College is hard. When chaos arises, it’s nearly impossible to make healthy decisions.

When I know I’m going to have a jam-packed week, I’ll plan my meals the weekend before. Here are some life-saving recipes I whip up when I don’t have any time to waste! You can thank me later.

Salmon with Quinoa and Frozen Veggies

This is definitely one of my go-to’s because it’s quick and satisfying. I usually switch it up by changing the vegetables from week to week. I prefer to have these frozen foods at the ready, but fresh works great too. From start to finish, it takes me less than 20 minutes to prepare. It’s worth every minute, trust me.

Ingredients:

• Quinoa (I use boil-in-a-bag)

• Frozen grilled zucchini or any of your favorite vegetables

• Frozen salmon filet

• Olive oil  

• Spices to taste (salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450˚

2. Thaw the salmon in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.

3. Boil a large pot of water, then add the quinoa. Cook for at least 10 minutes.

4. On a pan, coat the salmon with olive oil and all of your favorite spices. I also place my frozen vegetables on the pan with the salmon. 

5. Put the salmon and vegetables in the oven.

6. Remove the vegetables after 10 minutes or when done. Cook the salmon for approximately 15 minutes or until there is no transparency. 

7. Voila! A finished meal.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

You can never go wrong with stuffed peppers. My mom used to make these all the time growing up. Instead of having a meal with an appetizer and sides, you can stuff everything into one pepper! Quick and efficient, who wouldn’t want that?

Ingredients:

• 2 bell peppers

• Rice

• 1 cup pasta sauce

• ½ pound ground beef

• ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables

• Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook 2 servings of rice according to directions.

2.  Thaw frozen vegetables.

3. Cut tops of peppers off, rinse, and remove seeds. Place in a deep microwave safe dish, and fill with about 1 inch of water. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and poke with holes. Cook in the microwave for 5-7 minutes. 

4. Cook the ground beef in a pan on medium heat with spices to your liking (garlic, onion, salt, and pepper are an easy go-to) for about 5 minutes. Add in the vegetables, then pasta sauce, rice, and cheese. Stir.

5. Fill bell peppers with mixture. 

6. Microwave uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes.

Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

There’s nothing better than coming home to a mouth-watering dinner that also leaves you with plenty of leftovers. Before I go to work, I’ll quickly prepare chicken noodle soup in my crock pot. The proportions can be whatever you want, but this is my typical way of doing it. 

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts

• 2-32 oz containers chicken broth

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• Handful of broken up spaghetti

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• Fresh parsley

• Half a lemon

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the chicken breasts and place them in the bottom of the crock pot.

2. Add in the chicken broth, celery, carrots, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

3. Turn the crock pot on to low and cook 6 to 8 hours. 

4. Remove the chicken and shred it to small pieces with a fork.

5. Add spaghetti noodles and cook 30 minutes or until done.

6. Garnish with lemon juice and fresh parsley.

College is busy. No one’s disagreeing with that. It’s easy to run to your nearest drive through instead of making a home-cooked meal. Hopefully, with these quick, delicious recipes, you’ll find yourself cooking at home a little more.

We’d love to hear from you. Send us your own quick and delicious recipes on social media, @AuburnCampusRec! 

Happy cooking, and…

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Allayna D.