For some Bison, it’s been a tough fall semester with a few beloved Wonder Plaza restaurants closing indefinitely on Georgia Avenue. So long late night Chipotle and Potbelly runs—you will be missed.
Dorm-life treated me well for my first two years of undergrad, but moving into an apartment with a kitchen has given me room to cook and grow my expertise beyond a microwave. Although ramen is so great (no sarcasm, I love Maruchan as much as Megan The Stallion), fall recipes can be way tastier, more creative and still keep you warm as we move into the chilliest months of the year.
The good news is that these are all one to two dish friendly if you’re like me and despise washing dishes. Trust me, these are delicious, easy and great meal prep material.
Lasagna Soup
Right next to potatoes, pasta is my favorite food. Lasagna is nostalgic for me because my grandma would only make the Stouffers kind which was good (in its own way). I was excited that this had become a soup! TikTok creator Brooklynn Mullins cooks up her lasagna soup in a crockpot, but it can just as easily be made in a pot on the stove. After combining marinara, meat of your choice, onions, tomato paste, broth, and noodles to cook and topping with mozzarella cheese you’ll have successfully recreated. For my meatless girlies like me, ditch the meat or replace it with a meat substitute or roasted veggies.
*Piada Inspired* Pasta Bowl
It might just be me, but my TikTok is swarming with the Piada Italian Street Food restaurant. Everyone’s bowls made me get some FOMO, so I had to recreate this bowl. Thankfully, TikTok creator Sacoria Nichelle put her order details in the caption of her video and I used it as a guide. Roast sliced grape tomatoes, broccoli and corn after drizzling them in oil and seasoning with salt and pepper at 400 degrees for 30-minutes. While that’s going, boil spaghetti in salted water, drain it and pour in alfredo sauce into the empty pot. Once that’s heated up, add in spinach, the roasted veggies and the spaghetti. I used Gardein’s Ultimate Plant-Based Spicy Chick’n Filets, but any cut up chicken can be sprinkled on top with some parmesan cheese. This will for sure curb those Piada cravings.
Marry Me Chickpeas
This dish is probably the quickest and easiest to make. Minus the chicken, this cozy one pot meal is great for heating up between classes. TikTok creator Live Eat Learn, did a combination of sundried tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, cream and parmesan. You can make this budget-friendly meal in no time. You can also try these chickpeas on rice.
Potato Soup
As previously mentioned, potatoes happen to be one of my favorite ingredients. TikTok creator @brianna410berry adds bacon into hers to add another savory flavor. This soup can last in your fridge for up to a week and you can add some extra cheddar cheese on top every time you reheat.
Trader Joe’s Dumplings Bake
TJ’s is one of the few grocery stores near campus, and making this trending meal is a must. TikTok creator Lay gets her inspiration from the viral potstickers and adds them to a pan with coconut milk, Soyaki, red chilli sauce and spinach before popping them into the oven. Just imagine having these on top of some ramen!
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice
If rice isn’t a staple in your apartment or dorm pantry, add it immediately. So many great recipes come from rice, and TikTok creator Kolby Kash took it up a notch by making a cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole. With the holidays right around the corner, this could be a great potluck item.
Trying any of these recipes? Tag @hercampushoward on Instagram!