Moving into an apartment for the first time is an exciting step in “adulting.” With the fun of independence also comes new responsibilities like cooking for yourself. My son has been cooking for himself for over 2 years. I asked him to share some of his favorite College Apartment Recipes. The Simple Salmon for one is a Healthy College Apartment Recipe. It is also easy. The others are Easy Meals to Make in a College Apartment.
For more College Apartment posts:
College Apartment Kitchen Ideas– Ideas from my daughter's new apartment
New Apartment Checklist – FREE Printable checklist of everything you need to set up your first apartment
First Apartment Care Package – A care package for the kitchen with more college apartment recipes
New Apartment Care Package – A care package with cleaning supplies and a printable cleaning checklist
College Apartment Recipes
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, please see the disclosure in the footbar.
Read on for Zane's Easy College Apartment Recipes!
Healthy College Apartment Recipe: Simple Salmon for One
Simple Salmon for One
Buy a bag of frozen salmon at the store to keep in your freezer. You can cook one filet at a time for a healthy and tasty protein.
CourseMain Course
CuisineAmerican
Servings 1
Author Zane
Ingredients
- 1Salmon filet
- 1Tbspolive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Thaw salmon filet.
Heat 1 T olive oil in pan and heat on medium-high heat.
Season salmon with salt and pepper.
Cook salmon in pan. Make sure to push it around a bit while it is cooking, so it does not get stuck to the pan. Flip when you can see on the side that it's cooked about halfway through and take it off when it is done.
College Apartment Recipe: Chicken Breasts
Eat All Week Seasoned Chicken Breasts
CourseMain Course
CuisineAmerican
Servings 1
Author Zane
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts
- Seasonings of choice
Instructions
Put aluminum foil on a cookie sheet.
Put all of the chicken breasts on the sheet. (Tip: If the breasts are super thick, cut them in half to make them thinner. They will cook faster and be more tender.)
Season chicken breasts however you would like - salt and pepper, barbecue sauce, fajita seasoning, etc. You can even cook different seasoned ones all at once.
Cook in oven. I find that about 20 minutes at 375 usually works, but keep an eye on them, and check to make sure they are done - not pink in the middle. (Tip from Zane's mom: The safe internal temperature for chicken in 165 degrees. You can buy an instant-read thermometer to check.)
Eat one of the breasts for your meal and save the rest to eat later.
College Apartment Recipe: Chicken Quesadilla
Chicken Quesadillas for One
CourseMain Course
CuisineMexican
Ingredients
- Seasoned Chicken
- Olive oil
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortilla
Instructions
Heat a tiny bit of olive oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat.
Put tortilla on pan. It should sizzle just a bit. If it sizzles like crazy, the pan is too hot. If it doesn't sizzle, everything will still be fine, but you won't get a good crunchy outside.
Quickly put shredded cheese and chicken on the tortilla.
If you want any other ingredients in your quesadilla, add them now.
When you see the first indications that the cheese is melting, fold the tortilla in half and press down so the sides stick to each other properly.
Flip back and forth a few times until the outer shell starts to get a bit of a crunch. Be careful: if you let it cook too long, it will burn.
College Apartment Recipe: Chicken Fajitas
Fajita Chicken for One
CourseMain Course
CuisineMexican
Servings 1
Author Zane
Ingredients
- Stir fry cut chicken or chicken tenders
- Olive oil
- Fajita seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Put chicken in a plastic bag with olive oil, salt and pepper, and fajita seasoning.
Let marinate in fridge for about 30 minutes.
Cook chicken on the stove on medium-high heat.
Eat with tortillas. Add any other toppings you would like - shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, etc.
College Apartment Recipe: Pasta
Basic Pasta for One
CourseMain Course
CuisineItalian
Servings 1
Author Zane
Ingredients
- pasta
- pasta sauce
Instructions
Boil pasta in sauce pan as instructed on pasta package.
Strain pasta.
If you want to put meat in your pasta, reheat some pre-cooked meat (like some seasoned chicken).
Put the pasta, the sauce, and the meat all in the saucepan and cook on very low until it is all warm and ready to eat.
Recipe Notes
Buy prepared sauce at the store. No reason for a busy college student to waste time making your own!
This recipe works for with any combination of pastas and sauces. You can freeze the sauce you do not need and save for another meal.
Learning to cook in your new apartment should be fun! Don't overcomplicate things. Start with the basics and then get fancier if you have the time and desire. These College Apartment Recipes are a good place to start.
← Prev: 10 College Parents Weekend IdeasNext: 10 College Application Tips →
More From Almost Empty Nest:
7 Best Holiday Planners
7 Best Holiday Planners Start your engines. It's list making season. Gift lists. Meal lists. Grocery lists. Budget...
read more
3 Reasons We Should Pray for Our Kids
3 Reasons We Should Pray for Our Kids I first met Tara Cole in a writer's group. Since our time in the group she has...
read more
How to Find an Internship
How to Find an Internship As a mom to three kids who have searched for internships, I know how challenging it can be....
read more
