When
I lived in dorms, one thing that was consistently inconsistent was the quality
of dining hall faire. Sometimes it was good, sometimes not. Sometimes it was hot, other times it was
cold. Sometimes it was undercooked, and
at times it was… you get the idea. And sometimes you just don’t want what
the dining hall has. Here are a couple of tried and true dorm dining delights that can be made with minimal expertise and cash.
When I was in the cramped comfort of my dorm room, I frequently made a dish I call “Spaghetto,” also called “R&R;,” because it is simply Ramen and Ragu.
What you’ll need:
One package of Ramen
One jar of spaghetti sauce
Shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions:
In a sauce pan, boil the noodles on a medium-high temperature until they begin to separate. Do not use the seasoning pack that comes with the noodles; save it for the next recipe. Drain the water and return the noodles to the saucepan. Add the jar of spaghetti sauce, stirring frequently, until the noodles are completely separated and the sauce is bubbling consistently. Remove from heat and add a handful of cheese. Stir the cheese into the Spaghetto until it has melted completely and is evenly distributed throughout. Serve and eat.
I highly recommend using cheese even though it’s optional and is an additional cost. It adds flavor and texture to the meal and can help increase the number of servings. This way, you can either share your food or have an additional meal for a later time. The total cost for this is about $2 without cheese and around $4 with pre-shredded cheese (block cheese that you shred yourself is much cheaper). The last thing you should know about Spaghetto is that it keeps for a pretty good length of time in your fridge. So even if you don’t share, you don’t have to be in a rush to eat it before it goes bad.
The next recipe is also an easy, fast and cheap version of a meal time staple: chicken soup.
What you’ll need:
One seasoning pack left over from Spaghetto
One small package of frozen vegetables
One boneless chicken breast, tenderloin or thigh
Instructions:
Fill a sauce pan about three-quarters full of water and add the seasoning pack. On a low/medium temperature, heat the water just enough for the contents of the seasoning packet to dissolve, stirring occasionally. Once the seasoning is completely dissolved, add the frozen vegetables and chicken. Increase the temperature to a medium/high setting until the water comes to a rolling boil. Decrease the temperature to medium, cover the sauce pan and let it cook until the chicken is done. Serve and eat. The cost for this is about $3.
With this meal, I prefer to use a chicken thigh over a breast because thighs are cheaper than breasts, and also because thighs are naturally more fatty than breasts which increases the flavor of the broth during the cooking process. Note that if you get thighs with skin on them, you must remove the skin before cooking; otherwise, too much fat will get in your soup and the texture will be greasy (making your lips feel like you’ve just applied poultry flavored ChapStick). Additionally, you can substitute any meat of your preference for chicken.
One final piece of advice on campus cooking: Don’t be afraid to experiment! You’ll be amazed by what you can do with just a few simple herbs and spices. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cayenne pepper and Frank’s Red Hot are staples in my cupboard because of their versatility. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, try out basil, oregano, ground ginger root and fruit juices. Just toss a few things together and see what happens.
And don’t ever worry about finding test subjects for your culinary experiments–in a college dorm you’ll have plenty of volunteers.
