Feeding Yourself: A South Campus Survival Guide
If you’re living on South Campus next year, those days of easy access and mediocre food are over. You’re probably thinking: “Oh shit, I have to feed myself?” Suddenly, the dining hall food is looking delectable. Like, it definitely isn’t the tastiest cuisine, but at least it’s accessible and easy. You don’t have to worry about what’s on the menu every night, and you know that no matter where you are on campus a bite to eat is always nearby.
Sorry babe, but meal plans are about to be a thing of the past. On the downside, you’ll have to consider trying the *trigger warning* responsible adult thing and cooking for yourself. But on the bright side, you have this article - a list of recipes that don’t take too much time to prepare, and that you can make in bulk. That way, you’ll spend only a few hours out of your week preparing something delicious to eat. Bonus perk: you know exactly what’s on the menu, and who made it! There are a ton of healthy options out there if you’re planning on living a fit lifestyle, but for those of you who aren’t quite ready to fully convert to 100% healthy menus, we have a few suggestions.
The Most Important Meal of the Day
Scrambled Eggs: This may seem like a given, but we at Jerk know a few college students who still haven’t cracked the code on how to make eggs for breakfast. Get it? Cracked? We’re sorry, the pun was too good to pass up. Check out this recipe if you’re one of those few college students who need a little help frying up some eggs in the morning!
Morning Muffin in a Mug: Oh. My. God. A muffin that doesn’t have a Dunkin’ wrapper on it? Wild. This recipe is super easy and super quick, and if you prep it, you have breakfast and an after class snack wrapped all into one.
Breakfast Burritos: We at Jerk love a good burrito, and this one is jam packed with semi-nutritious ingredients. Also fun fact: burritos are very much portable! So when you’re running to catch the bus for your 8 AM next semester, consider having these on hand. Check it out if you prefer your breakfast on the go!
Breakfast Sandwich: Those weekend breakfast sandwiches hit so different, we know, but it’s time to start thinking about making your own! This rendition has bacon and sausage. Read that again: bacon and sausage. Talk about luxury. We can’t wait to make these, and we hope that you feel the same.
Lunchboxes (or Lunch bowls? We don’t know)
Chicken Noodle Soup: We don’t know about you, but we could fuck up some chicken noodle soup. Especially when we’re battling frat flu (as we often are). This recipe is super quick, and soup is pretty hard to mess up if you’re afraid of burning down your South Campus apartment.
Easy Fried Rice: We know what you’re thinking: “Do I need a rice cooker for this?” Hell no. We believe in saving money when we can! This recipe is delicious, and it includes directions on how to make rice with limited appliances - effectively saving you time and money!
Crockpot Chili: Ah, Chili. Lovely, amazing, wonderful chili. Now, you do need a crockpot for this one (which may be a good purchase to consider, just saying) but if you have one, you can just throw all of the ingredients in a pot, and you’re basically finished! Plus, this is a great dish to cook in bulk.
Ring the Dinner Bell!
Grilled Cheese: Simple. Basic. Reliable. Bonus points if you just buy some Campbell's tomato soup to go with this classic. Don’t forget to butter the bread before you put it in the pan!
Marinated Cherry Tomato Pasta: Pasta is probably one of the easiest things to cook, aside from soup, so it’s definitely going to be a go-to. However, this pasta is lowkey bougie, and we’re living for it, because it’s so easy to make!
Layered Mac & Cheese: Don't be afraid of your oven! You have a kitchen now, may as well get some use out of it! If you’re feeling crazy, layer your mac and cheese instead of grabbing that Kraft box off of the grocery store shelf.
We know that if you weren’t planning on living on South next year, the thought of feeding yourself can be really daunting. If you’re anything like us, you have little experience with cooking, or maybe just little confidence. But everyone has to start somewhere - we (humbly) recommend you start here!