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College is busy and it can feel like you never have enough time. When it comes to cooking, it can feel like a chore. It’s time to meal-prep for an easy future. This way, you are ready for a couple of days of meals. Meal prepping gives you time back in your day.
Hamburger Potato Bowl Recipe
The first meal is Hamburger Potato bowls. This bowl takes the idea of a hamburger and switches the bun for potatoes.
For the Potatoes:
- 2 russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- One-half teaspoon of paprikia
- 1 teaspoon of garlic
- One-fourth teaspoon of onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Add these ingredients to an air fryer and flip every 10 minutes. Repeat the process until crispy. It usually takes me three rounds of 10-minute intervals.
For the Beef:
- 1 pound of Beef
- 1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Brown the beef in a medium sized skillet. Then, add in the chopped onions and garlic. Next, add water and seasonings and let it simmer until the water has evaporated.
For the Pico de Gallo:
- 2 roman tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 of a red onion, finely chopped
- 2 avocados, cut into chunks
- A handful of fresh cut cilantro
- 1 fresh lime
Chop the roman tomatoes into fine pieces, then add to a large bowl. Add your finely chopped onion to the bowl. Remove the pit from the avocados, then cut the avocado into square-shaped chunks. Add these chunks to the bowl. Roll the lime on the counter to ensure you get the most juice out of it, then add the lime juice to the bowl. Mix ingredients carefully.
For the cheese sauce (Optional):
- 1/2 cup of colby jack cheese
- 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Take a small pan and add the cheese, yogurt and milk. Stir on low until you get a sauce consistency. Then add paprika, salt and pepper.
Now that you have everything made, you can grab a bowl and add the potatoes to the bottom of the bowl, then the meat, followed by the pico de gallo, topped with the cheese sauce.
I found that this serving size made me four meals. I was also very happy with how it reheated. It still tasted fresh even on my fourth time eating this meal. It has a good source of carbs, protein and fruit, and it is very filling.
“Vodka” Pasta
The next meal is vodka pasta, but without the vodka. I found that substituting lemon juice for the vodka adds a flavor profile to the pasta.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 3/4 of a white onion
- 2 garlic cloves, finely cut
- 4 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 of a lemon
- 1 box of noodles (I use rigatoni)
Start by boiling water for the noodles. While the noodles are cooking, you can start on your sauce. In a medium saucepan, add the butter, onions and garlic. Let your onions brown a little bit before adding your tomato paste and your heavy whipping cream. After the tomato paste is fully mixed into the heavy whipping cream, add the juice of half a lemon. Then, add your drained pasta noodles.
I found that this makes about six servings. The pasta is very flavorful and is a good source of carbs. This was not as good reheated as it is fresh, but it still is not bad.
These are just two meals to get you started. There are so many different recipes targeting different goals. For example, if you ever feel like you need more protein, there are recipes that are specifically altered to be higher in protein. I would recommend looking up different recipes and experimenting with your meal choices.
Life is busy. Just taking one hour on Monday to meal prep will end up saving you time later in the week. Try to include different food groups when experimenting with different meals for the week. I recommend using the MyPlate government website for specific dietary recommendations. Meal prepping gives you easy meals to make after a busy day.