Here you go.

College Cookbook

ann_t (wonderful culinarian, superb photographer and hot babe):

I get this:

"Whoops!

I couldn't find that message, but there are plenty more in the Cooking Forum."

... when I click on your link.

Joe

Well that is weird.

I'll try again.

College Cookbook

Is he in a dorm or an apartment? If he's in apartment with actual cooking tools, the cookbook ann_t listed looks good.

Many dorms allow no cooking beyond heating up a pre-packaged meal. My son's dorm had a mini-refrigerator/microwave unit. No other appliances were allowed.

If he's in a dorm room, have you seen it? In my son's room (a double room), there was no running water, no place to clean any cooking tools, except the bathroom shared with another 2 people. (4 college boys = not a clean sink).

They were able to keep cereal, bread, milk and snacks in the fridge - but seriously, there's no room for any substantial foodstuffs, especially if there is a roommate.

Thanks Ann, but that's the one I started when I was looking for cookbooks. It seems to me that there was a thread that someone was looking for easy meals for their child that was also going off to college. .
Mary, It is a dorm that is a apartment. He will have roommates. They will have all the appliances. They just need to supply everything else, (Their own dishes, pots, etc).
Thanks.

Two good sources:

the Five Ingredient cookbooks

The Kitchen Survival Guide by Lora Brody

f you can convince him to use a crock pot, he can make easy, less expensive meals that will cook while he is in class. I would suggest a used, but working, crock pot from a thrift store or yard sale. The older models don't cook as hot as the newer ones. There are tons of crock pot recipes on the internet, many that just combine a few ingredients w/o a lot of prep work.

Here is a link to a similar request over on the Recipe Exchange:

Here is a link that might be useful: That Home Site!

Here are a few simple recipes that taste good.

Chili Cheese Cornbread

2 cans chili w/ beans (or 2-3 cups homemade chili)
grated cheddar cheese, about 1 cup
1 box Jiffy cornbread (corn muffin) mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Spread chili in a greased 7 x 11 baking dish. Top with cheese. Stir milk and egg into cornbread mix and spread on top. Bake at 375 degrees until cornbread is golden brown and tests done with a toothpick.

Easy Chicken Wraps

1 pkg. flour tortillas
2-3 fresh tomatoes
1 bottle ranch dressing
1 jar hot wing sauce (mild or hot)
1 pkg. frozen breaded or plain chicken breasts

Cook chicken as directed on package then cut into slices. Heat tortillas in microwave just briefly to warm. Place a tortilla on a plate, add chicken slices, chopped tomatoes, wing sauce and ranch dressing drizzled on to taste.

Ramen Vegetable Soup

1/4 to 1 pound leftover beef or poultry (ground or cubed)
1 bag frozen Oriental vegetables
2 pkg. Oriental Ramen soup noodles
3 cups water

In a soup pot, cook meat until done if not already cooked. Add frozen veggies along with 3 cups of water and cook until vegetables are cooked through or as soft as desired. Add soup noodles (and seasoning packets, if desired) and cook 3 minutes more until noodles are done.

Teriyaki Stir-fry

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 t. grated onion
1 clove garlic (can sub garlic powder)
1 t. ground ginger

Mix sauce ingredients together and add one pound thinly sliced chicken breast, sirloin beef steak, or pork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight. Stir fry in a little hot oil with any fresh vegetables you like or with a package of thawed Oriental vegetables. Serve over rice.

Taco Soup

1-2 pounds ground beef (chuck or round)
1 large onion diced
1 envelope dry taco seasoning
1 envelope dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing Original
1 can kidney beans with liquid
1 can pinto beans with liquid
1 can corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
2 cans stewed tomatoes (can be the Mexican stewed tomatoes)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup water

Cook beef and onion until beef is browned. Spoon off excess grease. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes. Serve with cornbread or corn muffins.

Easy Jambalaya

2 16 oz. cans red kidney beans
2 16 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
1/3 cup bell pepper diced
1-2 Hillshire Farm smoked sausage rings, sliced
1/4 cup fresh jalapenos, diced (to taste)
A-1 steak sauce to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
2 boxes Uncle Ben's roasted garlic long grain and wild rice (if not available, use regular long grain and wild rice)

Mix all in a large pot and simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Add water if needed. You can also add cubed chicken breasts or boneless thighs. Fresh shrimp can be added the last few minutes of the cooking time.

Burger Bundles

1 lb. ground beef
1/3 cup evaporated milk
salt and pepper
boxed stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom or golden mushroom soup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 TB catsup

Mix stuffing per directions. Mix milk, s&p, and beef together. For into 4 large hamburger patties; Place a spoonful of the stuffing in the center of each pattie. Fold patties in half, sealing the edges. Place in a baking dish; mix soup, sauce, and catsup and pour over the burger bundles. Bake at 350-375 for 1 hour.

Mexican Beef

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 TB vegetable oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. ground cumin
1 TB dried oregano
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 t. salt
3/4 cup water

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes. Add beef and salt. Cook over medium heat until almost done, no pink remaining. Spoon off excess fat if desired. Add garlic, cook on low 3 minutes. Add cumin, tomato sauce, oregano, and water. Cook all for 10-15 minutes. Use for enchiladas with corn or flour tortillas, quesadillas, tacos, or tostadas.

My suggestion would be to ask your son what his favourite foods/meals are and then give him simple recipes for same.

Most of the recipes that I gave Matthew were just outlines, the basics that he could adjust to suit his own taste.

Some of the simple meals that Matthew started out cooking for himself were pasta, Shepherds Pie, Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Salad, etc. He learned real quick to make a good basic tomato sauce with garlic and basil. His friends love his homemade pizza. He even makes the dough for the crust.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Edited August/2008

fresh Tomatoes or large can of quality Italian Plum tomatoes
garlic cloves
olive oil
dried basil
hot red pepper flakes (optional)
salt / pepper

fresh basil

optional - Kalamata Olives
. Fresh Cooked Sauce.

Saute garlic in olive oil for 1 minute. Do not brown.

Add chopped fresh tomatoes or canned plum tomatoes.
If using add olives so that they have a chance to simmer with the sauce
for about 10 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper and dried basil and hot red pepper flakes.
Simmer until liquid has evaporated. This will not take long. 15
minutes to 30, depending on the number of tomatoes you are using.

Add a handful of fresh chopped basil and serve over penne with a side
of grilled sausage or a boneless grilled chicken breast.

Fresh Raw Sauce.

Halve tomatoes and scoop out seeds.

Add minced garlic (to your taste)

Add chopped fresh basil and drizzle with a good quality olive oil.

Let sit to meld the flavours. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

If you add the salt to early it will make the sauce watery.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Shepherds Pie
=============

This is how I make Shepherds Pie. Just a basic outline. It is all done to taste.

It is one of Matt's favourite meals and one that he makes for himself.

Lean ground beef
onion
garlic
celery
fresh thyme
salt
pepper
Worcestershire sauce
flour

Saute meat until browned. Add the chopped onion, garlic and celery. Saute until vegetables are tender. Season with salt pepper, thyme. Sprinkle with flour. Cook for a minute or two and add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes or so. Pour into shallow casserole and top with mashed potatoes. Dot with butter and bake until golden.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chicken Souvlaki
================
Chicken breasts
Fresh minced garlic
dried oregano
lemons
olive oil
Salt
Pepper
. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes

Place on wooden Skewers that have been soaked in water (prevents
sticks from burning.. or on metal skewers.

Rub with fresh minced garlic
and dried oregano

Squeese fresh lemons over chicken
and some olive oil

Salt and pepper

Marinate for up to 1 hour. If marinating longer do not add lemon juice
until the last hour. Lemon juice "cooks" the flesh and changes the
texture.

Place on hot grill and turn often until done. Serve with Greek salad
and rice.

NOTE: This recipe works well with Pork (I use Pork Tenderloin) and
with Lamb

If he has a small fridge and a hotplate tell him to boil ramen noodles, discarding cooking liquid and seasoning packet. Instead, flavor it with a few teaspoons of a dried alfredo sauce and some milk and butter. He can microwave some frozen vegetables and add them to it.

It's not gourmet at all lol but I practically lived on this in college.