With the end of the school year a few weeks away, seniors face the ongoing dilemma that college is right around the corner, coming with the promise of fun and responsibilities alike. Within the responsibilities category there is the necessity to cook when buying food from the dining hall or going to a coffee shop is not probable at that moment. There are two easy dishes that are perfect for college students because of the simplicity in the cooking process and it will easily fill you up.

You cannot go to college and not develop a sudden obsession with ramen. However, the ramen that I am about to teach you how to make goes beyond putting the ramen in boiling water and simply putting in the packet that comes with a package. There is a secret way to make it more flavorful.

First, make sure you have a Top Ramen packet on hand. I prefer to buy the chicken flavor specifically, but if you prefer another type, it will work just the same. You start off the process by putting water in a pan, how much water you put in depends on you entirely, if you prefer more broth than put more water, if you do not want it to be filled with too many liquids, put enough to cover the ramen that you will put in the water.

Set the pan with the water on the stove, where you will then turn on the stove where you will put heat on high to boil the water. Once the water is bubbling, take the ramen out of the package and place it in the boiling water, where you will keep it there for approximately three minutes to allow the ramen to weaken. After three minutes, put the spice packet that comes with the Top Ramen, two tablespoons of cream cheese, and half a cup of diced ham (that is if you want meat). Stir it all together until the cream cheese dissolves. You will then have a perfectly good bowl of ramen.

The next dish is college rice (also can be called mixed rice). Here is what you will need: two eggs, one pinch of salt, one tablespoon of olive oil, half a cup of chicken (once again optional if you want any kind of meat or not, you are also welcome to choose to do other types of meat like ham), two cups of cooked rice, and half a cup of chopped up fresh parsley or green onions, normal onions, and carrots. 

You are going to get a pan where you will first put the designated amount of olive oil.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and set it to the side, as it is one of the last ingredients to go in the pan. 

Add your onions first, where you will occasionally mix and watch for about two minutes. Once the onions begin to look transparent, add in your carrots and stir for another minute. Then, add in your choice of meat, followed by your parsley and green onions. 

Then you will add the eggs you had in a separate bowl, sprinkle a bit of salt, stir it until the eggs begin to scramble. Finally, when most of it is scrambled, add the rice. Once all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, you will have a plate of tasty college rice ready to be eaten.

These are only a few of the easy dishes to be made once you head up to college or if you simply want to be able to make something fast before going about your day. To see a more in-depth look at how these are made, go to our Instagram @phsprecedent where you can check out ‘Let’s Talk About Food with Nadine’ who will go through this in a step by step manner.