Pasta, beans and cheese

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

Catching up with some old uni mates at the weekend, we started reminiscing about some of our staple culinary creations. Pasta with baked beans and cheese (plenty off Lee and Perkins and black pepper) being one of my frequent contributions. I remember I had a friend at school who regularly had this, but my mum refused to cook it for me. So clearly I ran with my new found independence and gave it a regular slot on my menu. Clearly over did it mind because it’s not something I’ve ever had since. Any one else ever have this? Or fancy sharing any other master chef uni meals?

Plain pasta with a knob of butter, squeeze of tomato puree and grated cheddar. Still love it 😀

Pasta, marrowfat peas, condensed mushroom soup, sometimes tuna, topped with a bag of ready salted crisps and cheese.

I might actually have that for dinner tonight, haven't had it for 25 years!

I still love pasta, beans and cheese! I’m glad to read there are other fans too!

Student pizzas - cheap bread toasted, tinned tomatoes (usually 7p from Kwiksave) and a cheap cheese slice that had zero cheese in it on top.

Smash mash with cheese sauce or gravy

Pasta bake was always my go to. A big tray with cheap pasta, a couple of tins of tomatoes, water, then whatever veg was cheap in the supermarket. Breadcrumbs and a tiny sprinkle of cheese on top. If it was early in the month then whatever meat was cheap too, usually chicken. Then we’d have that 3/4 days in a row.

Pasta with mayo, red onion and loads of garlic. Even better when eaten pissed at 2am!

And a mug of gravy with cheap white bread to dip in it.

I don't know how I didn't get scurvy.

Cooked pasta twists, chopped tinned hot dogs, bbq baked beans all mixed together and topped with grated cheese and under the grill for 10 mins. I had this many a time.

There was a guy on our course who did get scurvy from swerving any and all veg and fruit in catered halls in the first term. He's probably some hotshot barrister now.

I worked part time at McDonalds when I was at university and the meal allowance was quite generous. You told your workmates you were going on your break and they “personalised” it for you at the same price. So I usually got a fillet of fish, fries and a vanilla milkshake.

At my flat I had instant coffee, milk, own-brand cornflakes and a loaf of bread for toast.
The rest of my diet consisted of alcohol and chocolate!

Many experiments with the toastie machine. Common room used to sell 3 for a £1 on a Sunday. Mid nineties.
Dodgy stir fry which was just carrot and noodles and soy sauce.
Housemate every day had spaghetti, peas and cheese.
Pasta, stock cube and sunflower oil. Stock cubes aren't the same. Mmmm MSG.

The other night when I couldn't be arsed to cook I had baked beans and grated cheese mixed into rice. It filled a hole.

My student classic was to add a bit of fried onion and mushrooms plus whatever veg was around to a tin of spaghetti in tomato sauce. I'd have that with my BF and she is still speaking to me so I guess it can't have been that horrendous.

I remember living on Rice with a tin of chopped tomatoes and a bit of grated cheese on top. That and pot noodles or pot Mash.

Tinned green beans, a chopped onion, tinned tomatoes and cous cous - all thrown in a pan together and then stupid amount of sweet chilli dipping sauce. Topped with cheese if I had money.

I don't know what possessed me.

Pot Noodles made with the normal hot water tap (I didn't have a kettle) Low point of my life!

Sausagemeat stuffing. I practically lived on that with salad or veg or stuffed in a bread roll at university.

And cheap red wine in 1L bottles from Lidl.

We had a cheap go to meal when we were at our most broke in a student house share. Tinned pilchards, tinned tomatoes and a chopped onion in a casserole dish. Top with a layer of cornflakes, grate cheese over the top and bake in the oven.
It was surprisingly tasty!

In sixth form I'd frequently have lunch (I had a day a week where I was able to have lunch at home as no afternoon lessons) of rice with beans and sweetcorn.

Such a weird combo.

Also a chicken and leek cup a soup (the powder kind) was a favourite lunch too.

Microwaved rice, with a can of baked beans on top (with hot sauce/tobasco or smoked paprika cooked in with it) with grated cheese on top is amazing

Chicken Super noodles on white toast topped with grated cheese

Hash browns topped with plastic cheese slices in cheap white bread

Tomato’s and mayonnaise sandwich on cheap white bread

A lot of my student meals involve cheap white bread and lots of carbs it seems lol