20-Minute Meals to Make in Your Dorm Room

Whether you are learning to cook for the first time or just need a few quick meals to get through the week, these four simple recipes will be a delicious addition to your life. All the following recipes make two servings, but you can easily double any of them if you want to share with friends or have extra leftovers! 

Meal #1: Homemade Ramen Bowls

Ingredients: 

• 2 packages of ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 2 large eggs
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• ¼ tsp dried ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• Red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 TBSP cooking oil
• Optional additions-Rotisserie chicken, cooked shrimp, mushrooms, tofu, bell pepper strips, sesame seeds, crushed cashews, a drizzle of Sriracha 

Instructions: 

1. Prepare a pan with an inch of water and two eggs. 
2. Bring it to a boil and cook the eggs for 8 minutes (by using a small amount of water you are technically steaming the eggs). 
3. While waiting for the water to boil, cook ramen noodles to package directions with the exception of adding the seasoning packet. 
4. Drain and set aside. 
5. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. 
6. Add the minced garlic, two dashes of red pepper flakes, and the dried ginger. 
7. Use a fork to whisk the ginger into the oil. 
8. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then slowly add soy sauce and chicken broth to the pan. 
9. Bring broth mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 
10. Once the 8 minutes are up, put the eggs in a bowl of ice water. 
11. Peel the eggs, and slice them in half. 
12. To each bowl, add half the noodles, one egg, one handful of spinach, half the broth, and top with sliced green onions. 
13. Enjoy!

Meal #2: One Pot Pasta with Bacon, Peas, and Parmesan

Ingredients: 

• 8 oz pasta (I like rotini for this, but any shape will work)
• 2 strips of cooked, crumbled bacon or good quality bacon pieces (found on the salad dressing aisle)
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• ¼ cup Parmesan, plus more for serving
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil or butter

Instructions: 

1. Cook pasta in a small pan with about 3-4 cups of salted water. (Using less water than the package calls for will allow the water to boil quickly.)
2. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it, and set aside. 
3. Return the pan to low heat and add oil or butter and frozen peas. 
4. Season with salt and pepper and stir to cook through. (This will only take a 4-5 minutes.) 
5. Add the pasta into the pan with the oil and peas. 
6. Stir thoroughly, then add the crumbled bacon and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. 
7. Stir to combine. 
8. Serve and top with extra parmesan plus salt and pepper to taste.
9. Enjoy!   

Meal #3: Diner-Style Breakfast for Dinner

Ingredients: 

• 4 strips of bacon
• 2 slices of bread
• 2 eggs
• 2 hash brown patties 
• Oil and butter
• Salt and pepper

Instructions: 

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Brush the hash brown patties with oil and lightly salt them. 
3. Place the bacon and the hash brown patties on a non-stick or lightly oiled cookie sheet. 
4. Put them in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. 
5. While they are cooking, butter one side of the slices of bread. 
6. Cut the center out of the bread with a cooker cutter, jar lid, or small cup. (Save the center.)
7. Once the timer goes off, remove the cookie sheet from the oven, and place the bread and circles of bread on the sheet. 
8. Leave the bacon as it is, but flip the hash browns. 
9. Crack one egg into each hole in the bread, adding a little pinch of salt and pepper over the egg. 
10. Place the sheet back in the oven for about 5 minutes. 
11. If the yolks remain slightly runny, the bread circles will be a delicious indulgence when dipped into the yolks. 
12. Enjoy! 

Meal #4: Healthy Shrimp and Broccoli 

Ingredients: 

• ½ lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 10 oz. bag of frozen steam-in-the-bag broccoli florets
• 2 TBSP cooking oil (recommend extra virgin olive oil, but vegetable/canola/or butter will work as well)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Cook broccoli according to package directions. 
2. While the broccoli steam in the microwave, heat your cooking oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the minced garlic and the shrimp. 
3. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. 
4. Cook for 2 minutes and flip to the other side, cooking an additional minute or until they are cooked through (opaque and pink). 
5. Adjust seasonings and serve with butter. 
6. Enjoy!