When you’re living on your own for the first time and cooking for yourself, you quickly realize that instant ramen isn’t going to cut it. You’ll need fuel to go through a day of studying, going to class, working, and so on.
This article contains easy recipes for college students; they are inexpensive and simple to prepare, with few materials and no fancy culinary techniques. However, they’re still tasty and healthful selections that you’ll want to consume.
Below are 30 easy meals for college students, whether you’re a college student yourself or know some recent graduate, these recipes will help!
What Makes a Recipe good for College students?
To determine a good recipe that is easy, the recipes must be:
- Simple- not many ingredients, no fancy equipment, and a simple preparation method.
- Have a balance between comfort and healthy
- Needs to make good leftovers
30 Easy Recipes For College Students
To help you cook on a budget, I’ve grouped the recipes into different types (four types):
- Easy Dinners
- Snack Foods
- Make Ahead meals
Easy Dinners
1. Chickpeas with Spinach in a Curried Sauce
Recipe: $4.68 / Serving: $1.17
Warm yourself with a hot bowl of these hearty curried chickpeas with spinach as the fall nights start to grow cool. This vegan cuisine is flavorful and satisfying, bringing vegetarians and carnivores together for the first time in one dinner.
2. Dragon Noodles with Pork and Peanuts
Recipe: $3.75 / Serving: $1.25
Try this very simple noodle stir-fry the next time you’re tempted to order takeout. You’ll be able to satisfy your takeout desires while maintaining complete control over the ingredients. To complete the dish, serve it with some simply boiled greens.
3. Pesto Macaroni with Spinach in a Creamy Pesto Sauce
Recipe: $3.27 / Serving: $0.55
This Creamy Pesto Mac & Cheese with Spinach is the ultimate comfort meal WITH a dose of vegetables, thanks to a simple creamy sauce flavored with basil pesto!
Along with your cheesy comfort meal, get your daily dosage of vegetables. The best part is that the recipe uses frozen spinach, so you can prepare it whenever you want without worrying about it going bad in the back of your fridge.
4. Stir-fried beef and cabbage
Recipe: $7.14 / Serving: $1.79
This quick and easy Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry is a substantial low-carb dinner with plenty of flavor and personalization options.
This dinner comes together quickly and easily with a bag of coleslaw mix. Better still, it’s high in fiber and protein, so it’ll help you avoid the freshman. If you like, you can substitute ground pork, turkey, or chicken for the beef.
5. Broccoli and Bowties
Recipe: $3.46 / Serving: $0.58
For decades, this has been my go-to “emergency supper.” Literally. Nothing beats pasta with a little butter and Parmesan, and I balance it up with broccoli florets, with a little of pepper and red pepper flakes for good measure.
It’s ridiculously simple, and all of the components can be kept on hand for a long time, so it’s ready to go whenever you need something quick.
6. Burrito Bowls for the Poor
Recipe: $7.07 / $1.18 Serving
These no-frills burrito bowls are quick and easy to make. They’re the perfect filling weeknight supper when you’re on a budget!
Burrito bowls are legendary, but they don’t have to be fancy to be delicious and filling. This is my stripped-down, no-frills, as-simple-as-it-gets burrito bowl because nobody has time or money for all those expensive toppings when they’re in college!
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7. Melts of pizza
EACH COST $1.11
To satisfy your pizza hunger, try a simple Pizza Melt instead of buying takeout. You’ll receive all the pizza flavors for a fraction of the price, and the portion size is perfect for a single serving.
8. Pesto chicken and vegetables are simple to prepare
Recipe: $11.07 / Serving: $2.72
This meal prep for Easy Pesto Chicken and Vegetables is quick and easy, plus it keeps nicely in the fridge for wonderful lunches all week!
This recipe is very easy to make, healthful, and full, and it only requires a few simple ingredients. Plus, the leftovers keep well, making it ideal for weekly meal prep!
9. Noodles with a Dragon
Recipe: $2.04 / Serving: $1.04
These sweet, tangy, and spicy Dragon Noodles are quick to make and will satisfy your take-out cravings.
They’re quicker than takeout, taste great, and are entirely customizable. Add any vegetables you have on hand, or try experimenting with the sauce by adding a little peanut butter or lime.
10. Ramen with Vegan Creamy Mushrooms
EACH SERVING COSTS $2.75
This amazingly easy Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen is a rich and savory 15-minute supper with only a few ingredients!
To make this extremely creamy and delicious ramen, all you need is 15 minutes and a few leftover vegetables from your fridge.
11. Kielbasa Potatoes and Green Beans on a Sheet Pan
Recipe: $9.47 / $2.37 Serving
Only six simple ingredients and minimum chopping are required for this dish. It’s really filling and has a surprising amount of flavor. This recipe will become a go-to meal for you throughout your college years and beyond!
Foods For Snacking
12. Lunch Box with Peanut Butter
Recipe: $4.57 / Serving: $1.14
This no-cook peanut butter lunch box is perfect for school, work, picnics, or road trips! There’s no need to reheat!
Pack a handful of these snack packs for between-class snacks or a quick dinner between work and school.
13. Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas
Recipe: $4.70 / $0.47 Serving
These satisfying, tasty, and freezer-friendly Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas are an excellent vegetarian snack or light supper!
Quesadillas are a delicious snack. This spicy vegetarian blend of black beans, corn, onion, and cheese is a million times better than anything you’ll find at a drive-through. More flavor, fiber, and fullness while remaining super simple.
Read Also: 30 Budget Tips for College Students
14. Grilled Spinach Feta Cheese
Recipe: $3.40 / Serving: $1.70
With garlic, red pepper, and two pieces of cheese, this Spinach Feta Grilled Cheese will take your grilled cheese game to the next level!
The ultimate study/comfort food is grilled cheese. Add some frozen spinach, garlic, red pepper flakes, and feta to take it to the next level.
15. Pizzadillas
Recipe: $9.22 / Serving: $1.54
All of the cheesy pizza toppings crammed into a quick, simple, and crispy quesadilla. It’s ideal for dipping in pizza sauce.
Pizzadillas is a quick and easy solution if you don’t have the time or energy to cook a handmade pizza. They’re also probably a little healthier because they don’t have that thick buttery crust. For the victory, there is no shipping fee!!
16. Recipe for the cheeseback lunch box
Recipe: $7.45 / $1.86 Serving
This simple no-cook lunch option is ideal for cheese lovers everywhere! The Cheese Board Lunch Box turns savory nibbles into a meal.
You may miss the launchable your mother used to prepare for your lunch, but now that you’re an adult, let’s do it the grown-up way! A simple meal of crackers, cheese, meat, and fruit is something that no one would refuse.
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17. Pizza Roll-ups
Recipe: $3.71 / $0.93 Serving
Don’t rely on frozen pizza rolls! On busy days, these Pizza Roll-Ups are the ideal last-minute appetizer or luxurious snack!
Alternatively, make your pizza into a roll. It’s still a lot less expensive than ordering delivery, and it’s still a lot faster and easier than baking traditional pizza. These are also fantastic for football gatherings!
18. Oven-Baked Steak Fries
Recipe: $0.94/ $0.47 Serving
These oven-baked steak fries are exceptionally crispy and thick-sliced, and are seasoned to perfection with steak spice for maximum flavor in every bite!
It doesn’t get much simpler than this. These thick-cut beef fries are perfectly crisp and ideal for dipping in your favorite sauce.
19. Mini Pizzas in the Freezer
Recipe: $4.31 / $1.17 Serving
Freezer Ready Mini Pizzas are a convenient and economical snack to keep on hand. In comparison to frozen pizza, this is a handcrafted and healthier option.
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20. Garlic Bread from the Freezer
Recipe: $0.25 SLICE / $3.02
Make your own frozen garlic bread pieces that you can bake whenever you want. Bake two or ten frozen slices at a time, and they’ll be done in no time!
Put the frozen garlic bread box down! Making your own is simply too simple and inexpensive! Keep these garlic bread slices frozen and ready to eat whenever you have a need. They also provide a delicious grilled cheese sandwich.
Meals to prepare in advance
21. Stir-fried ground turkey
Recipe: $7.41 / $1.48
This delicious and flexible Ground Turkey Stir Fry is perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Make it your own by experimenting with the provided options.
This quick stir fry was created with meal planning in mind! You can add as many or as few veggies as you like, and serve it over rice, noodles, or without any carbohydrates. It’s extremely adaptable!
22. Crab Bowl with Cottage Cheese
Recipe: $1.21 each.
This light, fresh, and hearty Cottage Cheese Crab Bowl is ideal for a summer meal. It also makes a great meal prep, so bring a few to work for lunch!
A stack of two halves of a Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad sandwich on wheat bread is grabbed by a hand.
23. Chickpea Salad with Scallions and Herbs
Recipe: $2.46 / $1.23 Serving
This creamy chickpea salad may be eaten as a sandwich or wrap, scooped up with crackers, or as a salad topper, so you can eat it in a variety of ways every day of the week!
24. Overnight Oats with No Sugar Added Apple Pie
No Sugar Added Apple Pie Overnight Oats are a quick, healthy, and tasty breakfast that may be eaten hot or cold.
Another fantastic make-ahead breakfast dish that can simply be veganized by using almond or soy milk. You won’t believe how much this tastes like apple pie, despite the fact that it contains no added sugar!!
25. Breakfast quesadillas with stacked sausage and eggs
RECIPE: $5.02 / $0.84 EACH
Breakfast quesadillas with sausage and eggs are a quick and hearty breakfast option that can also be frozen for later use.
These breakfast quesadillas are ideal for busy mornings since they can be made ahead of time! Keep a batch in the freezer to reheat in the morning in a skillet.
26. Lunch box with tuna salad
Recipe: $7.68 / Serving: $1.92
This tuna salad lunch box is a simple make-ahead lunch option that’s packed with vegetables and protein to keep you satisfied.
27. Lunch Box with Hummus
Recipe: $8.04 / Serving: $2.01
This Hummus Lunch Box is a must-have for a cold lunch. This is the quickest and easiest no-cook lunch around, requiring absolutely little preparation.
They’re ideal for a quick lunch or a light study snack in the afternoon. They’re also adaptable, so be sure to click through to see all of the different ingredient options!
28. The Most Simple Burrito Bowl Recipe
Recipe: $9.05 / Serving: $2.26
The Easiest Burrito Bowl Meal Prep takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare with minimal cooking, chopping, and no side dishes. Lunch may be simple and delicious!
29. Salad with tuna and white beans
Recipe: $2.21 / Serving: $0.74
Mayo isn’t used in this tuna and white bean salad, but it’s packed with flavor. This tuna and white bean salad are free of mayonnaise yet packed with flavor. This salad can be made in minutes and will satisfy both your appetite and your taste buds.
30. Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Recipe: – $7.89 / $1.32 Serving
This Mediterranean Tuna Salad is a simple, fresh, and substantial protein-packed make-ahead lunch for your workweek.
This light, fresh, protein-packed salad is a quick no-cook choice for a busy week or when the weather begins to heat up outside. There’s no need to reheat!