Just Like Mama Used to Make: Dorm Cooked Recipes

New year, new place, new friends – why not new flavors? Cooking in the confines of your dorm room comes with a series of challenges ranging from limited supplies to simply being plagued by a lack of motivation to cook. Although Benson is always there for you, I think we can all agree that being able to create your own version of a “home-away-from-home” cooked meal every now and again, is good for the soul. In response, I have composed a list of meals with as few ingredients as I could manage for a decent meal, in order to accommodate the little fridge space you have in the dorms. In addition, I would suggest owning one pot, and my favorite appliance, the AirFryer, in order to make your dorm cooking experience as delicious as possible.

To start your dorm cooking, a trip to Trader Joe’s would be beneficial and oh-so-worth it. I gained much of my inspiration from online food blogs and credit my knowledge to them. I will include the @’s of my favorite food creditors at the bottom of this article where you can find more recipe ideas.

LOADED Sweet Potatoes:

Ingredients: 

  • Sweet potato 

  • Cowboy Caviar 

  • Guacamole 

  • Sour Cream 

  • Cilantro

  • (Any other toppings of your choosing)

    • I.e. salsa, cheese, lettuce, chicken



  1. Rinse the sweet potato, poke 5-6 times with a      fork, brush with olive boil, sprinkle with salt

  2. Place the potato in the AirFryer for 30-35 minutes at 400 F. 

  3. And that’s about it! Once the potato is done, load it with your toppings to your liking and enjoy:)

Masala Wrap:

Ingredients: 

  • Garlic Naan 

  • Chicken Masala or Chickpea Masala

  • Greek yogurt 

  • Pepper 

  • Lettuce 

  1. Warm the naan in a toaster/toaster oven/ or oven preheated to 400F for 2-3 minutes

  2. Heat your masala per the packages cooking instructions in microwave (the chickpea masala is good as well) 

  3. Cut your veggies and assemble!

Caprese Tortellini:

Ingredients: 

  • Tortellini 

  • Ciliegine mozzarella 

  • Balsamic glaze 

  • Mini heirloom tomatoes 

  • Balsamic vinegar 

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions 

  2. Slice the mini tomatoes in half

  3. To make the dressing: combine 3 tbsp olive oil,  1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mix well

  4. In a bowl combine tortellini, mozzarella, tomatoes and dressing

  5. Add salt, pepper to taste, drizzle with more balsamic, enjoy!

Snack Time!

Here are some quick, refreshing snack ideas:


Caprese Salad

Ingredients: 

  • Tomatoes 

  • Parmesan cheese 

  • Balsamic glaze

  • Seasonings: crush red pepper, garlic powder, salt & pepper 

  1. Slice the tomatoes very thinly

  2. Lay them out flat, add your seasonings, parmesan, and drizzle the balsamic glaze






Peach Toast

Ingredients:

  • Peach halves (Side note: even if this toast idea is not your thing, buy these! They are so so good…on ice cream, yogurt, in salads, or just on their own)

  • Goat cheese (I have the herb version here, but up to you)

  • Bread of your choosing 


  1. Toast your bread

  2. Mash the goat cheese onto your toasted bread with a fork, until smooth

  3. Add your sliced peach halves and dig in!

Suggested cooking accounts Instagrams:

@plantyou  @hungrygirl  @deliciouslyella  @wishbonekitchen  @traderjoes5itemsorless

Images credited to: @traderjoes5itemsorless

Ella Earnest