It may seem impossible to cook a decent meal in the small confines of a dorm, but there are many ways to get creative. It may not be the best way to eat every meal, but it gets the job done occasionally. There are so many meals that can be made in the microwave! Plus many small appliances are easy to keep in your room without taking up too much space.
Since dorms can be small, it's a good idea to split appliances with your roommate(s). There's no need to have multiples of everything, plus sharing brings the cost down for each of you. Here are some things that everyone should consider buying before college:
Every dorm NEEDS a mini fridge. I promise this is a life safer to have. Having that little bit of freezer room can go a long way as well. Being able to store food in a temperature controlled environment will allow you to widen the variety of snacks, and keep them fresh longer.
The microwave. No one likes to eat every kind of leftover cold. Plus I'm going to give some awesome recipes of things that can be cooked in here.
A coffee maker/ Keurig will save you a lot of money in the long run if you're an avid coffee drinker. Getting up for those early classes can be tough, but having a fresh cup of coffee waiting for you in your room makes it a little better. It is also cheaper to make coffee at home, instead of spending $5 on Starbucks every morning.
A nutribullet will give you the freedom to make fresh smoothies and milkshakes with easy. This is a great snack to bring with you to class, and helps you get your daily dosage of fruit and calcium.
There are so many foods that I never thought about keeping in my dorm because I didn't realize I could make anything with them. This caused me to always see what the dining hall had to offer. There was nothing I missed more than being able to whip up something yummy for myself. I'm going to present three different recipes you might never think of, but are super simple even in the smallest of spaces.
Smoothie:
frozen mango chunks
frozen strawberries
frozen banana
milk
orange juice
plain Greek yogurt
spinach
1. For every part fruit, add about 1/4 to 1/2 part of liquid.
2. Blend everything together, adjusting ingredients to get desired taste.
3. Pour into a travel mug to take any where!
Omelette in a Mug:
2 to 3 eggs
1 Tbsp of meat, diced (ham, sausage, or any other favorites)
1 Tbsp of salsa
1 Tbsp shredded cheese
olive oil, cooking spray, or butter
salt and pepper
Coat your mug with olive oil or cooking spray.
Add eggs to mug and whisk together with a fork.
Add diced meat, salsa, cheese, salt and pepper.
Whisk till all ingredients are completely mixed together.
Microwave on high for one minute.
Stir and break up any large chunks of egg.
Cook for another 45 to 60 seconds or until eggs are set.
Top with a bit more cheese, and add salt and pepper to taste
Nutella Brownie:
1/4 cup of Nutella
1 large egg
2 tablespoons of flour
1. Crack the egg into the mug, add the Nutella and flour and mix into a batter.
2. Microwave for 45-60 seconds, make sure the top of the brownie is firm.
3. Set aside to cool for a minute, serve with ice cream!
All of these recipes are simple, and don't require much. The best part is it only takes a matter of minutes to whip it up! All can be changed based on your own preferences, so great creative! And remember to always watch your food as it's cooking, some microwaves are more powerful than others, so cooking times may vary. Do your best to not let anything explode and make a mess.
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