There are moments when the bane of the college student’s existence is making dinner after a particularly long day. The simplest of meals seems oh-so complicated and finding the easiest, fastest solution to putting food in your stomach is the only goal before collapsing into bed.
We all rely on quick-fix meals like boxes of Rice-A-Roni and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, but some of these go-to meals aren’t so difficult to make on your own. All it takes is having a few extra things around the kitchen.
20-Minute Marinara Sauce
Drain one large can of unseasoned, unsalted canned tomatoes. If they are whole canned tomatoes, dice or crush by hand. Reserve the extra liquid in the can in case the sauce gets too thick.
Finely chop 3-4 cloves of garlic. In a pot, coat the bottom with olive oil and heat the garlic and olive oil until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and turn up the heat until simmering. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
If you’re extravagant like me, add a few (whole) stalks of fresh herbs like Italian parsley and basil and let them stew in the simmering tomato mixture. On a low heat, let the mixture brew for around 8 minutes. During this time, begin to boil water for your pasta and cook according to the package directions.
If the mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice from the can until the right consistency. If too thin, let it simmer for a few more minutes. Add some salt and pepper to your liking.
Marinara is amazing because it doesn’t just end at spaghetti. Don’t get me wrong, a nice plate of spaghetti is a beautiful thing, but there are a lot of variations to marinara. Dream big! Here are some varieties:
* Pre-made pizza dough can be found at Sundance for about $4. Roll the dough out, top with marinara, cheese and toppings and bake according to directions.
* Stir in some vegetables and let it cook until veggies are tender for a vegetable ragu.
* Boil lasagna noodles and layer the marinara sauce, cheese and ground beef.
* Coat a chicken breast in flour and breadcrumbs and fry in a pan coated with olive oil, flipping and browning all over. Transfer chicken to a baking dish and pour a cup of the marinara sauce on top of the chicken, top with some Parmesan or mozzarella cheese. Bake in a oven heated to 350 for about 20 minutes.
45-Minute Rice Pilaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Saute 1/4 of an onion until lightly browned and remove from heat.
In a 9×13 baking dish, add 1 cup rice and pour the onion mixture over it and stir until rice is coated.
Combine 1 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (and other herbs and spices if you desire, like dried or fresh parsley) in a pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the broth mixture over the rice in the baking dish. Wrap the baking dish tightly in aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. In the meantime, steam some vegetables or cook a chicken breast to serve with it. When the rice is finished, fluff with a fork, bask in the glory of your not-pre-made dinner, and call your parents to tell them you are a full-on adult.