For many new students, cooking for themselves is a totally new experience. It's no coincidence that the phrase 'student food' usually brings to mind instant noodles and cereal for dinner! Cooking doesn't have to be difficult, expensive or time-consuming, and at the end of a long day in uni there's nothing better than a home cooked meal.

We've put together recipe cards for five simple, versatile meals that you can make easily on a budget!

All these recipes feed four hungry people (if you want to be the most popular person in halls!) but they can be halved easily for smaller portions.

 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients

1 Onion

2 Garlic Cloves

1 Celery Stick

1 Carrot

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

250g Beef Mince

400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 Tbsp Tomato Puree

1 Tsp Oregano

300g Spaghetti

Grated Cheese (to serve)

 

Method

• Finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot and celery
• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the vegetables and sweat until soft (about 5-10 minutes), then transfer to a bowl
• In the same pan, add the remaining oil and the beef mince. Fry until browned, draining off any excess fat
• Add the cooked vegetables to the mince, along with the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper
• Bring to a simmer, then cook on a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring regularly. Add a splash of boiling water if the sauce looks a bit dry
• 10 minutes before the sauce is ready, cook the spaghetti to packet instructions
• Serve with grated cheese or parmesan

Go Vegan: Swap out the beef mince for 200g of red lentils, boiled for 10 minutes and drained, and use a sprinkling of nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.

Go Gluten-Free: Many supermarkets now sell gluten-free pasta which you can use instead of spaghetti.

 

Thai Green Curry and Rice (GF)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Vegetable or Sunflower Oil

¼ Jar Thai Green Curry Paste (more if you like it spicy)

400g Tin Coconut Milk

1 Tsp Fish Sauce

400g Chicken Breast (sliced into strips)

100g Green Beans or Mangetout

100g Baby Corn

300g Basmati Rice

Lime Wedges (to serve)

Fresh Coriander (to serve)

 

Method

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and fry for a minute or two, until fragrant
• Add the coconut milk and fish sauce and bring to a simmer
• In another pan, put the rice on to cook according to packet instructions
• Add the chicken strips to the curry sauce, cover the pan and leave to cook for 5 minutes
• Add the vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes
• Once the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, serve the curry over rice with lime wedges and coriander to garnish

Go Vegan: Swap the chicken for 400g mixed mushrooms and use a splash of soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

Go Healthy: Use light coconut milk and swap the basmati rice for brown (don't forget that brown rice takes longer to cook - you'll need to put this on first!).

 

Veggie Fajitas (V)

Ingredients

1 Red Pepper

1 Yellow Pepper

1 Green Pepper

200g Mushrooms

1 Red Onion

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tsp Ground Cumin

1 Tsp Ground Coriander

½ Tsp Chili Flakes

100g Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

To serve:

Flour Tortillas

Grated Cheese

Sliced Avocado

Sour Cream

 

Method

• Prepare the vegetables - cut the onions into half moons, the peppers into thin strips and the mushrooms into slices
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat
• Add the vegetables and spices to the pan. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently
• Add the cherry tomatoes 5 minutes before the end of cooking time
• Serve with tortillas, avocado, sour cream and grated cheese - let everyone build their own!

Go Vegan: Swap the sour cream for houmous and the cheese for a vegan alternative. If you want an extra protein boost, add a tin of drained kidney beans or chickpeas to the vegetable mix.

Go Thrifty: This cooked fajita mix can be eaten cold for lunches too - try it with couscous, or in a pitta bread with lots of salad.

 

Leek and Potato Soup (VE) (GF)

Ingredients

1 Medium Onion

2 Leeks

300g White Potatoes

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1.5 Litres Vegetable Stock

Crusty Bread (to serve)

 

Method

• Prepare the vegetables - thinly slice the onion, wash and slice the leeks, and peel and dice the potatoes
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the vegetables and sweat gently until the onions and leeks are soft, about 10 minutes
• Add the vegetable stock, season well and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft
• If you have an immersion blender you can use it to pulse the soup until it's your desired texture - if not, use a potato masher to break up some of the potatoes to thicken the soup
• Serve hot with plenty of crusty bread

Go Indulgent: Swap 250ml of the stock for single cream, and scatter crispy bacon bits on top for a meaty crowd-pleaser.

Go Thrifty: This soup will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, or it can be frozen for up to a month.

 

Apple Crumble (V)

Ingredients

600g Cooking Apples (such as Bramley)

2 Tbsp Golden Caster Sugar

1 Tsp Cinnamon

100g Porridge Oats

100g Plain Flour

100g Cold Butter (cubed)

100g Golden Caster Sugar

Custard or Ice Cream (to serve)

 

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5
• Peel and core the apples, then chop into 1cm chunks
• In a deep ovenproof dish, toss the apples with the sugar and cinnamon
• Put the flour, oats, sugar and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs
• Pour the crumble mixture evenly over the apples, then press down gently with a fork
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the apples are soft

Go Vegan: Use a dairy-free butter substitute in the crumble topping, and serve with dairy-free ice cream or oat cream.

Go Indulgent: Swap 100g of the apples for blackberries or raspberries, or add crushed walnuts to the crumble instead of porridge oats.