Go-To Recipes for College Students
As a senior in college with limited time and money, Matt and I constantly struggle with deciding on dinner options. Not only are resources limited, but Matt and I have conflicting diets (he is the carnivorous fiend who craves sugar constantly, whereas I am an all or nothing type of girl). Matt is also on the journey to gain weight and muscles, whereas I am perfectly happy hitting up cardio every day of the week. Now that we have reached November and have been living together for three months, we have a few go-to recipes that we make every week that we both love, and I wanted to share them with yinz.
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(Almost) One-Pot Mexican Quinoa
This has easily become our new favorite! It is so easy to make and takes about 20 minutes, not to mention it's delicious and a relatively healthy option!
I usually start by rinsing two cups quinoa in a strainer while grilling up some chicken in a small pan and heating up some olive oil, diced onion, and garlic in a pot on medium-high heat. Once the onion and garlic have browned a little, I throw in two cups of chicken broth (you can also use vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian dish), the washed quinoa, drained cans of black beans, corn, and diced fire-roasted tomatoes. As for spices, we go a little crazy (I love adding so much heat that it burns your taste buds, but some don't, so it's best to go by taste in the spice department) and use cayenne pepper, cumin, and chili powder. For the spice factor, I also add some jalapenos (we use the ones from the jar, but fresh would probably taste even better!). Add some salt, pepper, and top with parsley, lower the heat a bit, and cover. Once it's started to boil, I add the chicken in and stir consistently until the quinoa has been cooked fully. By this point, all of the juices in the pot have been absorbed by the quinoa, so the dish is super moist and delicious and ready to eat! This recipe also typically makes a lot of food, so we like to make this on a Monday night and eat it for lunch throughout the week!
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Creamy Chicken and Rice
This is a dish that comes from my mom, and Matt loves it because it incorporates all the carbs and protein.
It's also incredibly easy to make and doesn't require nearly as many ingredients as the quinoa above. Start by cooking your chicken in a pan (I use a large cast-iron skillet) and seasoning it with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder (I also add red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning, because again, we like the extra kick). Once the chicken has cooked, pour in a can of cream of chicken soup and half a can of water, and stir until it's a smooth consistency. We pour this over a plate of white rice and serve it with a veggie!
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The Best Grilled Cheese You Will Ever Make
See this blog post :)
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xoxo, Madison