Simple recipes you can make in your university dorm

No Cook recipes with Peanut Butter Noodles, Microwave Nutella Cakes, One Bread Wonder and a Super Short Ingredient List to Save Your Trip to the Dining Hall.

Armandrafael of the New York Times. Food stylist: Simon Andrews.

Published August 26, 2025update August 26, 2025

Let's be authentic, cooking in a college dorm is not always easy. Will it just work with a small communal kitchen, almost a counter space, and perhaps just a microwave? We were there. But that doesn't mean you're stuck in a bar of ramen and granola forever. Whether you're craving something between class or need a midnight snack, these dorm-friendly dishes have a back.

Overhead image of a white plate with three triangular chicken quesadillas. One of them is topped with sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.

This satisfying snack or meal from Ali Slaglu will come together in under 10 minutes. Hack: Buy rotisserie chicken or grab grilled chicken from the dining room. When the meat is cool, shred the tortillas to avoid getting soaked. Cook the quesadillas on medium heat, so the cheese melts just as the tortillas are crisp and golden.

Recipe: Chicken quesadilla

Overhead image of a bowl of yogurt, raspberries and mango numbers toppings and bright green matcha served with oats overnight.

Overnight oats and iced matcha lattes are the perfect way to start your day. Ifrah Ahmed combines them with a healthy, harbing breakfast and only takes 5 minutes to prepare. Oats can last in the fridge for 3-4 days, allowing you to make batches at the beginning of the week and cover your morning meals. Get out of bed, grab a mason jar, and leave the door.

Recipe: Matcha overnight oats

Overhead image of a small bowl of microwave Nutella pudding cake with a spoon of ice cream on top.

Google “magcake” and get millions of results. However, this ooy-gookey version of Ali Slagle is the winner. Three ingredients, 5 minutes microwave zap and delicious, warm chocolate haselnut lava cake.

Recipe: Microwave Nutella Pudding Cake

Overhead image of a cast iron frying pan with cheesy chili crisp white beans.

Take a can or two white beans, garlic, a small tomato paste, and most importantly, your favorite chili crisp brand and bake for a few minutes. Then top with grated cheddar and bake again until it melts. You will effectively beg Melissa Clark's fiery bean bake to eat with a bag of tortilla chips after all.

Recipe: Cheap chili fresh white beans

Overhead image of a bowl with white rice topped with canned tuna and black sesame seeds.

Eric Kim's 5-minute recipe proves that you can make a great meal without the stove on (over 6,000 comments from readers back this up). Grab tuna, mayo, leftover rice, and anything you want to sprinkle on top. Customizable and stuffed!

Recipe: Tuna Rice Bowl

Glass straws and 2 cinnamon date smoothies.

When a craving for cinnamon bread attacks, but there is no time for such a thing, Sora El Wayley smoothies are like a welcome comfort award. All you need is a handy blender, some ingredients, and a few minutes. Buttermilk steps into the cream cheese icing tongue, the date achieves its warm caramel sweetness, with nutty flax seeds offering a freshly baked aura. Cinnamon, of course.

Recipe: Cinnamon Date Smoothie

Overhead image of a bowl of chickpea spinach salad with curry yogurt dressing.

Yasmin Fahr's sunny chick salad is packed very well and makes a great lunch for when you're in class all day long. You can throw all the ingredients into the container before you run out of doors, or you can do it a day ahead as it gets better over time.

Recipe: Chickpea spinach salad with curry yogurt dressing

Overhead image of a cheap grilled nikki pot with spicy tomato sauce topped with parmesan and basil.

Need for comfortable, comfortable food on weekdays? Check out this one-pot recipe from Yossy Arefi. Store-buyed gnocchi is simmered in tomato sauce (there are as crushed red chili peppers as you and your roommate can handle) and topped with a blanket of melted mozzarella cheese. Cheap, heartfelt, delicious.

Recipe: Spicy tomato sauce and cheap grilled nikki

Overhead image of a plate with 5 strips of cooked bacon.

The easiest way to cook bacon is… in the microwave. actually! According to Genevieve Ko, this is also the fastest method. Microwave at high power for 45 seconds per slice. If you have thick bacon or don't like it, like microwaves with a 30-second burst until you need it. Cover the strips with a paper towel to absorb grease and prevent splashing.

Recipe: Microwave bacon

Overhead image of a black plate with peanut butter ramen noodles topped with parmesansin.

After a late-night stuffing session, these five iconic recipes from Eric Kim are exactly what you need. It's ready in 20 minutes and uses a packet of ramen, making it the perfect meal for one. Everything is put together in one pot or, as one clever reader suggested, “preserve the dripping jars of peanut butter jars and swirl and sway with other ingredients.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Noodles

Overhead image of some food containers holding nori, rice, carrots, green onions, etc.

With a choice of canned fish, rice and crispy vegetables, these hand rolls from ant slugs are endlessly customizable. But one ingredient is really worth maintaining. “Clementine is innovative! A burst of juicy citrus fruits with rice, fish and cucumbers dipped in soy sauce… ah boy,” one reader wrote.

Recipe: Canned fish hand roll

The loaf pan holds a mango soft servo with an ice cream scoop. Three scoops of mango soft serve are found in a white bowl.

You don't need to major in mathematics to remember this simple equation. Frozen fruit + condensed milk = dessert. Hetty Lui McKinnon's two-letter soft serve is perfect for when you need a sweet treat. You can eat it immediately after blending. Or, if you prefer a hard texture that is closer to that of ice cream, put it in the freezer for an hour.

Recipe: Mango Soft Serve

Overhead images of a plate of coconut-gochujang were glazed with chicken with sides or white rice and broccoli.

Winners, winners, 15 minutes of chicken dinner! Gochujang and coconut milk form a base of a simple, flavorful sauce of Kyichun, covering boneless, skinless chicken breast succulents. Serve with broccoli, rice or greens or grains on hand.

Recipe: Coconut Gochujang is broccoli and glazed chicken

Overhead image of a pink bowl with vegetarian frying pan chili topped with sour cream, pickled red onions and coriander. To the right of the frame is another bowl of the same, cut out.

Hearty and affordable canned beans are the star of this one-pot chili recipe from Melissa Clark. It has 5 stars, over 10,000 ratings and only takes 30 minutes to cook. “It blows my mind with its simplicity!” wrote one reader.

Recipe: Vegetarian frying pan chili

Overhead image of a microwave egg topped with soy sauce and chives.

The key to that perfect soft set of steamed eggs wobble texture is to use the microwave at about 500 watts. This low heat causes the eggs and soup to steam. Eric Kim's 10-minute recipe is perfect for breakfast on its own – drizzling with soy sauce and maple syrup or for lunch or dinner with steamed rice.

Recipe: Microwaves tear egg

Overhead image of a baking tray with crisp chili and roasted honey salmon. In the lower left corner of the frame is an arugula salad.

These five iconic recipes can make your mid-semester meals feel like a special occasion. Naz Deravian roast large salmon fillets covered in a sweet and spicy paste of chili crunchy, mayonnaise and honey for 15-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish). Eat with salad, roasted potatoes or crispy rice.

Recipe: Chili crisps and honey roasted salmon

Overhead images of a bowl of cunoa salad, lots of cucumbers, peppers, olives and parsley.

“Seriously, I longed for this salad and now I always have a big bowl in the fridge,” one reader writes about Ali Slagle's lemon quinoa dishes. Her recipe requires lots of cucumbers, peppers, olives and parsley, but that's really something I chose myself. Add other briny, creamy, crunchy, or herbaceous ingredients, such as feta, avocado, arugula, or fresh mint.

Recipe: Quinoa salad

Overhead image of a Dutch oven filled with rice and beans next to a plate with lime wedges.

Ali Slagur is the hero of one-pot cooking. In this 30-minute recipe, the rice is cooked with beans and a starchy liquid. Add salsa to stock for extra kicks. It's cheap and stuffed and can be eaten anytime.

Recipe: One pot rice and beans

Overhead images of baked potatoes are sliced in the center and pooled at the edges with butter inside.

Did you know that you can change the power level of your microwave? Do that and you have fluffy, evenly cooked potatoes. Genevieve Ko recommends 50% power for a full spud. Poke a hole through the potato with a fork or knife beforehand to prevent explosion.

Recipe: Microwave baked potatoes

Overhead image of a Dutch oven filled with creamy noodles.

The time it took to boil the noodles and heat a jar of store-bought sauce, which would have made a bright and easy pasta dish of Ali Slagur. Her no-cook sauce is a 50-50 mix of ricotta and parmesan, with lemon zest and juice thrown in. That's all. Choose any pasta shape and enjoy it with joy.

Recipe: One-pot pasta with ricotta and lemon

Overhead image of bean salad on a plate.

You can make Melissa Clark salads using any kind or canned bean combination, but the mix of white beans, chickpeas and red kidneys is especially colorful. The best part is that it gets even better as you sit down. Make a large bowl and place in the fridge on Sunday. There is a simple, packable lunch every week.

Recipe: Classic Bean Salad

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