It’s that time of year again where students are enjoying their last lazy, heady days of summer and gearing up to get back to uni for more work and play. Get back to uni prepared with these easy recipes for students.
Of course, all the study, sports, and societies (and maybe the occasional night out or two thrown in for good measure) can work up a serious appetite. However, with limited cooking facilities and strict budgets, time-poor students are often looking for something hearty, nutritious and filling to keep them going, made with ingredients that won’t break the bank.
So with that in mind, we’ve created our top five, delicious, quick, inexpensive, easy recipes for students that will keep those energy levels up when you need them most.
5 Easy Recipes For Students To Follow This Year
1. Mouthwatering Chilli Recipe
Chilli is a real crowd-pleaser, and it’s one of many easy recipes for students as it’s easy to whip up big batches in no time at all and freeze portions for later too. You can dress it up with delicious extras such as guacamole and sour cream or just have it as is. Serve with rice for a well-balanced dinner, a jacket potato for a quick and filling lunch, or crunchy nachos when you need some serious comfort food.
Ingredients:
1 500g lean beef mince
2 onions, finely chopped
1 red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp hot chilli powder
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 beef stock cube
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can kidney beans (drained)
Method:
1. Place the vegetable oil in a large, good quality cooking pot.
2. Fry the mince until brown and then add the chopped onions and peppers and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add all the spices, and tomato puree and turn the heat down and cook for two more minutes.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and kidney beans and then crumble in the beef stock along with half a cup of water.
5. Add a lid and simmer for 20-30 minutes, making sure the liquid doesn’t evaporate.
6. Serve with your choice of side and a sprinkle of grated cheese!
2. Simple Sausage & Mash Recipe
Classic sausage and mash is a student no-brainer as it requires minimal effort, and is fairly difficult to get wrong. If you can, try to splash out on some higher quality sausages – your taste buds will thank you for it.
Ingredients:
6-8 pack good quality sausages
900g starchy, floury potatoes (halved)
1 bag of frozen peas
1 onion, sliced
gravy granules
cheddar cheese
butter
Apple sauce
Method:
1. Add the sliced onion with a tablespoon of cooking oil to a frying pan and cook until lightly browned, then remove and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, bring water to the boil then add the potatoes (give them a quick rinse first but keep the skins on).
3. Using the same frying pan, add your sausages and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally.
4. When the potatoes are soft, remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan
5. Using a separate pan, bring water to the boil and cook the peas
6. Mash the potatoes with butter and a bowlful of grated cheese
7. In a jug make the gravy according to the instructions and then add the cooked onions
8. Serve with a dollop of apple sauce!
3. Classic Lasagne Recipe
If you want something filling and tasty, then a classic lasagne will do the job, and it’s easy to portion up and freeze any leftovers too. Just one of the classic, key easy recipes for students!
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
450g beef mince
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp mixed dried herbs
1 tbs tomato puree
Lasagne Sheets
Cheddar cheese
Jar of White sauce
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180℃.
2. In a cast-iron frying pan, fry the onions in 1 tbsp of olive oil until soft.
3. Add the mince and keep cooking until it is fully browned.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, and mixed herbs and stir everything together
5. Cook the mixture for 15 minutes on low heat, stirring continuously
6. In an ovenproof dish add a thin layer of your mince mixture. Cover this with lasagne sheets, then add a layer of white sauce. Repeat the layering process until you have no more mince left, ensuring the top is just a layer of lasagne sheet and white sauce. Then generously sprinkle grated cheese over the top layer.
7. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes and serve with salad or peas and garlic bread.
4. Sensational Smoked Mackerel & Leek Hash with Horseradish Recipe
This recipe sounds a little unusual, but it actually requires very few ingredients and can be made just using one pot so saves on washing up too. Fish has great brain-boosting powers while eggs are an excellent source of protein which will keep you feeling full of energy.
Ingredients
250g new potatoes, halved
2 tbsp oil
2 large leeks, sliced thinly
4 eggs
100g peppered smoked mackerel, skin removed
2 tbsp creamed horseradish
Method
1. Put the potatoes in a microwaveable bowl and add a dash of water, cover, then cook on high for 5 mins until tender. If you don’t have a microwave, you can just boil them.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the leeks with a twist of salt and pepper and cook for around 10 mins, until they are soft. Add the potatoes, turn up the heat, and fry for a couple of minutes to crisp them up. Add the mackerel, breaking the fish up into flakes with a fork.
3. Make four spaces in the pan to crack the eggs into, season and cover and keep cooking for a further 5 minutes, making sure the egg whites are thoroughly cooked but the yolks remain runny.
4. Serve with the horseradish on the side.
5. Tasty Jambalaya Recipe
Jambalaya is an impressive dish, and although it requires a bit of prep, it’s really a case of bunging all the ingredients into a pan after that, so there’s little timing or effort involved. If you have friends round, this is an excellent choice as an easy recipe for students and it won’t take up much time. It’s another handy one-pot recipe too!
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped
200g cooking chorizo, thickly sliced
2 onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
2 celery sticks, chopped
Use 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp mustard powder
pinch of white pepper
300g long-grain rice
400g can cherry tomatoes
300ml chicken stock
12 large raw tiger prawns (whole in their shells)
12 mussels (optional)
½ small pack parsley, chopped
lemon wedges to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based flameproof casserole dish on medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook until they start to brown then add the chorizo and cook for another 4-5 minutes before removing all the meat and setting aside.
3. Using the same pan, add the onions, garlic, peppers, celery, and all the spices. Cook for about 5 minutes and then return the meat to the pan.
4. Next stir in the rice, then add the tomatoes. Add the stock and mix everything together before bringing to the boil, then cover with a well-fitting lid and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and stir through before adding the prawns and stirring some more. Add the mussels on top of everything (if using) then put the lid back on and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve with chopped fresh parsley and a lemon wedge.
The perfect easy recipes for students
These five recipes are ideal for students who want to avoid the stereotype of pot noodles and instant mash potato without having to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen or half their student loan on ingredients!
By keeping these easy recipes for students in mind you’ll be able to produce quick, flavoursome meals that are sure to satisfy and keep you well fuelled for the challenges of student life!
If you want to create great meals in your student kitchen, it’s essential to invest in some quality cooking equipment to help you. At Dexam, you’ll find everything you need to stock that kitchen with all the essentials necessary to create great meals, any day of the week!