College Cookbook

As a fellow broke college student, this blog is dedicated to discovering healthy and cheap recipes.

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Shopping on a Budget

-Download apps like Ibotta or store apps in order to see what’s on sale and then plan your meals around that

-This website is amazing: https://www.freestufffinder.com, it shows you coupons and deals on brands and stores!  I’ve found some amazing deals on this website 

-Buy frozen pre-made burgers: First, you have an easy dinner and lunch.  Second, you can use the meet to make chili, tacos, etc from recipes like https://www.iheartnaptime.net/healthy-turkey-chili-recipe/  ,http://www.itscheatdayeveryday.com/low-carb-teriyaki-turkey-bowls/, or https://houseofyumm.com/best-ever-taco-meat/

-Make your own seasonings: Most pre-made seasonings are made with stuff around the kitchen.  You can add to your spice cabinet by buying dried herbs and other spices while saving money by making your own rubs and marinades! https://www.rachelcooks.com/2011/10/28/homemade-taco-seasoning/ 

-Buy almond milk: It takes longer to expire so you avoid throwing away any excess milk.

-Buy frozen fruit:  First, they’re an amazing snack. Second, your can add it to yogurt/milk/etc to make ice cream and other smoothies

-Buy greek yogurt:  This one is a little strange but it saves a few bucks.  First, you don’t need to buy sour cream since greek yogurt is a healthy substitute. Second, adding honey and peanut butter to make flavored yogurt.

IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS, LET ME KNOW!

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Hey guys! Sorry I’ve been a little MIA, but I thought I start posting my favorite recipes for cold weather:) I love crockpots.  I can meal prep the night before, set the crockpot, and let it cook while I go to class or work.  It honestly makes my life so much easier.  This Thai Basil Chicken Curry is the perfect recipe to warm you up after a cold or hard day at school/work.  It’s the perfect mix between spicy and sweet.  

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken breasts

1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice (or rice vinegar)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 onion, diced

1 diced jalapeño

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger

1/4 cup cilantro

1/3 cup basil

Note: For the cilantro and basil, I used dried herbs because they’re easier to store and they last a lot longer. 

Just add all the ingredients into the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 3 hours.  It makes a lot of food so I froze half and ate the rest over the week.  

Nutrition Facts: Calories 377, Fat 39g (Saturated 23g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 111mg, Sodium 462mg, Carbs 11g (Fiber 1g, Sugars 4g), Protein 21g

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Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

I made this recipe the other day and I HAD to share it.  I was amazed by how delicious, easy, and filling it was. It was my first time cooking with spaghetti squash and it was surprising easy to use and was delicious. 

PREP TIME 5 MINUTES

COOK TIME 50 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 55 MINUTES

1 medium spaghetti squash

2 chicken breast depending on how much chicken you prefer in your dish.

1 medium onion diced

2 tbsp butter/oil

2 cloves garlic grated

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 1/3 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Rub oil, salt and pepper on both sides of the squash

Lay squash on a pan lined with aluminum foil so that the cut side is face down.

Cut your chicken breast so you have four pieces of chicken. Place the chicken on the same pan, season with salt and pepper or some of you favorite seasonings.

Bake chicken and squash for 45 mins or until tender enough that a fork can easily penetrate the squash. When the squash is cooked, scrape the flesh with a fork to create noodles and dice your chicken in to small pieces (there are tons of videos on how to prepare a spaghetti squash if you’re a visual learner).

While the chicken and squash are cooking, sauté the onions and garlic in butter/oil over medium low heat until very soft.

Once everything is cooked combine the noodles, chicken, onion, yogurt, 1 cup of the cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Place the mixture back into the empty shells and top with the cheeses and place under the broiler until golden brown.

Personal Note: I cooked the squash and chicken before and froze it.  It kept fresh until I was ready to cook it (about a month later).  I just needed to add the yogurt, onions, and cheese and it was ready to go in 10/15 minutes. This is AMAZING considering I’m usually only feeding myself and don’t need a whole squash for one meal.  I also mixed some broccoli into my bowl to brighten it up. 

Nutritional Information

This recipe makes 6 servings if you are making it as a side dish and 3 servings if you are making it as a full meal item. 

Servings: 3

Calories: 300

Fat: 17 grams

Net carb: 2 grams

Protein: 32 grams

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So I love breakfast.  It’s my favorite meal of the day and, as such, I love to mix it up and try a bunch of things.  Plus, most breakfast foods and cheap and easy to make. I’m sure you’ve heard of overnight oats and if you haven’t tried them, DO IT! They’re quick and easy and they’re already made when you roll out of bed in the morning.  For the base of any Overnight Oats, you’ll need:

-½ Cup of ROLLED OATS

-¼ Cup of GREEK YOGURT

-½ Cup of MILK

-½ Tbsp of HONEY

-½ tsp of VANILLA

-Pinch of SALT

After that, have fun with it! You can add any fruit like blueberries, bananas, strawberries, etc to make “mock” fruit muffins.  My personal favorite combo involves ½ BANANA, 1 TBSP PEANUT BUTTER,  and a dash of CINNAMON.  Chocolate chia is also amazing! It’s not too sweet but still super tasty! Swap the honey for MAPLE SYRUP, add 1 ½ TBSP of unsweet cocoa powder and 1TBSP of Chia Seeds.  

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Welcome!

Welcome everyone!  If you’ve somehow found yourself on my blog, perhaps you're a college student who is looking for some cheap, healthy, and easy recipes to make at home.  Or maybe your lost.  If that's the case, stick around!  I love to cook but I don’t always have the money to spend on organic or crazy superfoods and other ingredients.  This blog is dedicated to creating fun, easy, cheap, and HEALTHY recipes!