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  3. 20 Incredibly Easy Recipes for College Students

20 Incredibly Easy Recipes for College Students

Updated August 18, 2022
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Easy Taco Salad image
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Marianne Williams

Sure, there are always exceptions—but the typical 18-year-old isn't exactly a wiz in the kitchen. College is a time to experiment with food and grow as a cook. Don't waste those precious years on fast food, takeout, and dining hall slop. We've compiled 20 recipes that are so easy, even a college student can tackle them with confidence. And don't worry: Plenty of them can be made in the microwave.

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Easy Taco Salad

Easy Taco Salad image
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Marianne Williams

Easy Taco Salad Recipe

Perfect for hectic weeknights, this easy taco salad recipe is something both kids and adults will love. The beauty of taco salad is that it's entirely customizable to your favorite taco components, so feel free to stray from the recipe to accommodate whatever you're craving and/or the ingredients you already have on hand.

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Make-Ahead Microwave Breakfast Sandwiches

microwave egg sandwiches video hero
Credit: Photo by Gina DiSimone

Make-Ahead Microwave Breakfast Sandwiches Recipe

If your mornings tend to be busy, grabbing an egg sandwich from the corner store or drive-through may be the only way to get a boost of energy before work.

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Microwave Poached Eggs

EC: The Easiest Way to Poach Eggs Is in the Microwave
Credit: Photo by Flickr user Kai Hendry

Microwave Poached Eggs Recipe

Making a poached egg at home is easy thanks to your loyal kitchen friend, the microwave. That's right: You can stop fretting about the size of the pot, the temperature of the water, or the merits of adding a splash of vinegar and just zap that egg instead.

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Cheesecake Crescent Rolls

mr-Cheesecake Crescent Rolls image
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Cheesecake Crescent Rolls Recipe

For holiday brunches, overnight company, and any manner of potluck, consider this recipe your secret weapon. Easy as they are to make, these Cheesecake Crescent Rolls will always score rave reviews. 

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Easy Taco Soup

Taco Soup
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Easy Taco Soup Recipe

In addition to being super simple, this easy taco soup recipe makes a lot of food, meaning you won't have to worry about lunch or dinner for the next few days. Most of the ingredients are already in your pantry, so everything comes together quickly.

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Easy Chili

mr-easy-chili-2019
Credit: Photography: Greg DuPreeFood Styling: Rishon HannersProp Styling: Thom Driver

Easy Chili Recipe

Look no further for the ultimate, easy chili recipe. With just a push of a button, your weekday dinner is taken care of as the chili cooks away in the slow-cooker. Add chili to your next barbeque to top grilled sausages for an upgraded version of chili dogs.

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Quick and Easy Nachos

Economic Nachos image
Credit: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson

Quick and Easy Nachos Recipe

This platter of goodness represents the lowest-effort end of the homemade nachos spectrum. Although this game day-perfect platter of beefy, cheesy nachos comes together quickly, it delivers the classic meld of flavors and textures that you want from everyone's favorite appetizer.

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Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

EC: How to Make Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Credit: Photos by Kirsten Nunez

Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe

Pancake batter eliminates the need for actual dough. You can even use the stuff out of the box. No judgement here. It's all about adding a buttery cinnamon filling to each and every pancake.

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Easy Oven Rice

Easy Oven Rice image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Easy Oven Rice Recipe

For anyone who's ever struggled with cooking rice on the stovetop (and no, it's not just you…), this easy oven rice recipe is for you. Say hello to your new foolproof method for perfect, fluffy rice—every time. The only real "tricks" to nailing this baked rice recipe are avoiding over-stirring and fighting the urge to "peek" while the rice is cooking. 

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese

mr- baked macaroni and cheese reshoot
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Classic, baked macaroni and cheese like mom makes is easier to whip up than you might think! With just a handful of simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand, this simple side is ready to be devoured in just under an hour.

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Microwave Orange Chocolate Mug Cake

Microwave Orange Chocolate Mug Cake
Credit: Jeffery Cross; Styling: Emma Star Jensen

Microwave Orange Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

When you're home alone and craving a home-baked dessert, the mug cake is your friend. Dense, moist, and warm, like a steamed pudding, the single-serving dessert cooks in just a couple of minutes in the microwave. This one is loaded with citrus and a touch of dark chocolate. For best results, use a small orange; otherwise, the cake gets soggy.

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Easy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and White Beans

mr-Easy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and White Beans Image
Credit: Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Easy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and White Beans Recipe

This simple baked chicken packs a ton of flavor atop a nice, toasty mixture of beans, tomatoes, and herbs. Since the chicken cooks on top of the vegetables, its juice add to the sauciness of the burst, roasted tomatoes, the buttery olives, and the tender creamy beans.

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Easy Chicken Fajitas

easy-chicken-fajitas
Credit: Oxmoor House

Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe

Make chicken fajitas a go-to weeknight dish. Our easy chicken fajitas recipe—which calls for fewer than 10 ingredients and comes together in just 20 minutes—is perfect for kids and adults alike. 

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Easy Guacamole

Easy Guacamole
Credit: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

Easy Guacamole Recipe

If you've ever wondered how to make guacamole that's the perfect, creamy consistency, trust us, the food processor makes quick work of this crowd-pleasing dip. Our Easy Guacamole is just that—ridiculously easy.

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Microwavable Keto Cheese Crisps

keto-cheese-crisps-DCMS-Large.jpg
Credit: TIFS

Microwavable Keto Cheese Crisps Recipe

This keto-friendly snack only calls for one—yes, ONE—ingredient and comes together in about four minutes in the microwave. Cheez-Its won't know what hit 'em.

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Easy Chicken Parmesan

mr-easy-chicken-parmesan
Credit: Greg DuPreeFood Styling: Rishon HannersProp Styling: Thom Driver

Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Comforting Italian classic? Check. Budget-friendly? Check. Super easy? Check, check, check. What more could you want from a chicken parmesan recipe?

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Spaghetti and Easy Meatballs

Spaghetti and Easy Meatballs
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Anna Theoktisto

Spaghetti and Easy Meatballs Recipe

Serve a classic Italian-inspired dish for dinner. The easy meatball method will make you skip buying store-bought meatballs for good. Whether you're serving adults or a family-friendly crew, this dish is a pitch-perfect crowd pleaser.

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Easy Vegetable-Ham Frittata

Easy Vegetable-Ham Frittata
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Easy Vegetable-Ham Frittata Recipe

When it's too hot outside to turn on your oven, your slow cooker is a lifesaver. Microwave leftovers about a minute, checking after 30 seconds.

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Extra-Easy Lasagna

Extra-Easy Lasagna
Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Martin

Extra-Easy Lasagna Recipe

When we say easy, we mean easy. You don't even have to cook the noodles for this speedy yet impressive lasagna that always gets rave reviews. Lasagna is a family favorite, but this version is extra-special because it only requires 5 quick ingredients

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Turkey and Swiss Pinwheels

Turkey and Swiss Pinwheels
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin

Turkey and Swiss Pinwheels Recipe

For a quick snack or easy lunch, it doesn't get much more simple than these easy turkey roll-ups. Better yet? Multiply the recipe as needed for a simple and easy party platter! 

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    1 of 20 Easy Taco Salad
    2 of 20 Make-Ahead Microwave Breakfast Sandwiches
    3 of 20 Microwave Poached Eggs
    4 of 20 Cheesecake Crescent Rolls
    5 of 20 Easy Taco Soup
    6 of 20 Easy Chili
    7 of 20 Quick and Easy Nachos
    8 of 20 Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
    9 of 20 Easy Oven Rice
    10 of 20 Baked Macaroni and Cheese
    11 of 20 Microwave Orange Chocolate Mug Cake
    12 of 20 Easy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and White Beans
    13 of 20 Easy Chicken Fajitas
    14 of 20 Easy Guacamole
    15 of 20 Microwavable Keto Cheese Crisps
    16 of 20 Easy Chicken Parmesan
    17 of 20 Spaghetti and Easy Meatballs
    18 of 20 Easy Vegetable-Ham Frittata
    19 of 20 Extra-Easy Lasagna
    20 of 20 Turkey and Swiss Pinwheels

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