Let's make a list of meals for a student to learn to cook

[MyOtherProfile]

What would you help your kids know how to cook ahead of going to uni? My youngest will hopefully go next year and has suddenly decided she wants a broader list of meals she can comfortably cook, which won't break her bank.

What would be on your list? We already have chilli, spag bol, a couple of simple curries. What else would be cheap, quick and easy, and preferably freeze well for future meals.

https://www.sortedfood.com/sidekick

The sidekick ap is really good for students, provides shopping lists and how to minimise food waste

Another couple of ideas I don't think have been mentioned yet....
Pasta with Marmite and pasta with sardines, both are cheap, easy and quick, and simple to cook the quantity for just one person.
Time saving ideas such as using frozen mashed potatoes (if practical re freezer) or adding noodles or orzo to tinned soups to make them more filling, are worth passing on too.

Chicken noodles - soup or stir fry - both cheap and quick. Was one of my staples back when I was a student.

I used to also like making a veggie quesadilla in a big pan - sometimes I’d add meat to it too if I felt like it or had some in.

Pasta bake was also popular - again with whatever veg or meat was to hand.

Bacon and tomato spaghetti (use the cheap cooking bacon bits)
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/super-smoky-bacon-tomato-spaghetti

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251741/broccoli-cheese-chowder/

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/bubble-squeak

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chicken-mushroom-hot-pot

https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/latte-overnight-oats-with-greek-yogurt/ - I put this with tinned peaches on the side

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/275923/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup-with-rotisserie-chicken/

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/curries/egg-and-lentil-curry-with-coconut-and-pickled-lime

https://www.delicious.com.au/recipes/huevos-rancheros-beans/7WDKzQe3?r=recipes/collections/jamieolivers60besteverrecipesforseptember&nk=2f2ba316146d40e239413b115c8fa11c-1759416260

https://www.seriouseats.com/pasta-e-ceci-pasta-with-chickpeas

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-pear-pudding

This one does depend on having some freezer space & a blender, but I lent mine the Curry Guy book - it's takeaway style curries. Not authentic Indian food & definitely doesn't claim to be.

You make a basic sauce, like a spicy gravy, freeze portions, & then convert into about a dozen different curries by frying it off with chicken/meat/veg/whatever & additional spices.

The base sauce recipe is really adaptable ie so long as it's got enough onions, you can chuck the tatty bits of everything in the fridge at it.

Both uni age dc made themselves popular by being able to rustle up a pan of chicken madras or vegetable jalfrezi in 20 minutes...

Many of the suggested meals are low in veg, and could be boosted by adding some veg that you can add that will cook quickly.
My favourite for that is spinach, but greens like pak choi or chinese cabbage are also good, as are bagged salads that need to be used quickly.

I would start with fry an onion, rads sliced garlic, then meat…as the basis of Italian, Greek, curry, chilli….loads of dishes. The chop n onion to small dice. Slow cook until soft and sweet. A garlic clove gently added but not making it bitter. The. Cooking meat - as a base to add a lot of different seasonings and other veg.

(I am potentially acting like a student after a feed of pizza and wine take …) so old age vision issues and mis-spellings ignored, pls

Unlike PP, DD is in halls next door to her friend in school and they do cook for each other. This year, two others from her friend’s course have joined them in the same flat (private halls), and they seem to share cooking and shopping.

DD asked me for certain recipes before she went last year but I know she didn’t make all of them as some were slow cooker ones and theyve not used it (tho apparently one housemate was quite excited by there being a slow cooker available).
Dals are very easy to make
Pasta bakes too. DD loves a three cheese ragu pasta bake and a recipe I have for meatball and garlic bread bake.
DDs signature dish is spaghetti carbonara. She also loves a sausage pasta recipe she found on TikTok.
Corned beef hash is very simple to make, and you can add any veg you might have left over too.
A Spanish omelette is easy, 3 ingredients but takes a little longer.
Fajitas or tacos are simple, throw together chopped veg and meat and spices in a pan essentially and once cooked, add wraps, sour cream, salsa and cheese and you’re good to go. You can use up leftover bolognese or chilli for this. Or nachos - the cheese sauce is super simple (or you can’t just grate cheese over and melt it under the grill or in the oven) and you just need a bag of tortilla chips.
Burgers are easy to make from scratch. Meat are essentially mince mixed with flavours and squashed, and you can put whatever you want on top.
Toad in the hole

My DD is quite an instinctive cook -she wants to make something she can usually figure out a proximation as she has a really good palate. She’s moved to a shared house this year (catered last year). So far she’s made tortilla (with potatoes, chorizo and cheese), chilli (batch cooked so still eating it), banana bread and a curry (Nigella’s curry in a hurry). Jamie Oliver’s hit ‘n run chicken also a fave as is his salami pasta bake. The main issue is all these make 4/6 servings and she ends up having pretty much the same thing for a few days as her freezer space is very limited.

Cheesy scrambled egg
Tomato and chilli linguini - quick and easy.
Salmon fillet and parsley sauce, with veg.
Fish pie using bought fish pie mix.
Sausage and mash.
Macaroni cheese.
Spanish omelette with lots of seasoning.

Never underestimate Ramen noodles. My daughter adds all sorts to them that actually make a cheap healthy meal. Mushrooms spinach ginger broccoli Bok Choy green onions egg. The possibilities are endless.

A roast, it’s a great way of making friends.

learning how to improvise and substitute ingredients is really helpful….getting confident in flavours.

If there's a microwave, knowing how to make mashed potatoes quickly will increase the range of carbs to go with a veg and protein option. Such as lentil pie (like shepherd's pie) or cauliflower cheese (my plan for this evening). When I was a student or badly paid young graduate, French toast and a rasher and/or sausage was a staple.

A microwave is also very quick for cooking fish, mushrooms, frozen peas, onions.

I used to be live on noodles as a student. It was super cheap but I used to just do noodles, handful of frozen veg and a bit of frozen fish cooked in with the noodles and an egg chucked in at the end. Splash of soy and done.