Simple suppers with dorm cooking can be a little tricky. I totally understand – with the time constraints of classes and a job, limited or less healthy options in the dining hall, and access to only a mini fridge and microwave, eating healthy in a dorm can be very challenging. And sometimes you just don’t want to trek to the cafeteria.
The good news is simple suppers can be tricky – but it doesn’t have to be.
With some planning and a workable surface (even the top of your dorm fridge), a cutting board and knife, and space to store a couple of shelf stable items, you can prepare several tasty meals with minimal time and equipment.
Using Only a Microwave and Refrigerator
On the occasions that you eat in the dining hall, learn to think of it as a grocery source also. If it’s allowed, you can pick up extra items from the salad bar to add to food that you prepare in your dorm room.
Potatoes
Baked potato
Packed with nutrients, dress it up with cheese sauce/steamed broccoli or poached egg/cheese or cottage cheese or canned chili or bacon bits/diced tomatoes. Give it your own spin.
Baked sweet potato
You can also take these any direction you want — Thai inspired, Southwest inspired, Greek inspired, Thanksgiving inspired, you name it. So versatile!
Beans:
Warm a can of Creole red beans. Serve over microwavable instant brown or white rice. Top with cheddar cheese, corn chips, and diced tomatoes. This is good with several different varieties of beans, but the Creole just might be my favorite.
Spoon rinsed, drained, warmed canned beans onto tortillas or over tortilla chips.
It never gets old. Try black or pinto beans with cheese, and fresh pico de gallo.
Eggs:
A beautifully poached egg elevates any meal. And all that protein makes it more satisfying.
Try a scrambled egg sandwich with mayo and sliced tomato.
Add some snipped chives or avocado slices to really take it over the top.
Or wrap a poached egg in a warm tortilla with cheese and maybe a tablespoon or two of refried beans and salsa.
Or add chopped fresh vegetables (red peppers, cucumber, diced tomatoes, for example) to a bagged salad and top with a well done poached egg.
Meat:
Chicken or tuna salad
A quick and easy meal, served with crackers or on bread or wrapped in a tortilla or pita. It’s portable too and pairs nicely with fresh fruit or vegetables. Rotisserie chicken works for this, as does canned chicken or the foil packs that are sold near the canned tuna.
Pasta salad
If you’ve mastered cooking pasta in your microwave, chicken or tuna or white beans or diced boiled eggs work well in pasta salads. If kept cold, pasta salad makes a great lunch on the go also.
Hot Cereal:
Add chopped deli ham or scrambled eggs to cooked instant grits or rice.
Top with shredded cheese and diced tomatoes. Great with sliced red peppers or fruit on the side. (Clean up tip: rinse your dishes really well immediately after using. They will be so much easier to clean, even if you can’t get back to them until later.)
Count em up! There’s (at least) 10 simple suppers you can make from your dorm room with only a microwave and a refrigerator!
Need dorm friendly menus?
I’ll walk you through some more dorm room friendly menus just by adding a small crock pot and a toaster oven. This will allow you to greatly expand the things you can prepare. Access to a hot plate adds a whole new dimension to your possibilities.
And if you’re a smoothie fan, a wand blender will come in handy. (Check the rules for your dorm for all of these items though. You don’t want to be creating a safety hazard.)
You’ve got this!
Taking thought and care to nourishing yourself well pays big dividends.
