Aggies share their favorite recipes

One of the hardest parts of college and living on your own is finding time to cook.

Boxed mac and cheese is always an option but if your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier, the best first step is cooking your own meals.

Don’t know where to start? Here are some of your fellow Aggies’ favorite recipes.

Roasted veggies and sausage from Malia Mabray

Roasting vegetables and meat is a great option for a filling dinner without too much work. Try experimenting with different vegetables, meats and seasonings until you find what you like.

• Veggies chopped into bite-sized pieces (cherry tomatoes, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.)
• Polish sausage
• Olive oil
• Seasoning (garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, rosemary, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, place chopped veggies and sausage onto a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with desired seasonings and roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked, stirring occasionally. This recipe is good on its own, or over noodles or rice.

Potato Wedges from Amanda Anderson

• Four potatoes (any type besides Yukon will work
• Olive oil
• Seasoning (paprika, onion powder, garlic salt)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash potatoes and cut into long wedges, but do not peel. Place oil, seasonings, and potatoes in a bag and shake to coat. Place on a foil-covered sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Potato chicken and rice from Malia Mabray

Chicken is one of the least expensive meats, and chicken breasts are extremely versatile. Try buying a pack and freezing them until you are ready to use them. Putting them in the fridge in the morning means they will be thawed by dinner.

• 1 chicken breast (thawed and sliced into nugget sized pieces)

• Half of a stick of melted butter or softened
• 1 cup of instant potato flakes
• 1/2-3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Rice (cooked)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together potato flakes, parmesan cheese and seasonings in a bowl, dip sliced chicken into melted butter and then into potato mixture and place about 1/4 inch apart in a glass pan. Cook at 375 for 20-25 mins or until chicken is completely cooked (165 degrees inside).

Barbeque chicken dinner from Abby Mclinn

• Vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 1 cup red potato wedges
• 6 oz. chicken gravy
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 4 minutes, turning once, until browned. Add beans, potatoes, gravy and barbeque sauce, stir to coat and mix. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans and potatoes are tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Instant ramen stir fry from Maggie Erekson

Sometimes it is fun to elevate common college meals and make them a little tastier. Adding spices or using different instructions can take ramen or mac and cheese to the next level.

• Instant ramen pack
• Stir fry vegetables (carrots, white or green onions, peppers)
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Seasonings (garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, etc.)

Cook ramen according to package directions and drain. Set aside the flavor pack. While the ramen is cooking, heat oil in a skillet and add chopped vegetables. Add cooked noodles, soy sauce, seasonings and flavor pack to skillet and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring often.

Easy mac and cheese from Maggie Erekson

• Noodles (any kind but macaroni or cavatappi is best)
• Milk (enough to cover noodles)
• Shredded cheese
• Seasoning (garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper)

Place noodles and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and simmer until the sauce is thickened, season to taste.

French toast casserole from Brianna Enright

Meal prep is an easy way to have delicious meals throughout the week. Casseroles are a great option because it is easy to make a lot at once and save the leftovers.

• 6-8 slices of bread
• 10 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Tear bread into pieces and put in a greased nine-inch pan. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the bread. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Taco Salad from Kylie Hanson

• Ground beef or turkey
• Taco seasoning
• Taco ingredients like salsa, black beans, avocado, cheese, and sour cream
• Shredded lettuce

Cook the meat with the taco seasoning and drain the fat. Top shredded lettuce with meat and desired toppings.

-Maggie.Erekson@usu.edu