Hello sweet friends! I am once again participating in the Budget-Friendly Recipes Hop hosted by my dear friend Marty of A Stroll Thru Life. If you are new to Decor To Adore may I say “Welcome!” This recipe is for a make ahead meat mixture that can create Three Fast and Easy Meals For The College Cook. It is also perfect for those who like to meal prep.
Three Fast and Easy Meals For The College Cook
Sweet Guy has just moved into his first college campus apartment. He is sharing it with two of his longtime friends. Both he and his friend Alan are taking 5 classes each this semester. With their busy schedules, they wanted to meal prep on Sundays to prepare for the week. Both gentlemen have been working in a restaurant so they are fairly comfortable in the kitchen.
Ingredients
A recipe card with the ingredients and cooking instructions are listed below as well.
- Three pounds of ground meat. We used turkey, but beef, chicken, or a vegetarian substitute also work well.
- One yellow onion, diced. (This can be optional.)
- A handful of yellow and red peppers diced. (This can be optional.)
- Diced garlic, chopped mushrooms, and shredded zucchini are delicious in the mixture too.
Sweet Guy diced the vegetables while Alan was in charge of browning the meat and veg.
The Rule Of Thirds
Once the meat was cooked we separated it into thirds. One-third went into Tupperware to be made into a recipe later in the week. One-third went into a second pan in which taco seasoning was added to it. It was then cooled and put into Tupperware to eat at a later date. (Taco Tuesday!) The remaining third portion was made into spaghetti. Noodles were cooked in another pan of boiling water per the package directions, drained, and then added to the sauce.
These guys were so PROUD of themselves.
We had also shopped for easy sides. Canned and frozen vegetables are quick and delicious.
Dinner was served!
As Alan finished cooking and putting the food into containers Sweet Guy was on dish duty. Again, this is something he is well familiar with ’cause his Mama raised him RIGHT!
On Wednesday I received a text message:
“Ma, the meat mixture tastes GREAT in boxed macaroni and cheese! We forgot to cook vegetables so created a balanced meal with the raw veggie snacks that we prepped.”
I also smiled when I saw that they had put one of the two vintage tablecloths I had packed on the table. My thinking was that the tablecloths would be used for special date nights but hey, he is indeed a son after my own heart.
Feel free to leave your favorite recipe ideas for college kids in the comments.
Enjoy!
Laura
The Recipe Card
Make Ahead Meat Mixture
This basic meat mixture is perfect for meal prep! It is the basis for so many delicious dishes such as spaghetti, tacos, sloppy joe's, chili, stroganoff, stew, and more.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, or meat substitute)
- A few small yellow and red peppers (optional)
- One yellow onion (optional)
- Diced garlic, chopped mushrooms and shredded zucchini can also be added if desired.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Dice the onion and peppers. Add to pan.
- Add the meat to the pan.
- Cook over medium to low heat until vegetables are soft and meat is cooked through.
- You can add 1 tsp of olive oil if needed to prevent the meat from sticking.
Notes
This is the perfect base for so many great meals. Separate it into thirds to create the following dishes:
For spaghetti, cook noodles according to package directions, drain, then add 1/3 of the meat and jarred sauce to the warm noodles.
For taco's add some additional seasoning to 1/3 of the meat. (Package mix or various preferred spices.) Serve on a taco shell or tortilla with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, whatever your favorite topping is.
For sloppy joes, take 1/3 of the meat mixture add a can of sloppy joe sauce, heat through, and serve on buns. Top with cheese if desired.
For more delicious ideas please view these wonderful recipes.
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This is a great idea–I’ll share it with my youngest son, who just got his own apartment a few months ago and is exploring cooking.
Looks like the guys have this under control. Ian is so talented, I am sure he is a fabulous cook too. Nice that he has friends that want to eat healthy along with him.
I love, love, love this idea and the recipe for the meat mixture sounds delicious. You’re right – his mama did raise him right!
So much better than a steady diet of fast food! I was lucky when I was in college as one of my roommates brought canned fresh vegetables from home. I grew up in the city and was used to store-bought canned vegetables, so this was something new & delicious to me! I just tried a new recipe the other day that was in a “Kids Cooking” article in the Texas Coop Power magazine. It’s called Cheesy Baked Meatballs using ground beef and pork sausage, but I used turkey sausage instead. You just bake the meatballs and top with marinara sauce from a jar and mozzarella cheese. I served it over spaghetti. It’s very good! You can find the recipe online.
These are great ideas. I love the photos — it’s fun to see the guys in the kitchen — AND using your wonderful tablecloth!
Oh, and another ol’ favorite from college days is Chicken Tetrazzini using can chicken. I still make it today!
This is such a great idea! Forget the college kids…I want to do this in our home. Seriously, a great idea even for those kids just living on their own. A crock-pot is such a great tool.