College life is busy, between classes, jobs, and a social life. Cooking often gets pushed to the back burner, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. If you’re looking for an easy, satisfying, and flavorful dish, Shakshuka is a great choice! This dish by Holly on Spendwithpennies.com only requires one-pot and 30 minutes of your time. Shakshuka is a simple combination of poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. Its origins are debated but it has early ties to many North African countries. Today Shakshuka is a very popular dish in both North Africa and Middle Eastern countries, people enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home and in restaurants. It is also easy to customize and can be based on your preferences or adjusted depending on what’s in your pantry. Not only is it delicious and easy, but it is also nutritious, hearty, and perfect for any meal of the day!

Cost Breakdown

Recipe Making Process

Shakshuka is a simple sauce made up of red peppers, onions, and tomatoes. It is seasoned with incredible spices and cooked until it is a thick sauce. Red peppers are a great source of vitamin C, E, and A. Vegetables can be hard to incorporate into a college diet, but the benefits and nutrients they provide are crucial to a healthy diet. This recipe makes incorporating vegetables both easy and delicious.

The tomatoes are the bulk of the sauce and create a depth of flavor in the recipe. Fresh tomatoes are not always in season and can be quite expensive. Don’t fret! Canned tomatoes are an affordable and accessible option for college students. Canned tomatoes are a great way to save money for this recipe and they allow for a mess-free prep. Tomatoes are a great source of antioxidants and vitamins. Not only that, but they are truly tasty.

Eggs create a great source of protein within this recipe. Protein is an important part of a balanced and satisfying meal.

Shakshuka is simple and easy to make:

1. Add onions and garlic to a pot and cook until tender

2. Add diced red pepper and seasoning. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Add tomatoes and cook until thickened on simmer

Cooking the onions and garlic together creates a fragrant and flavorful meal. Adding the seasonings is crucial to the flavor and spice of this dish. The level of spice can be completely up to you!

From here, all you have to do is cook the eggs, right there in the pan by creating little wells for them to sit in. No extra dishes necessary!

Shakshuka can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is great for meal prepping and is easy to reheat on a stressful day for a college student!

Shakshuka is best served with toasted bread or roasted potatoes.

Easier than it sounds Shakshuka

Author: Ali, Allysa, Scout, Tatelyn Cuisine:Middle Eastern North African Courses:Lunch, Dinner Breakfast Brunch

Difficulty:BeginnerCook time: 25 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost: $ 13.50

Description

A simple, one pan nutritious meal for anytime of day.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Small Red Bell Peppers, diced
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, or to taste
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 28 Ounces Canned Whole Tomatoes, with juices
• 6 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Crush tomatoes with your hands (or a whisk) until they’re broken up, set aside.
2. In a 10″ skillet, cook onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add bell pepper and cook an additional 6-7 minutes or until very soft.
3. Add seasonings and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. Use the back of the spoon to gently create wells for the eggs. Crack an egg into each well.
5. Turn skillet down to simmer, cover with a lid, and gently simmer for 4-6 minutes or until eggs are set.
6. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with toast or roasted potatoes.

Video

Notes

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave and refresh flavors with salt and pepper.

Keywords:easy, Eating in college, Healthy, inexpensive, nutritious, one pot, simple

Cost Breakdown

We were surprised at how simple and fun this recipe is to make! It takes little time and preparation, so it is perfect for a busy college student. This recipe will teach you many food skills such as how to safely cook chicken tenders with the cooking method of roasting. To properly roast the chicken, you can heat the baking sheet in the oven first and then place the chicken on the hot pan to cook for 15 minutes in the oven. Test the temperature with a thermometer to make sure the chicken is done and safe to eat.

We recommend making this in the summer or fall because that is when the produce is the best, but it works well at any time of year! To make this recipe more cost friendly you can buy generic brands of the chicken, beans, or the yogurt. You can also not add the yogurt dressing, or the kale for a cheaper outcome that will still be delicious! Worried about the cost of the chicken? It most likely won’t all be used for this recipe, so you can freeze the rest and use it for another meal! One tip we have is to cut up the vegetables before beginning the cooking process so everything goes smoothly. We will show you some knife skills to use to cut the onion and peppers nice and even in the pictures below.

A lot of the ingredients will be cooked in the same pan, which makes it a simple recipe to follow, and fewer dishes to be done. This is also a very healthy and balanced meal with carbs, healthy fats, and protein. It is only 343 calories and a great source of protein (43g)! The finished product should look like a bowl full of veggies and chicken, seasoned to your liking. We think it tastes as delicious as it looks. We hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as we have!

Expand your culinary creations by trying out a Thai flavored dish that is sure to impress your friends with its yummy flavors. Making new or foreign flavored foods can feel intimidating but we have split this recipe into easy steps to follow and you are sure to succeed! Only two cooking techniques are needed and if you want a simpler dish you can simply forgo sautéing the chicken or even adding some precooked shredded chicken if you are worried about cooking raw meat. We take a piece of chicken out of the pan in our video below and cut it open to show you what fully cooked chicken looks like to help. The other technique used is boiling, and while salt isn’t called for in the recipe adding salt to water helps the water boil and also adds a little flavor to the noodles.

When you are making the sauce don’t be worried if you feel like the ingredients aren’t fully combining and it looks lumpy. When you add the sauce to freshly drained noodles in the warm pot the leftover heat will help to smooth out the sauce. If it still stays lumpy feel free to turn the heat on to low to help smooth out the sauce and remove the lumps. At first the sauce will be fairly thin, if you would like it to be thicker you can keep it on the low heat or let it sit for a few minutes before you serve it to thicken it up. Use the toppings we provided or feel free to add any of your own that sound good to you! See the video below for each step in the cooking process.

Cost Breakdown

No one wants to pay an arm and a leg for a yummy meal. We have broken down all of the costs needed for the ingredients. Feel free to substitute with whatever form of the ingredient you already own, no need to buy a specific kind or specifically fresh garlic, lime or ginger. For a single serving you could also simply make a pack of ramen noodles and then add a 1/4 of the sauce to it for some tasty Thai flavored noodles!

Thai Peanut Noodles

Author: Thursday Group 3 Cooking Method:Boiling Sautéing Cuisine:Thai Courses:Lunch, Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 25 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:405 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

A delicious and simple Thai dish that will add some fun variety to your weekly meals and add a new dish to your weekly staples. Warm flavors blend together with the nutty flavor of the peanut butter to create a satisfying meal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 3 Tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1-2 tsp Sriracha Chili Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Minced Ginger
• 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Honey
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
• 8 oz Linguine Noodles
• Green Onions (to taste)
• Cilantro (to taste)
• Peanuts (to taste)
• 1 Lime
• 1 Chicken Breast

Instructions

1. Gather the ingredients and grab a pot, bowl, and pan.
2. Add water a little salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling add noodles.
3. Heat pan with oil for chicken and while it’s heating cut chicken into bit size cubes.
4. Once pan is hot add chicken and season to taste ex: salt, pepper, garlic, or onion.
5. While the chicken is cooking combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a bowl and stir with a fork until mostly combined. It will still be a little lumpy don’t worry!
6. Drain water from noodles and while in the pot add sauce and chicken and stir.
7. Chop green onions, quarter lime, and chop peanuts for toppings
8. Serve into bowls and top with green onions, cilantro, lime, and peanuts.
9. Eat and Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• – Ingredients like garlic, lime, and ginger can be from any kind.
• – Proteins are interchangeable, substitute chicken for tofu, shrimp, pork etc.
• -Feel free to use whichever kind of noodles you prefer.

Keywords:easy, international, nutritious, yummy, noodles

There is a lot of beauty in simplicity, and this recipe is exactly that. The few cooking techniques that are needed for this is breading (which is explained in the recipe below) and baking. Since the cooking technique used here is a dry technique, we have included helpful tips and reminders for anyone of any level of skill: preheat the oven BEFORE you begin the recipe, set a timer that is split up into two times in order to flip it halfway through, and how to tell when the chicken is cooked thoroughly. This last tip is particularly important because no one wants to bite into half-cooked chicken! From our own procedure, we agree that the best way to gauge its readiness is to examine the outer crust of the chicken, which should be a deep golden brown, not pale or soggy. And if you want further proof, cut open the thickest part of the chicken in the MIDDLE of the pan, and see if there is any pinkness left. If not, you are good! If you don’t want to ruin the look of the chicken, poke a thermometer into the meat and make sure it reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

These may seem like tedious details, but it is incredibly important in order to create a safe, crispy product. We hope that this recipe can teach you proper roasting techniques, so that you can become a pro for other recipes in the future!

When experimenting with our recipe, it became clear some things which may seem like a good idea at first are not as effective as one might hope. In the original experiment we decided to double coat our chicken with the butter milk and dry mixture, this ended up creating a semi-soggy coating even after cooking thoroughly; in this case more is not always more.

When it comes to serving the chicken after cooking, it’s best to decide some dishes to serve with it beforehand if you aren’t in a rush or are cooking for more than one. Since the chicken provides the bulk of protein in the meal it’s good to pair it with some roasted veggie or in the summer maybe some fresh cut fruit to add variety to the palette. A classic addition would be any sort of grain like rice or pasta.

Additionally, another option would be fried potatoes or coleslaw! This would be best served as a backyard barbecue treat, or a nice meal on a snowy day to deter the winter scaries.

Oven “Fried” Chicken

Author: Thursday Group 1 Cooking Method:dry heat oven Cuisine:Classic American Courses:Lunch, Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time: 35 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A quick but delicious fix to any college student’s end of day hunger. After a full day at school or work the first thing you want to do is eat something amazing but the last thing you want to do is cook it. With this oven fried chicken you are getting the best of both worlds.

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk
• 4 tbsp of melted butter
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp of seasoning salt (Lawry’s brand works great)
• 1/3 tsp of black pepper
• 1 1/3 tsp of paprika

Instructions

1. Prep: Thaw and soak chicken the night before if possible. If not, one half-hour before cooking is fine as well. Cut into thick strips (about 3 per breast) and soak in buttermilk in the fridge. 
2. Set oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Get a 15 x 19in baking tray. Line with parchment paper. Melt the butter (10-15 sec in the microwave) and brush onto the paper with a food brush or with a paper towel. 
4. Make coating: Combine Panko, flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a gallon zip-lock bag (amount of coating can be adjusted if you want to add a second coating).
5. Coat chicken: Put chicken in zip-lock bag and shake well to coat.
6. Bake the chicken: Space the chicken out of the baking sheet with room to breathe. Put them into the 145F oven and bake for 10 min.
7. After 10 min, flip them gently with tongs or a spatula. Drizzle some cooking oil onto the pan if it is dry, to help the bottoms of the breast crisp up in the oven. Cook another 10 min. 
   
   Check temp has reached 165F for at least 15 sec. If needed, bake an additional 5-10 min. Pull and let sit 2 min on a paper towel to soak up excess oil before serving.

Video

Notes

• You can soak the chicken in buttermilk for up to overnight. This makes prep a little easier and the chicken more flavorful.
• You can customize the seasonings to whatever you want! Try out Cajun, spicy, Italian, Korean, sesame, ranch, and so many more!
• You can add a little bit of baking powder to the breading (¼ tsp per batch). This increases volume and surface area of the breading and makes the skin crispier.
• Spray some cooking oil on the chicken before baking to achieve more of a deep-fried texture with less oil.
• While the chicken bakes, you can make side dishes: coleslaw, salad, steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, or anything else you would like! Also consider whipping up some homemade dipping sauce of your choice!

Keywords:budget-friendly, quick dinner, chicken lovers, easy-to-make, college diet, finger food, home-style

One of the best parts of these muffins is their versatility. If zucchini is not your preferred vegetable, or you want to make these into a sweet fall treat, you can use apples instead. If you want to make these muffins a little sweeter, you can add your choice of chocolate chips into the batter before baking. Even sprinkling a little granulated sugar on top will add a perfect tasty crunch!  There are so many options to make these muffins your own, so get creative, and I promise you will never get bored of them!

The baking process is super simple, so even if you are new to the kitchen, or just don’t have any fancy tools, this recipe is for you! All you need are mixing bowls, a spatula, a whisk or fork, muffin tins, and an oven. After preheating the oven, the first step is mixing the dry ingredients. Next, you mix the wet ingredients. Once mixed, you combine the wet ingredients with the dry. Finally, you add in the zucchini and mix lightly. Divide evenly into muffin tins and then cook for about 17-22 minutes until light and fluffy. 

If you are concerned about the cost of these ingredients, we have a cost breakdown provided for you. If you want to make it even cheaper you can visit the SNAC pantry on campus. Additionally, a lot of people have an excess of fresh zucchini from their gardens and give it away to food banks and neighbors. Splitting the cost of baking ingredients with a friend or roommate can also relieve some financial stress. 

Overall, we love these muffins. They allow college students to make healthier choices for themselves by choosing whole grains and zucchini. Zucchini is low in calories, high in fiber, and is a good source of Vitamin C which makes it a great way to add nutrients to a not-as-nutritious food like muffins. Not only do you get to incorporate more healthful foods into your diet, but you will also build confidence in your abilities in the kitchen. And most importantly, these zucchini muffins are delicious! Bon Appetit!

Cost Breakdown

As shown above, this recipe is budget friendly (and gives you your veg for the day) because even the brokest of us need and deserve a delicious treat to get us through the day (or even to start our day).

First Things First

When making this recipe it is important to remember that you are incorporating a wet vegetable into the batter, which affects consistency. When we made this recipe, our batter was running dry even after mixing in the oil and eggs. We ended up using an extra teaspoon of oil and not squeezing all the water out of the zucchini to get our batter to the right consistency and it made the end result moist and delicious! You could hold back on extra oil and instead not squeeze your zucchini dry, this could also help retain the water soluble vitamins and minerals.

The other thing to keep in mind is what you desire out of your muffin. Do you want it to be a sweet treat or feel like it hits the healthy spot. This can determine how much sugar you use, what kind of chocolate chips you use, and the type of flour. We wanted a mix of both when we made ours so we did 3/4 cup of sugar, with semi sweet/dark chocolate chips.

When mixing, you don’t want to over mix it because then you can find yourself with a dense mess of a muffin. It can also make your muffins not look as appealing (which doesn’t matter if you’re eating them yourself but can be a pain if trying to make an impression) because they will cook differently and won’t rise up to perfection. You want it to be just barely incorporated, which leads to fluffy, melt in your mouth finished product.

You’ll want to use a scoop to divide your mix into the muffin tins, or if you don’t have one you can spoon the portions in. But a scoop is preferable because it gives you even portions in each tin to ensure even baking. Another thing to consider when cooking is that the oven should be preheated and you want to clean up any spillage on your muffin tin, otherwise it can lead to burning or weird looking muffins. Use an oven light if you can, which is preferred to opening the oven too soon, as this could also deflate your muffins. We didn’t have an oven light and so we waited for the 20 minutes before we opened the oven up and stuck the muffins with a toothpick. Ours came out clean but you can adjust your time based off of how the muffin top looks and if your toothpick comes out clean.

Zucchini Muffins

Author: Thursday Group 2 Courses:Breakfast Snack Vegetarian

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:12 servingsCalories:186 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

These simple and delicious zucchini muffins are an easy way to consume veggies and whole grains on a daily basis. There are a lot of variations, so you can make the recipe your own. They are fast and perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or snack.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar*
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil**
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour***
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely shredded zucchini****
• 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• course sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well-combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula 3-4 times until the batter starts to come together but there are still streaks of flour throughout.
5. Stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips, if using, until the batter is just combined. Don’t over mix! It’s okay if the batter is still slightly lumpy.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin. Add a few chocolate chips to the top of each muffin for a prettier chocolate chip appearance (totally optional). If making the batter without chocolate chips, sprinkle a bit of raw or coarse sugar over the top of the muffins (again, optional, but super delicious).
7. Bake for 17-22 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch.
8. Let cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• * use 1/2 cup for less sweet muffin
• ** can use alternative oils (avocado, coconut, or vegetable)
• *** can use alternative flours (all- purpose , wheat, etc.)
• **** gently squeeze out excess water
• You can use apples to substitute the zucchini if desired

Keywords:Bread, Comfort food, delicious, Homemade, inexpensive, nutritious, Quick, simple, veggie

Nutrition information (per Serving)

Serving: 1 muffin

Calories: 186 kcal

Carbohydrates: 26g,

Protein: 3g, Fat:9g,

Saturated Fat: 2g,

Cholesterol: 29 mg,

Sodium:206 mg,

Fiber: 2g,

Sugar: 16g

The Ingredients:

This recipe is simple to make with ingredients you have at home. With each ingredient able to be adjusted for personal preference and budget, this recipe allows flexibility for nutrition and price. To follow the recipe, use coconut flour, protein powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, dark chocolate chocolate chips, and coconut oil.

Substitution Ideas:

• Honey or agave can replace maple syrup, for personal preference.
• Different nut butters can replace peanut butter for allergies or preference. Seed butters, like sunflower seed butter, are a good substitute for those allergic to nuts.
• Chocolate chips can be milk, dark, or white chocolate.
• Most protein powders can be used for price flexibility, different flavor profiles, and personal preference.
  

Additional Protein Powder Notes:

Casein, brown rice, or paleo protein powder is preferred. Whey protein is not recommended, as the texture can be incredibly sticky and won’t form the bars well.
If your batter is too thick/crumbly, add water or milk until a firm batter remains.

We chose PB2 as our protein powder. Regular PB2 is a powdered peanut butter that you add water to to reconstitute. If you would like to use the protein, make sure you get the “Peanut Protein” version. We like this protein powder because it is protein derived from peanuts and brown rice, it provides 20 grams of protein per serving, and it uses monk fruit extract as a sweetener for a great no calorie natural sugar alternative.

Directions:

1. Line a deep pan with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars, use any size bigger.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well.
3. In a small mixing bowl, melt your peanut butter with sticky sweetener until combined.
4. Add to dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
5. Transfer protein bar batter into the lined baking dish and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
6. Once firm, cut into bars and cover in optional dark chocolate and enjoy!

Chocolate (optional):

Let’s be honest – the only thing that would make these simple protein bars better is a smooth, dark chocolate top. When applying, you can cover the top while still in the pan, or slice and remove to dip fully. The more, the better, right? Melt your chocolate chips with a spoonful of coconut oil for a smoother finish, and place back in the freezer for a final set.

Nutrition, storage, and more:

When cut into 12 different bars, each bar contains approximately 20g protein. For peanut butter lovers this is it! The PB2 used creates a smooth consistency that makes your mouth water. The dark chocolate on top creates a dessert-feeling snack that is healthy and helps you achieve your goals. Protein helps build and repair muscle in the body, provides energy, and keeps you healthy. These are better cold so throw them in the freezer or fridge depending on your needs. If you need a snack in an hour or two but don’t have time to go home, you can take one out of the freezer and it will thaw by the time you want to eat. If you want one as your heading to class take one out of the fridge and eat it on your way!

Nutrition:

Serving: 1 Bar
Calories: 150kcal
Carbohydrates: 5g
Protein: 20g
Fat: 7g
Sodium: 109mg
Potassium: 150mg
Fiber: 3g
Vitamin A: 9IU
Calcium: 20mg
Iron: 1mg

References:

thebigmansworld.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-protein-bars-keto-sugar-free-vegan/

This recipe is from an established food blog called All Recipes. As a busy college student, I love finding recipes that are budget friendly and that will leave me with quick leftovers throughout the week. Growing up, I was never disappointed when my mom announced that we were having chicken pot pie for dinner. Being able to recreate this dish while being away from home is the perfect way to find joy and comfort through a nutritious meal. I also love that this recipe teaches how to make your own easy pie crust! Since learning how to make this crust, I can use this same recipe for other dishes such as quiche, empanadas, and dessert pies. It is an overall versatile and easy recipe to follow.

Cost Breakdown

Recipe Making Process

Gathering ingredients for this recipe at local grocery stores is a breeze because each ingredient is a kitchen staple. In fact, it is likely that you already have most of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry! Carrots and celery are in season during the fall and winter seasons, which can make the meal even cheaper to make. Any other vegetables can be substituted in for the filling, such as corn. Having the chicken breast already thawed, helped with speeding up the preparation/cooking process. It can also be helpful to have the carrots and celery pre-chopped to make cooking time run smoother. I like to have the chicken and vegetables boiling while I am working on my pie crust. This recipe uses baking and boiling as its two main cooking methods. Each step should be simple and clear to follow, leaving you with a beautiful, golden brown, pie!

This chicken pot pie recipe is sure to be a winner for you as it’s been for me. It’s packed full of flavor and the flaky texture of the pie crust paired with the warm filling will leave you wanting more. It’s budget friendly and most ingredients can be frozen (chicken and peas) or used for other recipes (flour, salt and pepper). A tip that I would recommend is letting the pie set for 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the pie to set and cool, which makes serving it super easy! If you find your crust is getting too dark/burning as you are cooking, you can cover  it with aluminum foil to avoid the crust burning as it may cook faster than the rest ofthe dish. This recipe makes 1 pie or 8 servings, but if you won’t be eating it all in one sitting it makes great leftovers.

Chicken Pot Pie

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Boiling Baking Cuisine:All American comfort food Courses:Lunch, Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:300 kcal Best Season:Winter

Description

Versatile for your schedule. This recipe can be made ahead of time and then assembled and baked or assembled and frozen to be enjoyed later. It makes a full pie, so you will have many leftovers for busy days.

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 1 cup butter, diced and chilled
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-4 Tbsp cold water

Pot Pie Filling

• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk

Instructions

Pie Crust – with food processor

1. Make sure your butter is diced and cold before starting. Make sure you’re using ice water also.
2. Combine flour and salt in food processor. Pulse once to mix.
3. Add butter and process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse, a few times. I always add a second tablespoon of water and pulse until the dough forms a ball. This takes a few seconds. If you find your mixture is too dry, you can add another tablespoon of water, one teaspoon at a time.
4. Turn the dough out onto a silicone baking mat, if you have one. If you don’t, you’ll need to flour your surface. Press the dough ball into a disk and roll to about 1/4″ thickness. If it sticks to the rolling pin, place a sheet of wax paper on top of the dough so you don’t have to add more flour. Be sure to flip and rotate your dough as you go so it does not stick to your surface. Roll out the dough to a few inches larger than your pie plate (about 12″ for a 9″ pie plate).
5. Place in pie plate and press to fit. Tuck under any overhang and crimp or use the tines of a fork to decorate the edges. Chill until ready to fill.
6. If mixing crust by hand: Add flour, butter, and salt to a large bowl. Cut your butter in using a pastry cutter. Work in one tablespoon of water at a time. I find I need to use 2-3 tablespoons of water when I’m doing this by hand.
   
   Turn the dough out onto a silicone baking mat, if you have one. If you don’t, you’ll need to flour your surface. Press the dough ball into a disk and roll to about 1/4″ thickness. If it sticks to the rolling pin, place a sheet of wax paper on top of the dough so you don’t have to add more flour. Be sure to flip and rotate your dough as you go so it does not stick to your surface. Roll out the dough to a few inches larger than your pie plate (about 12″ for a 9″ pie plate).
   
   Place in pie plate and press to fit. Tuck under any overhang and crimp or use the tines of a fork to decorate the edges. Chill until ready to fill.

Filling and Assembling Pie

7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
8. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
9. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
10. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Learning how to make a chicken pot pie helps growing knowledge in food and nutrition, because it is a well-rounded meal that includes protein, vegetables, dairy, and grains. It also is useful in developing food skills because the basic pie crust recipe can be used on a variety of other dishes! Once mastering a chicken pot pierecipe such as this one, it is easy to adjust the ingredients and use the learned skills to put together more nutritious meals. This leads to a new-found confidence and self-efficacy both in the kitchen and with your ability to provide nutritious meals for yourself and your loved ones. Understanding ecological factors such as what vegetables are in season, can be helpful in making seasonal modifications. While making a chicken pot pie, skills in both boiling and baking are practiced as well. Truly, a chicken pot pie recipe is ideal for increasing overall food literacy.

Keywords:budget-friendly, Comfort food, crowd pleaser, easy, pie, savory

Energy bites are more than fast food. The peanut butter packs a punch of protein, while oats help stabilize blood sugar, provide antioxidants linked to heart health, and improve digestion through their fiber content. Omega-3 fatty acids have links to brain and heart health, chia seeds are a terrific source of healthy fats to support cell function and nutrient retention, and taken together the ingredients have more health benefits than can be listed here.

The recipe price is low, and it can be easily adapted based on local ingredients, seasonal flavors, or whatever you have on hand for a fast, delicious, and nutritious snack any time of the day. All of the ingredients for the energy bites can be found in a grocery store.

Cost Breakdown

Additional Budget Friendly Tips

• There is no fresh produce or ingredients in this recipe, so the quality of the ingredients comes down to price and personal preference. This also makes it easy to save by buying in bulk and storing the ingredients, or making a large batch of the energy bites and freezing them.
• Other options to reduce price include shopping around, exploring local farmers markets, or dropping by the SNAC pantry. The food at the pantry is subject to change, but staples such as peanut butter and oatmeal are almost sure to be found there and the option can shave several dollars off the recipe cost.

Recipe Making Process

• To make the recipe, simply gather together the ingredients and measure them out, then follow the recipe to combine and shape the energy bites. Collecting and measuring the ingredients prevents the nasty surprise of an impromptu grocery trip and simplifies the process over all.

• The tools needed for this recipe include measuring cups, a tablespoon measure, a mixing bowl, a spoon, and a cookie tray. A rubber spatula can also be helpful for handling sticky ingredients such as peanut butter and honey, or a quick spritz of cooking spray to the measuring cup before measuring out the ingredients works just as well or even better as it means one less dish to wash. The final tool vital to this recipe are your own hands!
• A scooper can be used to measure out and shape the finished dough, but approximating the amounts and molding the bites by hand works just as well without the need for extra tools.
• If the dough is sticky, feel free to pop it in the fridge for a couple of minutes to let it firm up before shaping the bites. Adding a bit of water to your hands, no more than is needed to make them damp, can also prevent sticking.

Reflection of the Process

When done correctly, these energy bites can’t go wrong. The energy bites should turn out perfectly every time, with evenly mixed balls that stay intact for as long as they last. While not the prettiest looking snack, these energy bites make up for appearance in taste and speed. The chocolate chips melt in your mouth, mixing with the peanut butter to create a delicious flavor with just enough sweetness. The flax seeds, coconut, and oats add a satisfying texture to every bite.

The recipe is easy to make, so easy that one person commented it felt like cheating, and takes less than twenty minutes to prepare. For a bit of extra multitasking, listen to a recorded lecture, run through some notes, or use the time as a well deserved study break.

Overall, remember that this recipe is for the person making it. While the recipe is terrific as is, feel free to make changes to the recipe based on allergies, taste, and seasonal ingredients. If peanuts aren’t a good option, peanut butter can be replaced with almond butter or another similar choice. Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be replaced with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, M&M’s, or anything else in the pantry. This recipe is easily adaptable to all tastes and occasions. There’s nothing stopping you from giving it a try!

Energy Bites

Author: Food Literacy Students Cuisine:American Courses:Snacks

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time: 20 minutesServings:20 servingsCalories:157 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

Energy bites are an easy grab and go snack that can be stored in the freezer or the fridge for a quick boost of energy throughout the day. These satisfying treats have a delicious peanut butter chocolate twist and a wealth of nutrients-–including all the essential amino acids for a complete plant-based protein, omega-3 fatty acids that help with brain and heart health, vital macronutrients such as healthy fats and carbohydrates for energy and nutrient retention, plenty of dietary fiber to help with digestion, and many more!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Add the peanut butter and honey to a medium size mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Then add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly

Video

Notes

• Fun fact, these energy bites last up to three months in the freezer.

Keywords:easy, Easy to freeze, easy to modify, Quick, simple

Are you a busy college student? Do you miss warm, homemade meals? Well we have a solution for you!

We are going to make a simplified homemade chicken pot pie. This recipe is cost effective, healthy, and quick. Between classes, working, and blooming social lives, college students have busy schedules. They don’t have the time, skills, or supplies to cook gourmet meals, however, they do need to eat balanced meals to sustain their lifestyle. This chicken pot pie is perfect because it has minimal ingredients, yet is packed full of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates. You might not have time to slave away in the kitchen all day, which is why this recipe if perfect; you get the homemade taste without the time burden. Now that your mouth is watering, lets learn how to make it!

See video of each step below recipe!

Cost Breakdown

See below for the cost breakdown. Surprisingly, this recipe is relatively cheap, especially if you get ingredients from the USU SNAC Pantry. SNAC pantry ingredients may include mixed vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, and cream of chicken soup.

We highly recommend you try making this recipe as it is an inexpensive and healthy way to fuel your body. We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Campfire Chicken Pot Pie

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Pan-fry Baking Cuisine:American homemade Courses:Lunch Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 45 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time: 55 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This recipe from Allrecipes.com can easily be adapted to your liking. You can use fresh, frozen or canned ingredients, seasonings and overall size of the pot pie. We love the simplicity of the recipe and the enhanced flavor it provides.

Ingredients

• 2 (29 oz) cans mixed vegetables with potatoes
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 large cooked chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 (10 oz) can refrigerated biscuit dough

Instructions

1. 1. Gather ingredients and then prepare your chicken (canned or rotisserie chicken can also be used). Cube the chicken breasts and pan fry them in salt, pepper, and onion powder.
   
2. 2. If you want to make one large pot pie – flatten half the biscuit dough and lay it on the bottom of the casserole dish. If you would rather make mini pot pies for individual portions – flatten small portions of the dough and lay on the bottom of muffin tins.
   
3. 3. Mix together the filling which includes the canned mixed vegetables, cream of chicken soup, and cream of mushroom soup. Add the prepared chicken and stir all together.
   
4. 4. Fill your casserole dish or muffin tins with the filling. Then add another layer of flattened biscuit dough to the top.
   
5. 5. Bake in the over at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the dough is golden brown. Let cool and serve!
   

Video

Notes

• When serving a group it is recommended to make a larger casserole dish of pot pie, however when cooking for one or batch cooking for one, the muffin tins work perfect!
• To cut down on time and ingredients, we used refrigerated biscuit dough instead of homemade dough.
• Fresh or frozen vegetables can be used in place of the canned vegetables.
• It is easy to change the chicken to vegetable ratio depending on your dietary needs. If you need more protein, add more chicken!

Keywords:homemade, easy, simple

Reference: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237960/campfire-chicken-pot-pie/