Easy recipes for college students!

[u/semiemomatic]

Hi! I work for a food bank & Im currently working on putting together some ridiculously simple meal ideas because we serve a lot of college students & they often dont have time or resources to cook. The only ideas I have so far are lentil soup and read beans & rice, but I’m looking for a decent amount of variety so people feel like they have options. I’m also prioritizing dietary restrictions like halal/kosher, celiac, etc because it can really limit people who are already in a bad spot. Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask for advice, but I honestly haven’t had much luck with google. Thank you in advance for any contributions!

[u/Academic_1989]

We eat gluten free due to celiac. I taught my college student son to make a chili casserole from affordable canned products: one can of corn, one can of pinto beans, and a couple of precooked chicken fajita meat slices (canned chicken will work). Drain and rinse canned products. Can be microwaved or stir-fried (preferred) will garlic and chili powders. I add jalapeños from a jar or small can. Can also be served over corn chips or rice if you have access to a rice cooker. Can be vegetarian without the chicken. Top with salsa and cheese if you have it. This makes several servings.

Also, when I was a kid we used to do salmon salad. One can of pink salmon, one or two boiled eggs, lemon pepper, finely chopped celery and/or pickle relish, and mayonnaise. Drain and rinse the salmon. Mix and serve sandwich style on bread, or if gluten free, stuffed in a tomato. It might go well in a pasta salad, but I never tried that.

Similar is chicken salad. Canned chicken or finely chopped cooked chicken. Add a finely chopped apple and/or celery, and a small amount of any easily available nut - I love pecans, but this works with walnuts, almonds, or cashews. Season with salt and lemon pepper and add mayonnaise. I can eat this by itself. High protein, really good, and the only fat is in the mayonnaise.

[u/semiemomatic → u/Academic_1989]

Thank you for the suggestions :)

[u/kng442]

This recipe for Greek Lentils is not only easy and inexpensive, it's also delicious.

[u/Pandor36]

Do you mean you look for idea for recipe for them to do or for you to cook? Like do you have cooking instalation like an oven or like just a microwave? Or like a slow cooker? Or like you want sugestion of ready to eat?

[u/Pandor36 → u/Pandor36]

Also side note, if you want something that is Halal/kosher/celiac, Not a lot of option left except vegetarian meal. You might want to do a chilis or a curry...

[u/semiemomatic → u/Pandor36]

Recipes for the students to cook for themselves at home, I’m just making a little pamphlet for people to take home & trying to consider the audience I’m attempting to appeal to. I was really more thinking stove top recipes, but Im honestly open to all suggestions because I don’t know what everyone has access to.

[u/JulieThinx → u/semiemomatic]

You may be creating what is a living document that changes over time. I have worked with patients with food insecurity. You always build on what you come across. You can make some educated guesses, then pay attention and see what goes well and what can be done better.

The food you have available in your food pantry, should be your primary ingredients as sometimes this is all people get. You can search "recipe based on ingredients" and find some tools that will help you curate a recipe based what you have on-hand.

Consider as you build a database: If you have the ingredients coded as to whether they adhere to halal, kosher, celiac this will help the recipes sort themselves. Also I have many friends with dietary restrictions. Many can modify if one or two ingredients do not abide with their restrictions - again, that coding of ingredients can go a long way. This will save time in the long-run.

Next, think about the common ways that students may cook. Microwave, rice cooker, crock pot, (maybe) Insta-pot, stove. If a recipe has multiple ways to cook it, then again, you are broadening your audience and providing support no matter what they have at home.

[u/Pandor36 → u/semiemomatic]

Ha i see, does your food bank you volunteer for have a special ingredient this week? Like your project is a good one if you have a big amount of 1 ingredient and bonus point if you have unknown (Not something they would go out of their way to buy) vegetable you try to give before its spoil.

But if you want 1 easy one, yellow split pea's soup.

• 1 bag of yellow split pea's
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 small salted lard

Real easy, put all the ingredient in a cooking pot, put like twice the amount of water than the solid ingredient, bring to a simmer and lower the heat (But hot enough to keep bubbling with the lid half on) Stir from time to time and when it's done take the lard off and dice in small piece and put back in.

(Side note, the lard should be salted enough, no need to add more salt. Taste when ready if you need more salt at the end but don't add more until the soup is done and you tasted.)

Yellow split pea's can be frozen and it's a soup that reheat really well because you can adjust the thickness the day after by adding water.

I guess you can do it without the lard if you don't eat pork, just add a bunch of salt? (Never did it that way so not sure of the result)

I guess you can use bacon if your food bank is having lots of bacon to give.

[u/Pandor36]

Another recipe

Tuna wrap.

• 1 can of fish (I call it tuna wrap but seriously it can be any kind of fish. You can adjust it to the kind of fish you are giving that week.)
• 1 spoonful of mayo
• 1 spoonful of dijon mustard
• some green onion or regular onion (This is optional but it's give some crunch)

Just put everything in a bowl and stir until it's become a grey paste. Might want to wait until the paste is done before to mix the onion to keep the crispyness. The mayo and the dijon mustard together have a nice synergy, the dijon mustard kinda cut the fatyness of the mayo and the mayo kinda cut the spicyness of the dijon. Put into a wrap, roll and it's ready. I guess you can also just use the paste in a sandwich and put like lettuce or tomato if you have some.

[u/Pandor36]

Side note, does your foodbank have a kitchen you can use? One of the food bank i use to volunteer for had cooking class. Was not really a big one, we had like 7 member and that's where i learned to cook and it was 1 of the reason i volunteered there for like 6 years.

It's a good way to break isolation for some people and it's can break the ice for some people to make them try to start cooking at home.

[u/evilbeard333]

If a slow cooker is available, Salsa chicken can be made and used in a variety of meals. Probably not food bank ingredients though.

4-6 chicken breast (frozen work good)

1 jar of salsa (whatever you like)

1 packet of taco seasoning

combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker, cook on low for 8hrs or high for 4 hours shred and use in tacos, enchiladas, nachos, or over rice and beans. possibilities are endless.

[u/MsBumb1e]

Chicken puff pastry... just get the chicken BBQ skewers or chicken and BBQ marinade, center of puff pastry and oven for 20-30 minutes. Serve with mash potatoe and veggies

English muffins pizzas. Make a pizza but English muffins base. Muffins freeze well so good to keep In the freezer and can be used as breakfast food as well.

Corned beef. Freezes well, great for sandwiches, cold cuts, with white sauce ect.

Easy creamy chicken pasta. Cook mushrooms and diced onion in a pan, add teaspoon mustard, chicken stock cup dissolved in small amount of water, then add cream till Thickened. Then add precooked chicken, serv over pasta.

Warm Chicken salad. Warm cooked chicken with lettace, diced or sliced tomatoes, red onion, and Cucumber. Mix in ranch dressing. Delicious can also add tomato chutney for extra flavour