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For the recipe roundup of College Student Meals this week, I have for you an easy hamburger recipe.  Often nothing can beat a good juicy burger complete with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes for a satisfying meal.  If you buy a pound of ground beef, you can use half of it for the hamburger and save the other half to use in a meaty spaghetti sauce.

I also put together a very easy Spinach Walnut Citrus Salad for you with a recipe for an easy and healthy salad dressing that I’m sure you’re going to love.  I love spinach because it’s loaded with vitamins and antioxidants.  This would be a great salad to eat for lunch and would be ideal with a few pieces of store bought rotisserie chicken for a little extra protein.

Who doesn’t love pizza?  I’ve got a different way for your to enjoy your pizza this week with a little additional protein.  I’ve put together a recipe for an easy pizza omelette.  I love to make omelettes because you can be creative with the ingredients.  Consider making one with onions, different cheeses and your favorite vegetables.  The possibilities are endless!

There’s a wonderful pasta dish that I’m sure you’ll love.  It’s filled with crunchy broccoli and savory sun dried tomatoes.  Consider making the full recipe so you’ll have leftovers for the weekend.

Have a great week!

MONDAY

Cheeseburger with Baked Sweet Potato

Cheeseburger - zagleft

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef

olive oil

hamburger buns

1 or 2 slices of cheddar cheese

lettuce or fresh spinach

tomato

mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise (optional)

1 medium sweet potato

butter

Directions

TO BAKE THE SWEET POTATO:  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Scrub, rinse and dry the sweet potato.  Prick the sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork.  Rub 1 tablespoon of butter over the entire sweet potato.  Place the sweet potato on a baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes or until tender.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.  When the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, cut a crisscross in the top with a knife.  Press in and up on the ends and place a tablespoon of butter in the center.

While the sweet potato is cooking, prepare your burger.  Begin by heating a skillet on medium high heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil into the pan.  Take a handful of the ground meat and place it in the palm of your hand.  Form a patty that is about 1/2 inch thick.  Place the hamburger patty in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.  Flip the hamburger patty over and cook the other side for another 5 minutes.  Check to make sure the inside of the patty isn’t pink.  If it is still pink, cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Remove the hamburger from the pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.  Prepare your hamburger bun with the cheese, lettuce and tomatoes and top with the hamburger.  Serve with the sweet potato.

**HERE’S A HINT – Freeze the remaining hamburger buns.  If you don’t use bread within the week, it will go bad.  By freezing the bread, it will keep longer.

TUESDAY

Pasta with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

your favorite pasta (penne, spaghetti, etc.)

1 cup of jarred  spaghetti sauce ( I like Classico Tomato Basil because it’s very low in sugar)

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

To make the meat sauce, heat a skillet to medium high heat.  Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Add the ground meat to the pan and crumble with a spoon.  Add the onion, garlic, basil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir with the spoon until the meat is brown.  Transfer the meat to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the fat.

Place 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce into the pan and add back the meat and onion mixture.  Stir until heated throughout.  Pour over pasta and top with parmesan cheese.

WEDNESDAY

Spinach Walnut Citrus Salad

spinach walnut citrus salad - zagleft

Dressing Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

dash of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Salad Ingredients

2 handfuls of fresh spinach, washed and trimmed

1/4 cup walnut halves

1 orange, cut into segments

1/2 grapefruit, cut into segments

1 green onion, chopped

Directions

Combine oil, vinegar, honey and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.  Mix well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss the spinach with the dressing and walnuts.  Arrange orange and grapefruit sections on top and garnish with green onions.

HINT:  Don’t throw away the other half of the grapefruit.  Eat it for breakfast in the morning with a light drizzling of honey.

THURSDAY

Pizza Omelette

pizza omelette - meals for college students - zagleft

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

3 eggs, lightly scrambled

1 small tomato, chopped

a few slices of chopped pepperoni

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Heat the butter in a skillet set to medium-high heat until melted.  Add the eggs to the pan, spreading them evenly in the pan with a spatula.  When the eggs are firm on the bottom, but slightly runny on top, sprinkle the chopped tomatoes, pepperoni pieces and mozzarella cheese over the eggs.  Cook until there is no liquid left in the eggs.

Using your spatula, gently fold the omelet in half, closing in the ingredients.

Use the spatula to transfer the omelette to your plate.

FRIDAY

Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Broccoli

pasta with sun dried tomatoes and broccoli

Ingredients

8 ounces of your favorite pasta (cook the rest of the pasta from earlier in the week)

4 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

salt to taste

TIP OF THE WEEK:  Cook with friends.  That’s always more fun, right?  Let everyone contribute to the cost and share the meal together or offer to prepare the main course and let others bring dessert, salad and a side dish.

Other articles you may also like:

Week of Meals for College Students – Week of February 11

Week of Meals for College Students – Week of February 4

Week of Meals for College Students – Week of January 28

Maple Cinnamon Crescent Rolls


Week of Meals For College Students – Burgers, Pasta & Omelette Week

Servings: 5 dinners plus leftovers for lunch
A weekly menu of easy to prepare college student meals with healthy and inexpensive recipes and a grocery list. This week features juicy hamburgers, omelettes and savory pasta dishes.

Ingredients 

  • GROCERY LIST
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • olive oil
  • cheddar cheese
  • mozzarella cheese
  • parmesan cheese
  • butter
  • eggs
  • pepperoni, sliced
  • broccoli, frozen
  • hamburger buns
  • 1 pound pasta
  • 1 small jar spaghetti sauce
  • dried basil
  • white wine vinegar
  • honey
  • cayenne pepper
  • walnut halves
  • jar of sun dried tomatoes
  • spinach
  • 2 small tomatoes
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 onion
  • garlic
  • 1 orange
  • 1 grapefruit
  • green onions

Notes

Don't forget to check your pantry and refrigerator for items you may already have before you go grocery shopping.
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