Living off-campus for the first time, especially during midterm season, can be quite a challenge. Having to navigate this next step of adult life can be overwhelming: cooking, paying bills, balancing school and work, getting places without a car, etc.
To help my fellow college students out, I’ve compiled six of my favorite recipes I made my first semester living off-campus. All meals and snacks are affordable and can be made using ingredients from nearby stores (Target, Trader Joe’s, Wheatsville, etc.).
Without further ado, here are my six all-time favorite recipes:
1) Fried Rice
One thing I’m super guilty of is shelling out tons of cash to cover impulsive 2 am Favor deliveries. This super easy recipe has helped me cut back on spending and tastes even better because it’s fresh. It also makes for great leftovers.
2) Pizza Bagels
I was practically raised on Totino’s frozen pizza bagels and for that reason, as an adult and person with a more sophisticated palate than I was back then, good pizza bagels are considered a delicacy. After years of trial and error, I’ve developed the perfect pizza bagel recipe.
For a more gourmet experience, I recommend trying out more adventurous toppings. As of late, my favorite pizza bagel is a sliced Dave’s Everything Bagel with olive oil instead of a marinara-base topped with an Italian shredded cheese blend, goat cheese, arugula, sliced pear, and a honey drizzle.
3) Caesar Salad
In high school, most days, my lunch included a side salad made using HEB’s Cracked Pepper Caesar salad kit. However, now that I live off-campus without a car, getting good, convenient bagged salads is hard since there isn’t an HEB within walking distance. Not to mention, $4 a bag can get pricey quickly. Below, is my recreation of that salad, with a smaller price tag.
4) Tomato Ravioli
If I could eat Trader Joe’s food every day, I would. I am a self-proclaimed Trader Joe’s lover. While I love their ravioli, I find it’s not always filling. I also wish it had more vegetables. That’s why I’ve created a slightly modified version that is more flavorful and allows me to make one bag last for a couple of meals.
5) Tropical Smoothie
Sometimes a girl just wants something light. On those days, I make this smoothie. It’s especially great for morning classes when you typically have to rush out the door, or these days, to your desk. It also makes a great snack. For a more substantial meal, I recommend adding flavorless protein powder and a few handfuls of greens.
6) Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Iced Coffee
This recipe is by far the one I’m most proud of. My best friend Sammie, who I met the first day of sixth grade, highly endorses it if my word’s not convincing enough. Sammie and I both grew up in Austin and once we got licenses, frequented Austin coffee favorites like Jo’s and Mozart’s. However, going multiple times a week wasn’t super budget-friendly. Therefore, over three years I refined my skills to create my own dupe of Jo’s Iced Turbo using easy to find ingredients.
Images, recipes and graphic by Lauren Breach