12 Cheap And Simple Student Dinner Ideas

If you're looking for student recipes that are cheap and easy to make you're in the right place! Let's face it, learning to cook can be hard and when you're on a student budget you're probably not going to have a huge amount of ingredients to work with.

Luckily, you don't have to be an expert to be able to cook tasty and filling dinner recipes, so if you're wondering what to make for dinner tonight take some inspo from these simple student recipes.

For more advice around the student kitchen, check out our ultimate guide to student food.

Quick and simple pasta student recipes

Pesto pasta

Ingredients:

Pasta of your choice
Store-bought pesto of your choice

150g of Kale
Small bunch of basil
1 garlic glove
3 tbsp of pumpkin seeds
5 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
1 lemon zested and juiced

"Gigi Hadid" TikTok pasta

3 tbsp of unsalted butter
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 shallot
200g of passata
450g of penne pasta
120ml of double cream
50g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Fresh basil
1/2 tsp of crushed chillis
2 tbsp of triple-distilled vodka
Salt and pepper to season

Pasta salad

300g of pasta
1 tbsp of pesto
Chopped red onion
Chopped tomato
2 tsp of olive oil
185g of tuna (optional)

This is a really simple recipe that can help to minimise food waste. You can either use leftover pasta from a different dish or cook it fresh if you want to eat it hot. Simply add your cooked pasta to a bowl and mix in the salad ingredients along with a splash of olive oil and some pesto for additional flavour.

Cream cheese pasta

Pasta of your choice
Cream cheese
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Garlic
Chilli flakes
Salt and pepper

Student recipes for one

Chicken tikka masala

150g of chicken
Red onion
Shallots
1 jar of Tikka Masala cooking sauce
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Chopped coriander
Salt and sugar
Lemon juice
Basmati rice

To make a quick and easy curry for one person, using a pre-made sauce will save time and help to control the portion size. Simply cook your chicken in a pan with the onion and shallots. Next, add the tomatoes and tikka masala sauce and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in another pot make your rice while stirring the chicken and sauce thoroughly to prevent sticking. Finally, season the chicken with the lemon juice, salt and sugar and serve with the rice.

Jacket potatoes

1 large cooking potato or 2 small cooking potatoes
Toppings of your choice such as cheese, baked beans, butter or tuna

Chicken fajitas

Chicken breasts
1 red onion
1 red pepper
1 red chilli
1 tbsp ground coriander
Ground cumin
Smoked paprika
1 lime
2 crushed garlic cloves
4tbsp of olive oil
Tortillas
Fresh salsa

Slow cooker student recipes

Slow cooker bolognese

3 tbsp olive oil
30g butter
1 onion
1 stick of celery
1 carrot
150g of pancetta
200g of beef mince
200g pork mince
200ml red wine
1 1/2 tbsp tomato puree
200ml beef stock
100ml of milk
400g pasta
Parmesan

Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the pancetta, onion, celery and carrot and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes add the mince and wine and increase the heat. Mix in the tomato puree and stock and pour into the pan then once all stirred together, transfer everything to your slow cooker. Cover and cook for 8-9 hours, and in the last 10 minutes stir in the milk. Finally, make your pasta to enjoy your bolognese with!

Chilli Con Carne

500g beef mince
400g chopped tomatoes
400ml beef stock
800g black beans
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion
1 stick of celery
1 red pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
2-3 tbsp chilli paste
3 tbsp tomato puree
Rice

Quick veggie dinners

Vegetable soup

300g of potatoes
700ml of vegetable stock
Vegetables of your choice
1 tbsp of olive oil

Fry the vegetables and potatoes in a pan with the oil for a few minutes, then once everything starts to soften simply add the vegetable stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Once everything is cooked you can add it to a blender and blend until mainly smooth. This is a great meal to prepare in advance as it can be frozen and you can also make enough to provide leftovers throughout the week.

Tofu stir fry

3 tbsp soy sauce
300g tofu
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves
Ginger
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
2 carrots
300g broccoli
1 red pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
1 spring onion
Sesame seeds
Rice

Veggie ramen

2 cloves of garlic
Ginger
1 1/2 tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp of white sesame paste or tahini
1l vegetable stock
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 spring onions
Rice or ramen noodles
1 carrot
25g beansprouts
200g of firm tofu
1 tbsp cornflour
Toppings such as crushed peanuts, sesame oil and sriracha

Add the garlic, ginger, miso paste, sesame paste, soy sauce and stock to a pan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Next, strain into a clean pan and throw out anything left in the pan. Meanwhile, fry the tofu in cornflower and cook the noodles in another pot. Add the spring onions to the broth and add the noodles and broth to a bowl along with the tofu, beansprouts, carrot, and ginger and finish off with toppings of your choice.

For more student recipes check out easy lunch recipes and how to upgrade your ramen.

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