5 Make Ahead Meals For College Students

Carolina Jacobs

Feb 13, 2023
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College is an exciting time that can lead to overwhelmingly busy nights and little time to cook. If you don’t want to foot the bill or calories to eat out all the time, you’ll need an arsenal of make-ahead meals for your college journey. You can only eat ramen noodles so many times in a row, right? 

1. Mason Jar Pasta Salad

Mason jar pasta salad is a quick and easy meal you can prepare and take on the go. Italian pasta salad would make a delicious lunch that will give you the energy to get through the rest of your day. 

All you need is some noodles, diced mozzarella, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, cubed ham, balsamic vinegar and some basil. Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, you can make this in under five minutes, which makes it one of the best make-ahead meals for college students. You can also make traditional salads in mason jars for a quick and easy lunch. 

2. Casserole Dishes

Casserole dishes make the best make-ahead meal for college students because they can last for days. You won’t mind having it for dinner a few nights in a row when it’s that delicious. Just make your casserole of choice and put the rest in the fridge. 

You can quickly freeze partially cooked casseroles and heat them whenever you’re ready to cook them. Enchilada casseroles taste so good as leftovers and you must try Slow Cooker 7Up Chicken and  Rice. Your crockpot will likely become your best friend in college; that recipe proves why– it’s one of the best slow cooker recipes out there. 

3. Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is the perfect ailment for missing home or the common cold. It can cheer you up during the winter and warm your insides on cold or dreary days. There are many chicken noodle soup recipes you can try your hand at. 

Your chicken noodle soup may not taste like the homemade version you’re missing, but it just might with a bit of practice! You can also create your own variation of chicken noodle soup to show off when you go home for the holidays! 

4. Lunch Wraps

You can utilize various lunch wrap recipes to create the ideal make-ahead meals for college students. You don’t have to eat them for lunch–these wraps would also make a fantastic light dinner. 

You can wrap anything in a tortilla and you’re good. BLT wraps are the perfect lunch wraps, but if you want something more filling, you could turn your wrap into a fajita. Salad or spring rolls are healthy options for lunch wraps that would be perfect for days filled with fun college activities

5. Chicken Salad

Chicken salad tastes the best in the summer on hot days when you crave something cold to eat. However, you can make the chicken salad all year around to enjoy whenever you want, like on those busy autumn days with your first semester in full swing. Chicken salad is a versatile meal– you can make it into a sandwich or a wrap or you could dip into it with crackers. 

There are many ways to make chicken salad, but it is typically made with chicken, mayonnaise, sour cream, seasonings, grapes and celery. Brown sugar, onions and lemon juice are optional ingredients that pack the chicken salad with a little more flavor. 

Make Ahead Meals For College Students

Make-ahead meals are excellent for college students since they can heat them when ready to eat. College students typically have late nights, early mornings and little free time. Gain inspiration from these recipes to create your own meals for more time in your schedule. 

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