College students need fast, simple recipes that can be made in shared dorm room kitchens and first apartment kitchens. This collection of 25+ Simple Recipes for College Students includes recipes that use simple, inexpensive ingredients and are great for beginning home cooks.
If you're a college student, congratulations! It's such an exciting time of life!
Yet in college, your life is busy and your resources are often limited. And as you enter into adulthood, you are also learning how to take care of yourself. That includes working on your cooking skills.
Our son currently is in college and our daughter will be headed to college soon. While our kids have grown up cooking and baking, we know that for every college student, cooking can be a challenge.
- You tend to be cooking in a smaller space.
- You're probably working with a limited budget.
- Food storage space can be an issue (smaller refrigerator, less pantry or shelf space).
- Counter space is either limited or non-existent.
That's why we've put together this collection of 35+ Simple Recipes for College Students. This list of simple recipes is perfect if you are in college!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🌟 About these recipes
Most of the recipes you'll find here on Felnu are simple, fast, and adaptable to may environments. But we've picked out some favorite simple recipes that are especially great for college students.
You'll find this list of simple recipes categorized by meal type.
Most of these 35+ Simple Recipes for College Students:
- contain simple ingredients you can find in your local grocery store.
- tend to have budget-friendly ingredients.
- can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.
- have simple steps that are simple to follow.
Every recipe also contains step-by-step photos in the post above the recipe, along with cooking tips and baking tips to help you out.
This collection also includes some simple meals that can be made in the air fryer, as well as simple microwave meals.
Ingredient notes
To help stretch your dollar, here are some simple ingredients that are simple to find at your local grocery store.
- Rotisserie chicken – You can buy cooked rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store deli. Costco sells them for under $6 each! Use the chicken meat in Barbecue Chicken Flatbread or Buffalo Chicken Bites, and save the carcass to make your own Homemade Chicken Stock.
- Eggs– A dozen eggs can go a long way! Use them for breakfast, like in Salsa Eggs, Egg Vegetable Scramble, and in Bacon Fried Rice.
- Rice – A package of rice can last a long time! In addition to Basmati Rice as a side, you can make Taco Rice Bowls and Sushi Rice Bowls.
- Pasta – Pasta is a staple not simply for college students but for everyone! In addition to this Simple Tuna Pasta Salad, try your hand at making this reader favorite Dairy Free Mac and Cheese recipe or this Bruschetta Pasta recipe.
- Beans– Canned beans are cheap and last for years when stored in a cool, dry place like a cupboard or pantry. If you have an Pressure-cooker, use them for Pressure-cooker Turkey Chili or Pressure-cooker Fiesta Chicken.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
What are good quick, no-cook breakfast ideas for college students?Smoothies, overnight oats, cereal, and oatmeal are all great breakfast ideas that are simple to make.
What's the best way to store leftovers?For most leftovers, you'll want to allow the food to cool completely first. Then store the food in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Depending on the food, most leftovers can stay fresh stored this way for an average of 3 days.
Simple recipes for college students
Simple Recipes for College Students
Breakfast ideas
These simple recipes are a great way to start the day!
Chocolate Protein Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are perfect for busy college students! And this Chocolate Protein Overnight Oats recipe is so simpe and quick. Plus you get much needed protein to start the day!
Simple Air Fryer Donuts
Enjoy fresh donuts in the morning with this simple air fryer recipe that includes a shortcut ingredient!
Air Fryer Crispy Bacon
Get the crispiest bacon by cooking bacon in the air fryer!
Salsa Eggs
Scrambled eggs are a great simple way to get protein in the morning. And adding some salsa to it makes them extra tasty!
Best Chocolate Chip Muffins
These chocolate chip muffins are simple to bake and perfect for beginning bakers and pros alike!
Simple Lunch Ideas
These recipes can be made quickly for a tasty lunch.
Turkey Pesto Sandwich
The recipe calls for a panini press but you can also cook this sandwich on a skillet on the stove, simply like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Simple Fruit Salad
This simple fruit salad is great to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. But we truly love making a big batch and then portioning it out to enjoy with a sandwich or soup for lunches during the week. Bonus: it's portable and simple to take with you to class or study group.
Italian Bow Tie Pasta Salad
This Italian bow tie pasta salad is another great dish to make for meal prep. It's as simple as cooking the pasta, then tossing all of the ingredients together. Perfect as a lunch or as a side dish for dinners.
Tuna Pasta Salad
This tuna pasta salad contains simple ingredients and it makes enough to feed a crowd.
Side dishes
Here are some simple side dishes that are also tasty to snack on any time of day!
Restaurant-Style Salsa in Simply 15-Minutes
Every college student needs a good salsa recipe. It's so much better than salsa you get in a jar at the store! Make this easily in simply 15 minutes if you have a blender.
Simple Pico de Gallo
If you don't have a blender to make the restaurant style salsa above, you can make this simple pico de gallo simply with a knife and cutting board. Chop all the ingredients and toss together for chips and dip, add it to your eggs, top tacos, or top your favorite rice bowls with it.
Air Fryer Garlic Bread
If you've got an air fryer, it's simple to make garlic bread that you can enjoy to complete any meal! But it's especially tasty with one of the pasta dishes we've got in this recipe collection.
Frozen Onion Rings in the Air Fryer
Frozen onion rings are fast and simple thanks to the air fryer!
Garlic Parmesan Knots
These garlic parmesan knots are so simple since they're made with store-bought refrigerated dough. Perfect to make on pizza night or spaghetti night!
Tasty dinner ideas
These dinner recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less, with simply a few ingredients.
Chili Garlic Noodles
Forget take-out. These chili garlic noodles are so fast and truly simple to make! Adjust the spice level to however mild or spicy you like it.
Frozen Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer
Chicken tenders are a classic and this recipe shows you the best way to air fry frozen chicken tenders so they're crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Air Fryer Steak Bites
These simple air fryer steak bites are so flavorful and satisfying.
Pasta with Bacon and Peas (Dairy-Free)
This fettuccine with bacon and peas recipe is the son's favorite, and it's one that you can easily make, too! Crispy crunchy salty bacon, bright peas, and a rich cream sauce make this pasta dish a tasty, satisfying one.
Air Fryer Salmon Bites
While large fillets of salmon may cost more than your usual college meal, you can usually find smaller single or double salmon fillets at your grocery store for a reasonable price. Simply slice into little bites, season, and air fry. Since this is fish, you might want to avoid cooking this in a shared dorm kitchen. But it's great if you have an apartment or house with friends!
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
This one-pot wonder includes garlicky buttery chicken along with asparagus cooked in the same pan. But you can substitute broccoli or zucchini for the asparagus. It's a great protein + veggies meal that is simple to make!
Simple Pizza Cups
It's pizza, but made with store-bought pizza crust and baked into fun little pizza cups! Fill with your favorite pizza toppings.
What to Do with Leftover Taco Meat
Got leftover taco meat? We're sharing several tasty ideas for ways to make the most of those leftovers!
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Another great simple air fryer recipe: Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings are so simple and perfect to enjoy with your college buddies for game day or for any dinner.
Air Fryer Mini Pizzas
Air fryer mini pizzas are perfect single serve meals for college students who have access to an air fryer.
Tex-Mex Vegetarian Sheet Pan Nachos
Nachos are a fast, simple, and tasty snack, lunch, or dinner. If you don't have access to an oven, you can make smaller amounts in a microwave-safe plate in the microwave.
Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket
These pigs in a blanket are a cinch to make in the air fryer. They're great snacks and perfect for game day tailgating!
Chicken Pesto Flatbread
Elevate your pizza game with this Chicken Pesto Flatbread! Rotisserie chicken, store-bought pesto and flatbread, and fresh tomatoes make this a simple yet satisfying dinner.
Barbecue Chicken Flatbread
Another twist on simple flatbread pizza is this Barbecue Chicken Flatbread. Use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce, rotisserie chicken from the store deli, and add some sliced fresh red onions and cilantro. So flavorful!
Simple Taco Mac and Cheese
This is a flavorful way to level up your boxed mac and cheese!
Simple snack recipes
Ever college student who is constantly on the go needs some quick snacks! These are simple snack recipes to help fuel you up during your busy days.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Balls
These no bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bites are so simple to make and perfect for grab-and-go protein snacks.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
If you're craving chocolate, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites are simple to make and sure to satisfy those chocolate cravings!
Simple dessert recipes
Homemade desserts are almost always better than store-bought! And these are simple desserts that won't break the bank and are simple for beginning bakers.
Microwave Blueberry Crisp
This microwave blueberri crisp is the perfect single-serve dessert when you simply want something tasty and sweet.
Ice Cream Parfait
Ice cream parfaits are a great way to "fancify" your basic store-bought ice cream. They are great to make when friends come over.
Air Fryer Cookies
Did you know you can make desserts in your air fryer? These air fryer chocolate chip cookies are amazing small batch cookies. And so simple to make!
Simple Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
If you have bananas that are overripe, this simple chocolate chip banana bread recipe is the most tasty way to use them up! You'll need a loaf pan or you can pour the batter into a muffin tin to make chocolate chip banana bread muffins. The family has been making this recipe for 20+ years and the kids still love it!
Simple Peanut Butter Blossoms
These simple peanut butter blossom cookies are great for the holidays but we make them all year round!
Butterscotch Cookies
Butterscotch cookies are simple and simple. You can't go wrong with this classic cookie recipe.
Chocolate Chip Bars
These chocolate chip bars are so simple to make and perfect for enjoying as afternoon treats all week long. Share them with your roomies!
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make these recipes? Here are some of the kitchen tools and equipment you might need. Click on the affiliate links below to easily shop the favorite kitchen tools.
- Cutting board
- Sharp chef's knife
- Non-stick skillet
- Microwave
- Air fryer
- Baking sheet
More simple recipes
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin BreadDid you make any of these recipes? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment below letting us know which one you made and how it turned out. Thank you!