24 Cheap, Easy Recipes You Can Cook in Your College Dorm

Peanut butter noodles, microwave Nutella cake and more one-pan wonders and no-cook recipes with super-short ingredient lists to save you a trip to the dining hall.

Let’s be real, cooking in a college dorm isn’t easy. Tiny communal kitchens, barely any counter space and maybe just a microwave to work with? We’ve been there. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with ramen and granola bars forever. Whether you’re craving something quick between classes or need a midnight snack, these dorm-friendly dishes have your back.

1. Chicken Quesadillas

This satisfying snack or meal from Ali Slagle comes together in 10 minutes or less. The hack: Buy a Rotisserie chicken, or grab some grilled chicken from the dining hall. Shred the meat when it’s cool so that it doesn’t make the tortilla soggy. Cook the quesadilla over moderate heat, so the cheese melts just as the tortilla becomes crisp and golden.

Recipe: Chicken Quesadillas

2. Microwave Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

Carolina Gelen’s microwave dessert delivers all the nostalgia of a PB&J in a moist cake that you can make in just 10 minutes. You probably even already have these six ingredients in your pantry. I highly recommend adding a scoop of ice cream on top.

Recipe: Microwave Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

3. Matcha Overnight Oats

Overnight oats and iced matcha lattes are a great way to start the day. Ifrah Ahmed combines them into a healthy, make-ahead breakfast that takes only five minutes to prep. The oats can last three to four days in the fridge, so make a batch at the start of the week, and you’ll have morning meals covered. Just roll out of bed, grab a Mason jar and head out the door.

Recipe: Matcha Overnight Oats

4. Chickpeas al Limone With Burrata

I’m just going to leave you with this reader comment on Hetty Lui McKinnon’s five-star recipe:

“I’m a college student. The only recipes I will cook are the ones that are quick and composed of cheap ingredients. This recipe checked those boxes. And the food which I plated on the classic college girl pink plastic plate looked and tasted of restaurant quality. My roommates’ mouths were watering as I ate this, and upon my offer of a bite, their taste buds, too, were dancing in their mouths. Another one of my roommates (who could be a contestant on “Worst Cooks in America”) asked for the recipe upon hearing how easy it was to make. The moral of this story is to make this recipe if you only have 30 minutes to cook dinner — or 30 minutes to live. It will change your life.”

Recipe: Chickpeas al Limone With Burrata

5. Chicken Salad Slaw With Peanuts and Nori

Boring course load? Keep dinner interesting with this satisfying, no-cook salad. It’s creamy, crunchy, salty and fresh all at once. Ali Slagle’s recipe is easier than it looks, thanks to store-bought ingredients like a bag of slaw blend, rotisserie chicken and nori snacks.

Recipe: Chicken Salad Slaw With Peanuts and Nori

6. Cheesy Chile Crisp White Beans

Take a can or two of white beans, some garlic, a little tomato paste and, most importantly, your favorite brand of chile crisp, and bake for a few minutes. Then top with grated Cheddar and bake again until that’s melted. What you end up with is Melissa Clark’s fiery bean bake, which practically begs to be eaten with a bag of tortilla chips.

Recipe: Cheesy Chile Crisp White Beans

7. Tuna Mayo Rice Bowl

Eric Kim’s five-minute recipe proves you can make a great meal without ever turning on the stove (the more than 8,000 comments from readers back this up). Grab a can of tuna, some mayo, leftover rice and whatever you want to sprinkle on top. Customizable and filling!

Recipe: Tuna Mayo Rice Bowl

8. Cinnamon Date Smoothie

When the craving for a cinnamon bun strikes but you don’t have that kind of time, Sohla El-Waylly’s smoothie is a welcome consolation prize. All you need is a handy-dandy blender, a few ingredients and a few minutes. Buttermilk is an excellent substitute for the tang of cream cheese icing, dates achieve that warm caramel sweetness and nutty flax seed offers that freshly baked aura. And cinnamon, of course.

Recipe: Cinnamon Date Smoothie

9. Chickpea Spinach Salad With Curry Yogurt Dressing

Yasmin Fahr’s sunny chickpea salad packs really well, making it a great on-the-go lunch for when you’re in back-to-back classes all day. You can throw all the ingredients into a container before you run out the door, or even make it a day ahead, as it gets better with time.

Recipe: Chickpea Spinach Salad With Curry Yogurt Dressing

10. Cheesy Baked Gnocchi With Spicy Tomato Sauce

In need of some easy weeknight comfort food? Look no further than this one-pot recipe from Yossy Arefi. Store-bought gnocchi simmers in tomato sauce (with as much crushed red pepper as you and your roommates can handle) and is topped with a blanket of melted mozzarella. Cheesy, hearty, delicious.

Recipe: Cheesy Baked Gnocchi With Spicy Tomato Sauce

11. Microwave Bacon

The easiest way to cook bacon is in … the microwave. For real! It’s also the quickest method, according to Genevieve Ko. Microwave on high power for 45 seconds per slice. If you have thick bacon, or if you like it extra crispy, microwave in 30-second bursts until you reach the desired doneness. Just make sure to cover the strips with a paper towel to soak up grease and prevent any splatter.

Recipe: Microwave Bacon

12. Peanut Butter Noodles

After a late-night cram session, this five-ingredient recipe from Eric Kim is exactly what you need. It’s ready in 20 minutes and uses a packet of ramen, so it’s a perfect meal for one. Everything comes together in a single pot, or as one clever reader suggested: “Save the dregs of peanut butter jars and plop the hot noodles inside along with other ingredients and swirl or shake. Clean jar and tasty noodles.”

Recipe: Peanut Butter Noodles

13. Microwave Nutella Pudding Cake

When you Google “mug cake,” you get millions of results. But this ooey-gooey version from Ali Slagle is the winner. Three ingredients, five minutes and a zap in the microwave, and you’ve got a deliciously warm chocolate-hazelnut lava cake for one.

Recipe: Microwave Nutella Pudding Cake

14. Tinned Fish Hand Rolls

With tinned fish, rice and your choice of crunchy vegetables, these hand rolls from Ali Slagle are endlessly customizable. But one ingredient is really worth keeping: “The clementines are revolutionary! That burst of juicy citrus along with the rice, fish and cucumber and dipped in soy sauce … oh boy,” one reader writes.

Recipe: Tinned Fish Hand Rolls

15. Mango Soft Serve

You don’t have to major in math to memorize this simple equation: Any frozen fruit + condensed milk = dessert right now. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s two-ingredient soft serve is perfect for when you need a sweet treat, fast. It can be eaten right after blending, or if you prefer a firmer texture closer to that of ice cream, put it in the freezer for an hour.

Recipe: Mango Soft Serve

16. Coconut-Gochujang Glazed Chicken With Broccoli

Winner, winner, 15-minute chicken dinner! Gochujang and coconut milk form the base of Kay Chun’s easy and flavorful sauce that coats succulent pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast. Serve with broccoli, rice or whatever greens and grains you have on hand.

Recipe: Coconut-Gochujang Glazed Chicken With Broccoli

17. Vegetarian Skillet Chili

Canned beans, which are hearty and affordable, are the star of this one-pot chili recipe from Melissa Clark. It has five stars, more than 10,000 ratings and only takes 30 minutes to prepare. “It blows my mind with its simplicity!” one reader wrote.

Recipe: Vegetarian Skillet Chili

18. Microwave-Steamed Eggs

The key to that perfect soft-set, wibble-wobble texture of steamed eggs is using your microwave at around 500 watts. This lower heat lets the eggs and broth steam together gently. Eric Kim’s 10-minute recipe is great for breakfast on its own — drizzled with the soy sauce and maple syrup — or for lunch or dinner alongside steamed rice.

Recipe: Microwave-Steamed Eggs

19. Chile Crisp and Honey Roasted Salmon

This five-ingredient recipe can make a mid-semester meal feel like a special occasion. Naz Deravian roasts a large salmon fillet that’s been covered with a sweet and spicy paste of chile crisp, mayonnaise and honey for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish). Eat it with a salad, roasted potatoes or crispy rice.

Recipe: Chile Crisp and Honey Roasted Salmon

20. Quinoa Salad

“Seriously, I CRAVE this salad and now usually have a big bowl of it in the refrigerator at all times,” one reader wrote about Ali Slagle’s lemony quinoa dish. Her recipe calls for cucumbers, bell pepper, olives and lots of parsley, but it’s really a choose-your-own-adventure. Feel free to add other briny, creamy, crunchy or herbaceous ingredients, like feta, avocado, arugula or fresh mint.

Recipe: Quinoa Salad

21. One-Pot Rice and Beans

Ali Slagle is a hero of one-pot cooking. In this 30-minute recipe, the rice cooks with the beans and the starchy liquid they’re canned in. Nothing goes to waste! For an extra kick, add some salsa to the stock. It’s cheap, filling and can be eaten at any time of day.

Recipe: One-Pot Rice and Beans

22. Microwave Baked Potato

Did you know that you can change the power level of your microwave? Do that, and you’ve got yourself a fluffy, evenly cooked potato. Genevieve Ko recommends 50-percent power for the perfect spud. Just make sure to poke holes all over the potato with a fork or knife beforehand to prevent it from exploding.

Recipe: Microwave Baked Potato

23. One-Pot Pasta With Ricotta and Lemon

In the time it takes to boil noodles and heat up a jar of store-bought sauce, you could have made Ali Slagle’s bright and easy pasta dish. Her no-cook sauce is a 50-50 mix of ricotta and Parmesan, with the zest and juice of one lemon thrown in. That’s it. Pick whatever pasta shape sparks joy and enjoy.

Recipe: One-Pot Pasta With Ricotta and Lemon

24. Classic Bean Salad

You can use any kind or combination of canned beans to make Melissa Clark’s salad, but a mix of white beans, chickpeas and red kidney beans makes it especially colorful. The best part is that it gets even better as it sits. Make a big bowl on Sunday, pop it in the fridge and you’ve got an easy, packable lunch for the week.

Recipe: Classic Bean Salad