College Student Seeks Cheap Recipes?

Question

I'm a college student and don't have a lot of money to spend on food (my books alone this semester were over $700!)- do you have any healthy and creative recipe ideas besides the norm of mac & cheese, ramen, pasta, etc?

Answer 1

I hope you can use some of the following recipes. They are some of our favorites, & they are cheap & easy to fix. If the amounts are too big for your needs the measurements are easily reduced in size. Enjoy!

LIPTON ONION-MUSHROOM MEATLOAF

1 env. Lipton onion mushroom soup mix
1 1/2 lb. meatloaf mixture, ground beef and ground pork
1 c. soft bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine all ingredients. In large shallow baking pan, shape into loaf. Bake 1 hour.

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CHICKEN QUESADILLAS DLC

12 oz. chicken breast, cooked2/3 c. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/4 c. green onion, finely chopped8 (8") flour tortillas
1 c. salsa1 c. sour cream

Combine chicken & salsa in bowl. Divide chicken mixture, cheese & green onions evenly among 4 tortillas. Cover with remaining tortillas. Heat one tortilla stack in large skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Turn tortilla over & repeat for another 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortilla stacks. Serve with sour cream.

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS – QUICK & EASY

12 oz. chicken breast, cooked
2/3 c. cheese (your choice), shredded
1/4 c. green onion, chopped (optional)
8 (8") flour tortillas
1 c. salsa (optional)
1 c. sour cream (optional)

Place 1 flour tortilla onto a microwaveable plate. Top tortilla with 1/4 each of the prepared chicken, shredded cheese, chopped green onion & salsa. Place second tortilla on top, place in microwave. Heat on high until cheese is melted. Repeat directions for the next 3 servings. Serve with sour cream. Makes four 8” Quesadillas.

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COCA COLA BARBEQUE CHICKEN

1 chicken, cut up
1 lg. onion, sliced
10 or 12oz. Coca Cola, or any cola
10 to 12oz. ketchup

Place chicken in baking dish, & cover with onion slices. Mix together cola & ketchup, then pour over chicken & onions. Bake at 350º degree F. for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

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EASY CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. long grain rice (non-instant)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
1 can water
salt, pepper & garlic powder, to taste

Preheat oven to 390 degrees F. Spray a 9x13” glass baking dish with a non-stick spray. Sprinkle rice evenly on bottom of the dish. Lay the chicken breasts down side-by-side in the dish on top of the rice. Blend together the soups & water. Pour the soup mixture on top of the chicken, lifting the chicken slightly to allow the soup to cover the rice underneath. Cover with foil & put in oven. After 1 hour remove foil then bake for another 20 minutes. Enjoy! Yield: 6 servings.

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HILLBILLY JIM’S CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN Absolutely Heavenly! So moist & tender you can cut it with a fork!

1 egg
1 lg. chicken breast, & skinless
2 T. milk
1/2 to 1 c. flour
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
oil for deep frying

In a bowl beat egg & add milk. In another bowl mix flour & seasoned salt. Tenderize chicken breast. Dip in egg & milk mixture, & roll in flour & salt mixture. Deep fry until light golden brown. Finish browning on dry grill or in dry skillet.

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OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
This is so tasty & easy, & it’s one of our favorites.

3 lb. skinless chicken pieces
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
non-stick spray or hand pumped oil

Prepare the chicken. If you use leg-quarters remove the backs, the skin & any visible fat from your chicken before you weigh it. You will need 3 lb. of prepared chicken.

Coating: combine flour & seasonings in a resealable food bag. Place the chicken, 1 or 2 pieces at a time, into the bag. Seal & shake to cover the chicken evenly with he coating. Arrange the chicken on a cookie sheet sprayed with Non-Stick Spray. When all the chicken is coated, evenly scatter any remaining flour over the top of the chicken pieces. This step is the secret to my oven-fried chicken, so be sure NOT to omit it. Spray the coated chicken with oil or Non-Stick Spray. I like the taste of Butter-Flavored spray, but any type will work. At WalMart, I bought a hand-pump sprayer for cooking oil for under $5.00, filled it with olive oil & it works great! It’s cheaper than aerosol sprays, & no added chemicals. The coating of non-stick spray sort of seals in the seasoning & flour, & gives the chicken its "fried” chicken flavor.

Bake the chicken at 400°F. for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven & serve hot. The chicken will be tender & juicy on the inside, while the outside is crispy & well seasoned, just the way good fried chicken is supposed to be.

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EASY BAKED CHICKEN & POTATO DINNER FOR 2

1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, & cut in half
2 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. Bisquick® Mix
3/4 lb. small red potatoes, cut into fourths
1 small red or green bell pepper, cut into 1/2” pieces
1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges
cooking spray
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese, optional
1/2 tsp. paprika

Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray 13x9x2” baking dish with cooking spray. Using only 1 T. of mustard, brush it onto chicken breast, then coat with Bisquick mix. Place 1 chicken breast half in each corner of pan. Place potatoes, bell pepper & onion in center of pan; brush vegetables with remaining mustard. Spray chicken & vegetables with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with cheese & paprika. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, stirring vegetables after 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender & juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of each piece are cut.

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BUBBLE & SQUEAK

1 lb. or 2 1/2 c. shredded cabbage
3 T. bacon drippings or butter
1 med. onion, chopped
2 c. coarsely mashed potatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. roast or corned beef, thinly sliced

Plunge cabbage into a pan of boiling salted water, cook 5 min., thoroughly drain in colander. Heat a heavy 10" skillet over medium heat. Melt drippings, add onions, & cook till soft (about 5 min.). Lightly press on cabbage with the back of a spatula to remove any remaining moisture, & add to the onions. Stir in potatoes, salt & pepper. Press mixture down lightly with spatula. Lower heat to med. low. Top with slices of meat. Cook, covered, about 15 min. Do not stir. Remove cover & cook 10 - 15 min, till bottom is nicely browned. If you listen, closely, you should hear how the dish got its name! While dish is cooking, prepare Wow Wow Sauce below.

BUBBLE & SQUEAK WOW WOW SAUCE:

2 T. butter
2 T. minced onion
2 T. flour
1 c. beef stock
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 T. English style mustard
1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a 1 1/2 qt. saucepan, melt butter over med. heat. Add onion, stirring constantly, until soft but not brown. Stir in flour & cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add stock all at once & whisk until smooth. Stir in all remaining ingredients & bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low & cook, stirring frequently until thickened, about 10 min. Invert skillet contents onto plate. Cut Bubble and Squeak into wedges, & serve with sauce. Serves 6

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BARBEQUED SHORT RIBS

2 lbs. short ribs, cut in 2” pieces
small amount of salt
1/4 c. minced onions
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. water
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. mustard
1/8 tsp. salt
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Trim the top layer of fat from the short ribs. Place several pieces of this fat in a Dutch oven, & cook over medium heat until bottom is lightly coated with fat, & remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the short ribs with small amount of salt, brown them on all sides, & then remove meat when done. Add onion & slightly sauté until lightly browned. Return short ribs to the pot & add ketchup, water, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, salt, & Worcestershire sauce. Cover pot & cook over low heat for 2 hours or until tender, stirring occasionally. Serves 4.

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STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

6 to 8 bell peppers
2 T. butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 lb. ground chuck
1/2 c. canned diced tomatoes, drain & reserve juice
1 c. rice, cooked
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If the peppers are small, leave them whole & cut off a slice from the stem end. Cut large peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds & white membrane, & discard. Cook peppers in salted boiling water 5 minutes, invert & drain thoroughly. Cool. Place in shallow baking dish & set aside. Mix rest of ingredients & generously fill bell peppers. Top all with the reserved tomato juice. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Serves 6.

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LAZY LASAGNA

4-oz. can mushrooms
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 egg
1 box lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 1/2 ctn. small curd cottage cheese
32-oz. jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to at 350 degrees F. Drain juice from mushrooms into a measuring cup. Place mushrooms in a medium-size mixing bowl. Squeeze spinach dry adding the juice to the mushroom liquid. If necessary, add water to make 1 c. liquid. Set aside. To the mushrooms add spinach, cottage cheese, 1 c. mozzarella, & egg. In a lightly oiled 13x9” pan, layer half the uncooked lasagna noodles, half of the spinach-cheese mixture & half the sauce. Repeat layers & top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Carefully pour reserved liquid around edge of pan. Cover with foil, & bake for 1 hour. Remove foil & bake 15 minutes more. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares. Serves 12.

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IMPOSSIBLE LASAGNE PIE

1/2 c. creamed cottage cheese
6-oz. can tomato paste
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. mozzarella, shredded
1 lb. ground chuck, browned & drained
1 c. milk
1 tsp. oregano leaves, crushed
2/3 c. Bisquick
1/2 tsp. basil leaves, crushed
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 10” pie plate. Layer cottage cheese & Parmesan cheese into plate. Mix beef, herbs, past & 1/2 c. mozzarella, & spoon onto the cheeses. Beat milk Bisquick, eggs, salt, & pepper for 15 min. in blender on high. Pour mixture on top of meat mixture. Bake until knife inserted comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. When done sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Serves 6.

IMPOSSIBLE CHICKEN TACO PIE

2 c. chicken, cooked & diced
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 T. taco seasoning mix
1 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl mix chicken, onion & seasoning mix. Arrange in a greased 9" pie plate. In a medium bowl whisk together baking mix, milk & eggs until blended; pour into pie plate. Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes longer or until melted. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes & sour cream, if desired. Serves 7.

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TACO SALAD WITH RICE

white rice, cooked (keep hot)
1 lb. ground chuck
1 pkg. Taco Bell Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can ranch style beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
cheese, shredded
Romaine lettuce, tear to bite size
1 med. onion, diced
ranch dressing, sour cream or salsa
tortilla chips

Prepare taco seasoning mix & ground chuck as the seasoning package directs. Add the ranch style beans & Rotel tomatoes, & simmer till all ingredients are hot. Assemble the ingredients on your plate in this fashion: rice, then the meat mixture, add shredded cheese, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, & top it off with either ranch dressing, sour cream, salsa or all three. Pick your favorite tortilla chips & dig in!

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MOCK SALISBURY STEAK

1 1/2 lb. ground chuck
1/4 c. soda crackers, crushed
1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 (10oz) cans mushroom soup

Mix together the hamburger, cracker crumbs, milk, & dry onion soup mix, then pat mixture onto a cookie sheet. Cover & chill by placing entire pan of meat into freezer for a couple of hours or overnight in fridge. When thoroughly chilled cut meat into serving-sized squares, flour & brown in skillet. After browning all squares pour mushroom soup over all, lifting meat squares with a fork to allow soup to run underneath. Cover with lid, & allow to simmer for at least 1/2 hour. OR, layer meat squares in a 13x9” baking dish. Add mushroom soup to the previously used skillet, heat & stir. Pour heated soup over meat in the baking dish. Place in oven & bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour. Makes 4 squares.

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LIVER SMOTHERED IN ONIONS

2 lb. beef liver, sliced
1 1/2 c. milk, or as needed
1/4 c. butter, divided
2 lg. onions, sliced into rings
2 c. flour, or as needed
salt & pepper to taste

Gently rinse liver slices under cold water, & place in a medium bowl. Pour in enough milk to cover. Let stand while preparing onions. (I like to soak up to an hour or two, whatever you have time for.) This step is SO important in taking the bitter taste of the liver out. Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Separate onion rings, & sauté them in butter until soft. Remove onions, & melt remaining butter in the skillet. Season the flour with salt & pepper, & put it in a shallow dish or on a plate. Drain milk from liver, & coat slices in the flour mixture. When the butter has melted, turn the heat up to medium-high, & place the coated liver slices in the pan. Cook until nice & brown on the bottom. Turn, & cook on the other side until browned. Add onions, & reduce heat to medium. Cook a bit longer to taste. Our family prefers the liver to just barely retain a pinkness on the inside when you cut to check. Enjoy!

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DONNA’S CORNBREAD SURPRISE
I created this recipe 30 years ago, & everyone still loves it!

1 1/2 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 sm. bottle barbecue sauce
salt & pepper, to taste
4 to 6 slices American cheese
1 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 eggs
1/4 c. milk

Brown ground chuck & onion in skillet, add barbecue sauce, salt & pepper, & simmer for about 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture into 8" or 9” square pan. Layer with cheese. Mix cornbread mix according to directions, & spoon over the top of the cheese. Place in oven & bake according to cornbread directions on box. Cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares, & serve with mashed potatoes & tossed salad.

Note: This recipe was created out of necessity one night when we returned home empty handed from a fishing trip. Our small town, at that time, rolled up the sidewalks at 5 p.m., so the grocery store was closed. There wasn't much in the fridge, & I had to fix supper for my husband & I , & our 4 grade-school age children. They always ate like they were starving, so they weren’t being very patient. I scrounged up the above ingredients from the fridge & pantry, & a recipe developed that my family (& others) frequently requested. Great to take to church suppers, picnics, etc. Also, good cold. What more can you ask of a recipe?!

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DIRTY RICE WITH BEEF OR TURKEY

1/2 to 1 lb. ground chuck or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. long grain white rice
4 beef flavored bouillon cubes
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 to 4 c. water
1 1/2 T. soy sauce

Brown meat in a 12” skillet, drain fat. Add the onions, peppers, celery, & garlic, & sauté until the onions are tender. Add the rice, bouillon, paprika, red pepper flakes, 3 c. water & soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to very low & cover with lid. Simmer for about 30 minutes. You may add more water if need to keep it moist. Serve hot with fresh or canned fruit on the side. Makes 4 to 6 servings. NOTE: 1 to 2 c. frozen peas or mixed veggies may be substituted for the green peppers.

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HAMBURGER & MASHED POTATO PIE

1 lb. ground chuck
1 sm. onion, chopped
16oz can green beans, drained
10oz can condensed tomato soup
2 to 3 c. mashed potatoes
cheddar cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet, brown the hamburger meat & cooked the onion until tender. Prepare the instant potatoes as you normally would. If your skillet is oven proof then do the next few steps right in it, otherwise use a 2 qt. casserole dish for the mixing & baking. Add the green beans & tomato soup in with the cooked meat & onions, & stir well. Level the contents, & drop the potatoes onto the casserole top in small mounds, & sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven & bake for about 25 minutes. Serves 4 when accompanied with dense bread like muffins or biscuits, & a vegetable, preferably a salad. You may double this recipe, & bake in a 9x13" dish.

Answer 2

If you want to eat truly healthy, lose body fat consistently, normalize your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, prevent cancer, and even boost your brain health and energy levels, you may have heard all over the news that the Paleo Diet has been found to be one of the best methods of achieving all of these benefits compared to any other popular "fad" diets out there. Go here https://bitly.im/aNBsX

The truth is that the Paleo Diet will never be considered a fad because it's just simply the way that humans evolved to eat over approximately 2 million years. And eating in a similar fashion to our ancestors has been proven time and time again to offer amazing health benefits, including prevention of most diseases of civilization such as cancer, heart disease, alzheimers, and other chronic conditions that are mostly caused by poor diet and lifestyle. One of the biggest misunderstandings about the Paleo Diet is that it's a meat-eating diet, or a super low-carb diet. This is not true

Answer 3

Well, I think 3.0 and above it good. The reason why I am saying that is: most scholarships for masters students require that to made 3.0 or better even before bothering to apply in the first place.l I am in my 2nd semester(1st year) studying BSc Agriculture. 6 out of 7 of last semester's courses result are out and it is around 2.57. I want to push harder and make better than 3.0 in the future.

Answer 4

Use those basics and add to them. Saute veggies to go with the noodles. Add peperoni to the mac and cheese. If you keep some of your favorite spices and seasonings on hand you can make anything taste good. And, go ahead and spend the extra money on olive oil for sauteing. It is healthy and tastes good. Check out your local dollar store. They carry good brands of mixes you just have to add water to. LOL and congrats on a bright future.

Answer 5

Go to Foodnetwork.com. Hundreds of recipes, most that contain simple ingredients and not more than thirty minutes in prep and cook time. I use it all the time.

Answer 6

My personal favorite... JAMBALYA! Its really easy to make, and all you need is a chicken breast, and the jambalya mix from the box. Under 5 bucks for everything, and you'll have plenty for leftovers.