How can a college student be able to cook affordable and simple (yet tasty) meals?
Posted by admin on 1 Jul 2008 3:18 pm. Filed under Cooking & Recipes.
sociguru asked:
It seems that I can make the meal affordable and simple, but it’ll lack taste. However, I think that there has to be a way to make something cheap, easy, and tasty at the same time. I’m just not in on the secrets because I’m an inexperienced cook. Could spices be the key? Techniques? A comination of both?
It seems that I can make the meal affordable and simple, but it’ll lack taste. However, I think that there has to be a way to make something cheap, easy, and tasty at the same time. I’m just not in on the secrets because I’m an inexperienced cook. Could spices be the key? Techniques? A comination of both?
Please, help me! Eating at fast food and/or “college” food is unhealthy.
On July 4th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Essential, hot plate, microwave, pot & pan & skillet, salt, pepper, onion salt, garlic salt, grill seasoning, butter and the internet.
On July 5th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
just buy those stuff you get in packets
On July 6th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I suggest pasta! You can purchase it for less than a dollar a box, choose your sauces, and add meats or vegetables. There are so many combinations, and I’ve never tasted bad pasta in my entire life. lol
There are several websites for recipes, and pasta recipes are very easy to find, and make!
On July 9th, 2008 at 7:39 am
spices are key in making an “eh ok” dish into something yummy…Yes techniques are also a part of it. Practice/expierence is key in cooking. I loove salads..Fresh veggies are relatively cheap. websites like allrecipes.com have great recipes, and also have user comments which I looove! also kraftfoods.com. Oh…Oh the Food Network, Cooking with Robin Miller. (I think that is the show..you can find it out on the foodnetwork.com website. Learning what generics taste good also helps in cooking. (generic sugar,flour, oil {if you are cooking with it..not olive oil!!}, some soups) really it is all on your tastes as well. I also think that making things homemade instead of out of a box or precooked/frozen helps as well. (Health wise!) Hope this helps.
On July 9th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
omg! go to the grocery store and go down the isle of boxes and get any of the “helpers” hamburger helper,tuna helper..
or just mac n cheese and perfect it with little of spices or maybe add some tuna or mixed veggies to it and its all good,dinner is served. that is just one idea…or look online for easy online cheap recipes and I know for a fact that the family circle magazine offers quick & easy recipe ideas…
Hope this was some help to you, good luck..
On July 11th, 2008 at 1:11 am
check out allrecipes.com and recipegoldmine and pillsbury and kraft websites for recipes
good luck
On July 14th, 2008 at 6:53 am
A slow cooker is a really easy.
Chicken, vegetables, spices, leave in slow cooker when you leave for class. When you get home, its all done.
On July 14th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
THIS IS WHAT I SPECIALIZE IN…..PENNY PINCHING ON A COLLEGE BUDGET TRYING TO EAT HEALTHY
***shop at BIG LOTS or Wal Mart and buy Great Value brand
***always compare using the dollar/weight ratio on the sticker prices at Wal Mart
***stay away from milk and cereal, its WAY too expensive for the quality of meal it is.
***YOU GOTTA COMMIT TO STOP EATING OUT, take out a 20 dollar bill at the beginning of the month and say I’m only gonna eat out this 20 dollars worth, when its gone, no more burger and fries w/ water. keep that money in its own bag and leave it at the house unless you think you might have to use it for lunch out one day. Then just eat enough to get you back to the house for dinner.
*** YOU CAN NOT BE LAZY i will repeat….its important…YOU CAN NOT BE LAZY….. your gonna have to cook and clean dishes….I struggled at first, now theres not a better way to live life!!!
1. Boxed Stuff
2. Cheap Filler Uppers
3. Pastas
4. Frozen Vegtables
5. Canned Foods
6. Meats
7. Frozen Dinners
1. All prepackaged boxed stuff (Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, Chicken Helper…Zatarans - jumbalaya or red beans and rice is my favorite and its the tastiest of them all…add smoked sausage for $2.00 and its SUPER good….add extra can of red beans makes more (add extra beans in the last 10 minutes to prevent them getting soggy) )
2. Eggs, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter / Jelly, (all are filling VERY CHEAP and good for you)
3. Get a BIG bag of the spiral looking pasta noodles. Cook whole bag…. mix 2 cans of tuna…..frozen peas (cook them in microwave first) and then mix white fettucini alfredo sauce….ITS BANGIN, thats 3 meals for under $4.50
Also Speghetti - biggest box of noodles + Big thing of Great Value sauce….$3.00 meal add hamburger meat $5.00 meal makes atleast 3 servings.
4. FROZEN VEGTABLES & CANNED VEGGIES (cheap and good for you)
5. Canned soup. Chunky Cambells soup. essentially its a meal for 1.89 Big Lots 1.50 even better Any of the big canned soup or chili or chicken in dumplings All Cheap good for you and its a meal for under 2 bucks
6. Buy the Great Value brand bags of frozen chicken breasts
Buy the 1lb rolls of ground beef. For sandwich meats…get the Great Value big bags of meat. (the ones with the lowest cents / ounce ratio. Wal Mart lists all those on the price sticker)
7. Frozen Dinners the Michalenes Brand I think it is. Its the one that is like .98 cents. They have all kinds of different ones. You can stock up on those, 2 of them usually hold me off for a meal. OR If you have one of them and mac and cheese your set for 2 nights.
On July 16th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Well alll you need to cook good meals is a microwave and a hot plate.Since pasta is hard to cook on a hot plat heres how to make it in a microwave.
Pour water into a bowl.Heat it in the microwave until it boils.Add pasta and return it to the microwave for 2 minutes less than suggested stovetop time.Check it.Put it in for longer if it needs more time.Make sure you tast it though.
TIP-Buy a slotted spoon so youll never need a strainer
Heres a yummy topping for the pasta This will be just enough for yourself with 1 cup dry pasta added to bowl.Note if oyu prefer whole wheat it still taste great
What you need
a small skillet
1 knife
1 tomatoe
1 clove garlic
1 pinch salt
1 tablespon olive oil
1 hotplate or stove
Heat pan on medium heat.Dice tomatoes.Add olive oil and wait until olive oil is heated.Add 1 clove minced garlic to the olive oil.Next add the diced tomatoes and salt.Cook until tomatoes are tender and juices have ran out.toss with pasta and enjoy
This is a llighter version of tomatoe sauce
On July 16th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I just recently found this book “How to boil water” by the Food Network. I wish I would have had it when I was learning! Its quite simply the best book on how to learn everything you need to know. I recently bought it for my little sister who just got her first apartment. I know its not cheap ($16 on Amazon for a new copy, but they have “used and new” ones for less!) but if you want to learn, this is the book to do it with.
Buy from the bulk/raw bins. You can buy all sorts of pasta, mixes, spices, etc. out of the bins for so much cheaper. Also use coupons!! Go to and check it weekly. Sometimes theres good deals you can use, sometimes there isn’t. Clip them from the sunday paper also, its such an easy way to save money and so many people don’t take advantage of it.
If you’re inexperienced you’re going to have a lot of trial and error, but thats half the fun of learning. You have to get a feel for what tastes good with what. Buy a premixed spice (I recommend Emeril’s line, they’re worth the price you pay and it says on the back what to use them on). Garlic is also a wonderful thing to use (if you don’t like it then forget I recommended it). Garlic can be universally used to add some flavor (and you can buy the jarred stuff for a few dollars and just refrigerate it), same with lemon juice, its an easy way to add zest to chicken and fish.
I have been in your shoes, trust me! The book I recommended will undoubtedly help you. Once you have the extra money in your budget try “Taste of Home” magazines, I have never tried a recipe in their magazine that I haven’t liked!
Happy cooking