I’m living with my sister for the next three years as we both go to schools really close by (UPenn and USciences). Since she has clinicals 3 days per week on top of her graduate courses and I’ll be busy with my classes, what things are quick and easy to make so that I don’t have to take time out of doing other things?
pasta, sandwiches, salads, eggs
quesadillas and stir-fry. I feel like stir-fried vegetables w/ rice shouldn’t take too long and it’s pretty easy. That’s all I can think of. I think everything snowfairy has listed pretty much sums it up nicely though.
I’d add chicken breast, hamburgers, tacos/burritos to the list. You can get bulk boneless chicken breast and hamburger patties at Costco and they’re a very quick cook. They also carry pretty good frozen Ramen and Teriyaki Chicken Bowls that microwave well.
If it’s in your budget, you can get bagged salad mixes and thin-sliced boneless cuts of meat. The thin meats take very little time to sautee, and the salad mixes have everything you need to just throw it all together. Dinner is ready in ten minutes. Other pre-sliced, pre-washed veggies (most grocery stores have large selections of these) really cut down on prep time as well, though again they’re more expensive than the ones you have to cut and wash yourself.
One of my kids’ favorite meals: BBQ Chicken bread braid.
Take a roll of cresent dough. Separate the triangles with the shortest sides overlapping, the long point facing outwards in alternating directions.
In a mixing bowl, mix cooked chicken cubes… the Tyson selects are fine… with shredded cheddar and BBQ sauce. Put onto the dough, then alternate folding up the points, so it looks kine of like a braid.
Cook for as long as the package recommends-- I think it’s about 12 minutes at 350.
You are only limited by your budget and imagination. Lots of great foods that you don’t even have to cook. Picture yourself walking up and down the food isles and what is there. Fresh fruit, preprepped veggies and salad, hummus, cheese, deli roasted chicken, coldcuts, peanut butter, jam, cream cheese, bread, cereals, oatmeal, bagels, crackers, pasta sauce, pasta, soup, tuna, yogurt, eggs, etc etc etc. You can learn to make stews, soups, or curries on the weekend that you and your sister can eat several times.
Pulled pork: put a small pork,roastingo a crock pot. Add in some water and BBQ sauce. Come back a few hours later.
And, no, my kids aren’t addicted to BBQ sauce. Pure coincidence…
Here’s another easy one that tastes great: take some chicken cutlets. Moisten in an egg, then coat with a combo of flour and seasoned breadcrumbs. Pan fry u film rowned.
Place some balsamic vinegar in a flat pan ( a cake pan actually works well). Coat both sides of each cutlet with the. vinegar.
Cover with shredded mozzarella. Bake until the cheese melts.
All kinds of things in a crock pot, especially as the weather gets colder. You get to come home to a nice hot meal. My family particularly likes beef stew in the crock pot. If you make about 4-6 servings, you have lunch or dinner for the next day, too.
@bjkmom I’ll definitely try out those recipes. Hopefully I won’t burn the apartment down 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
Crockpot.
Chicken breasts.
Spaghetti sauce.
On button, low.
Bam! 6 hours later: moist, healthful chicken cacciatore.
frittatas are inexpensive, easy to make and nutritious. Smoothies are great too.
I highly recommend crockpot cooking. The night before we go skiing, I open up cans of beans and tomatoes, and chop up everything for chili and put it all in the crockpot. I put that in the fridge overnight, then put the crockpot on when we leave the house at 7 am. We get home at 6:30 in the evening,and bam, there’s a big pot of chili ready to eat, with plenty for leftovers. Healthy and easy. You can also make stews or soups in a crockpot, and many other dishes as suggested above. You can get small crockpots or large ones, and they are inexpensive.
Be sure to use crock pot liners for super easy clean up. Also, there are website with recipes that you can use to prepare several different meals ahead of time and freeze in gallon sized bags, all at one time. You put the frozen contents in the crock pot in the AM and the food is ready when you come home. I like that they have shopping lists and great variety. I use a large crock that has a warm feature.
@TQfromtheU what place sells good crock pots? Also, I think the stove is electric, not gas
It doesn’t have to be a “good” crockpot-- you can pick one up at Target or Walmart.
The crock pot doesn’t go on the stove. You sit in on the counter or a table and plug it in. I have this one and paid less than $30 for it. $20-30 is a good price and it would be less for a smaller one. Bought it at Walmart or Target. They are harder to find when the weather gets cold. I like the keep warm feature on this one. https://www.macys.com/shop/product/crock-pot-sccpvp400-s-4-qt.-smart-pot-slow-cooker?ID=2448518&pla_country=US&CAGPSPN=pla&CAWELAID=120156340003686344&CAAGID=39403871415&CATCI=pla-63948767290&cm_mmc=Google_Home_Electrics_PLA--Electrics±+Slow+Cookers±+GS_crock-pot--176574137716-_-pg135592_c_kclickid_5fe4ebaf-89cd-47aa-b2fd-2db97810e075&trackingid=439x135592&catargetid=120156340012497466&cadevice=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI99LJv66s1QIVS5J-Ch0QNQuwEAQYBSABEgJHgfD_BwE
There is a smaller one shown in the side bar.
@TQfromtheU I completely forgot that a crock pot isn’t an actual pot you put on the stove. My mistake LOL.
You never know. I have one friend who didn’t know how to boil eggs without cracking them, so I don’t assume.
I save time throughout the week by just cooking one large meal Sunday nights that I can eat throughout the week. It doesn’t work for everybody, but it’s really worked for me.
Usually before I go grocery shopping I just google “quick and easy recipes” or flip through the Buzzfeed Food pages and find something where I already have many of the ingredients for (to save money) and that is relatively easy to make in a large batch. The options honestly are endless and most things really aren’t too hard to make; some favorites that I make a lot are quinoa bowls with eggs/tomatoes/cheese (I’ve been living off those this summer), spaghetti carbonara, Turkish fried eggs (I lived off those last winter), anything that can be made in one pot, etc.
Cooking for yourself on limited time and budget seems scary at first, and god knows I’ve set off my fair share of fire alarms and overcooked things to the point where I ordered grubhub instead, but it honestly isn’t that bad and you don’t have to resort to eating junk or frozen meals!