Moving out of a dorm and into your own apartment also means saying goodbye to the comfort and convenience of dining halls stocked with warm, ready-to-eat meals and the instant gratification of a meal swipe. Although it is exciting and empowering to truly be living on your own for the first time, cooking tends to pose an ongoing challenge. Finding the time to pick out recipes, grocery shop, and actually prepare a meal is quite difficult to work into a schedule jam-packed with classes, extracurriculars, and study sessions. While stocking up on frozen, pre-made meals may seem like an effective solution at first, we soon realize that nothing beats the satisfaction of a successful, tasty, home-cooked meal.
So, we rounded up a selection of quick and delicious recipes that can help you expand your everyday menu. These recipes are perfect for the skill set of a kitchen newbie and take less time than an episode of your favorite TV show. Happy cooking!
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Simple, affordable and delicious! Start off by peeling and cutting your sweet potatoes. Then, toss them with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and paprika, plus whatever other seasonings your heart desires. (We love cumin, cinnamon, or chili powder for an extra kick!) Bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about fifteen minutes, then quickly flip them and put them back in the oven for another ten minutes. The prep for this recipe is truly a breeze, and an episode of your favorite sitcom will make the cooking time fly by. Serve with your favorite protein and veggie, or even a side of guacamole, and you’ll have created a balanced, filling dinner.
Marinated Chicken
Chicken is a staple, but it can get old really fast. Spice up your dinner by putting your chicken in a delicious four-ingredient marinade:
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1 cup of brown sugar
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1 cup of oil (olive oil or canola)
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1/2 cup soy sauce
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1/2 cup of vinegar (such as apple cider)
Quickly mix all of the marinade ingredients together with a whisk, and pour it into a ziplock bag with your raw chicken. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, pan-sear the chicken in a large skillet with one tablespoon of oil, adding a touch of salt and pepper if desired. This recipe is great because you get to come home to one less step in the meal-prep process!
Minimalist Roasted Vegetables:
It can’t get easier than this! Chop your favorite vegetables, drizzle them with olive oil, garlic salt, and other seasonings of your choice. Some stellar options are dried thyme and fresh rosemary. This recipe is super versatile because it is adaptable to whatever vegetables you are craving or have in your fridge. Mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli…the list goes on! Roast your veggies at 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden brown. Make sure to check on them and stir them around on the sheet pan every now and then so they cook evenly and don’t burn.
Super Simple Tilapia
Tilapia is a very versatile, affordable, and easy to cook fish. It can be hard to escape your usual cooking routine when you aren’t totally sure how to navigate the kitchen, so this is the perfect place to start. Season your tilapia with salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Add about one tablespoon of olive or canola oil to your skillet, and let the pan get very hot on the stovetop before adding the tilapia filet…and that’s basically it! It’ll be easy to tell when it’s ready, as the fish will turn white (as opposed to it’s slightly transparent color) once it is fully cooked. This is a healthy option to serve with the veggies sitting in your fridge.
We hope these recipes are the motivation you need to take a break from your frozen and over-cooked meals, without taking up too much time or requiring a culinary degree. With practice and patience, you will learn to adapt them even more to your own liking and, who knows, maybe even try something a little more challenging? Bon Appétit!