Whether you're a newbie in the kitchen or an experience cook, we know well that living alone might be hard, especially when it comes to cooking. But no worries, here we have some quick, cheap and easy recipes for students, to share with your roomies. This is all you need to know to survive university busy lifestyle; moreover, cooking with your housemates makes it easier to socialize and get to know new friends. Check out our ultimate foodie inspirations!

Which is the easiest food to cook?

Yeah, ordering delivery food would be the easiest solution to your problem, but you also know the fact: meal-prep at home is the best both for your health and your wallet. However, let’s face the truth, no one has always plenty of time in the daily schedule to spend hours in the kitchen. Therefore, here we have some quick recipes that take 10 to 45 minutes to get ready.

1. Healthy breakfast: Oatmeal blueberry and yogurt pancakes (high-protein and gluten free)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 container of blueberry or vanilla yogurt, 1/2 medium banana, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) and some more for serving.

Method:

Place all ingredients into a blender, except the fresh blueberries; blend them until the dough is smooth. 

Put some butter and coat lightly a large nonstick skillet, heating over medium low heat. Drop some dough with a spoon and add a few fresh blueberries on top. Cook until bubbles appear on the top and then flip the pancake, waiting for the underside to get golden. 

Serve and enjoy!

2. Delicious french inspired lunch: Omelette with chilli, cheese, garlic and mushrooms

Ingredients:

Butter, sliced chestnut mushrooms, chopped spring onions, red chilli, crushed garlic clove, three beaten eggs, grated cheddar 50g.

Method:

Melt some butter in a heated frying pan and cook the mushrooms until they’re soft and golden. Add onion, chilli and garlic, cooking them for another 3-4 minutes. In another pan with some butter, pour in the beaten eggs and cook gently, drawing in the sides of the omelette. When you have almost set the omelette it’s time for the cheese to be sprinkled over; you can also add the mushroom mix on the top. Leave for few minutes until the cheese is melted and flip over one half, sliding gently onto a plate.

Enjoy it!

3. Tasty sandwich with ricotta, arugula and fried egg

Ingredients:

1 or 2 slices of whole-wheat bread, cooking spray, 1 cup arugula, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, salt and black pepper, ½ cup ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese, some thyme, 1 or 2 eggs.

Method: 

Preheat the grill; then spread some cooking spray on both sides of bread. Broil a couple minutes on each side or until the bread is lightly toasted. Mix the ingredients in a bowl: arugula, oil, salt and pepper. Heat some oil in a large nonstick skillet (over medium heat), crack eggs into the pan and leave them fry for 2 minutes, until whites are set (then remove from heat). Combine in a bowl salt, ricotta, parmesan, and thyme. Coat the bread slices with this mix and then put gently the eggs. Sprinkle with some remaining salt and pepper.

Ready to bite!

4. Italy and Mexico team up for a Caprese quesadilla

Ingredients:

2 whole wheat tortillas, thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced tomatoes, sliced fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper (balsamic vinegar for those that like it).

Method: 

Heat the skillet (over medium heat) and add ½ teaspoon olive oil. Then lay out the tortilla on a dish (or another flat surface) and add the little slices of tomato, of mozzarella and fresh basil. Only on one half of the tortilla.

Fold it over and put into skillet. Cook the quesadilla for a couple minutes on each side. Then slice it into three slices and get ready to taste it!

Cooking for beginners: it’s dessert o’clock

What about ending the dinner in the easiest yet most delicious way with an evergreen easy recipe for students? This one will take around 30 minutes (plus chilling time), but is perfect to prepare and share with your housemates, ideal if you are hosting a dinner in your flat.  

5. Peanut butter brownies

Ingredients:

175g of unsalted butter, 75g of cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 300g of light brown sugar, 175g of dark chocolate sliced into chunks, 2 eggs, 25g of chopped roasted peanuts and 50g of plain flour.

Method:

Start by heating the oven the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and lining a baking paper on a square tin.

Put into a pan over a low heat: butter, brown sugar, cocoa and 50g of the chocolate. Let them melt together. Pour this into a bowl adding the vanilla extract the eggs and as a last ingredient, the flour.
Pour on the tin that is ready to go in the oven, but first, smooth the top of the dough. Bake it for 25-30 minutes.
Chilling time: let the tin cool completely. Now put all of the fudge ingredients in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently boiling water.
Blend until the dough is melted and smooth, then you can spread it over the cooled brownie base (you can alternatively do this step using the microwave).
Chill for 2 hours. Now melt 100g dark chocolate in a bowl over boiling water or in the microwave.

Let it cool for a 5-10 minutes and pour over the brownies, making sure you cover all the base. Sprinkle all the peanuts over and chill again until the chocolate top is ready. Now slice the brownies and serve them to your friends!