the tortilla on a plate, add the cheese and sliced chicken. Fold the tortilla over the filling. Add a handful of cheese to the top and microwave for about 30 seconds or until the cheese melts.

Top with salsa or sliced olives if desired

WEDNESDAY

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Ingredients

1 (12-inch) prepared pizza crust

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup cooked, chopped chicken

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 cup Caesar dressing ( or your favorite dressing)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Top pizza crust with 2 cups mozzarella cheese and bake for 8 minutes or until cheese melts.

Combine the chicken, lettuce and remaining cheese with the dressing in a bowl. Top the hot pizza with salad and cut into wedges.

THURSDAY

Corn and Black Bean Rice Bowl – Rice bowls are easy to make and are a great opportunity to be creative. Cook your rice according to the package directions, then add beans, corn or any other vegetables you love.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cooked rice

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed or canned corn, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or you can use the shredded mozzarella cheese instead)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Place the cooked rice in a bowl. Add the beans and corn. Top with cheese and cilantro.

FRIDAY

Easy Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients

(It’s a good idea to bake several potatoes at a time. Baked potatoes great to keep in the fridge and eat for lunch or dinner over the weekend)

1 baking potato

1 tablespoon butter

shredded cheese

sour cream

several slices of cooked bacon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub baking potatoes thoroughly. Pat dry. For soft skins, rub the potatoes with a bit of butter. Prick the potato or potatoes with a fork.

Bake in oven for 40-60 minutes or until tender. When done, remove from the oven. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a crisscross in each top with a knife. Add the butter, cheese, sour cream and chopped bacon to the potato.

Serve with a small salad or fruit plate.

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