Dinner Ideas for College Kids

• Cooking can be fun and inexpensive. cooking image by feferoni from Fotolia.com

  Money can be tight when attending college. You are increasing your education, but your appetite does not need to suffer from a thin wallet. Dinners need to be quick, cheap, filling and easy. All the better if there are some leftovers to heat up for a meal later. Pasta and chicken are good on their own, but these two recipes can be incorporated into one meal. Breakfast foods like eggs can be eaten anytime of the day.

Pasta Primavera

• Pasta is simple to cook and can take on many flavors. Pasta Primavera can be eaten hot or cold and is easy to transport to school the next day for lunch.

  Boil water in a pot with a dash or two of salt. When the water is boiling, pour in some pasta. Bow tie pasta, also called Farfalle, is recommended, but any type of past could be used as a substitute. Boil pasta until it is cooked to your liking, usually until soft and still holds its shape. Pour one bag of frozen mixed veggies into the pot with the pasta and water and heat the veggies through. Drain the water from the pasta and veggie mix and pour into a large bowl. quarter some cherry tomatoes and add on top of the pasta and veggie mix. Add salt, pepper, a little dried oregano and Parmesan cheese to your liking. Mix and enjoy.

Greek Chicken

• Leftover chicken is a time saver chicken image by jovica antoski from Fotolia.com

  If you are going to put in the time to make chicken, make plenty of it. Leftover chicken can be used in a variety of ways, making dinners for the next few days even more simple.

  Wash and remove the skin from the desired amount of chicken breasts, set it in a shallow bowl and set aside. Mix equal parts lemon juice and olive oil and 1-2 Tablespoons dried oregano. When making this liquid, make sure there is enough liquid to cover and marinate the chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the liquid over the chicken, cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 3-24 hours. Drain the chicken and either grill it or bake it in the over until done. Serve with rice, couscous, or some green salad.

  Leftover Greek Chicken can be used to make quesadillas, chicken salad, or incorporated into the pasta primavera recipe above.

Breakfast for Dinner

• Frittatas are nutritious and filling frittata image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com

  Breakfast can be cheap and filling and can be just as good for dinner. Pancakes and waffles can be made in bulk and frozen, then just pull them out and toast or microwave them. Eggs are quick, easy and nutritious. Spice things up with a frittata, a cool name for a fancy omelet.

  Crack six eggs into a bowl, add a splash of milk, stir and set aside. Chop some onions, spinach or other veggies into small pieces. Heat a frying pan with a little oil. Sauté the onions and veggies in the oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Once veggies are done to your liking, add the egg mixture and turn down the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for a few minutes. Open the cover, sprinkle your favorite cheese on top of the egg mixture, cover and let cook until eggs are finished in the middle and cheese has melted.

  The frittata can be eaten with sausage and toast for breakfast or with a side salad for a light lunch or dinner. Frittatas are very versatile and experimentation with types of veggies, meats and spices can be fun.