Cooking, Eating Berkeley

Meals to make as the semester goes on

Michael Drummond/File

By | Senior Staff

Beginning of the semester:

You’re happy; you’re healthy. Not only do you have the time to cook — you actually have the energy, too. The new Safeway just opened up on College Avenue and, man, are you stoked. So what should you make for dinner? Something that’s actually hard!

One-skillet lasagna

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cans (15 ounces) undrained diced tomatoes
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 10 ounces wide egg noodles
  • 4 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
  • basil

Directions

  1. In a skillet, brown ground beef over medium-low heat.
  2. Drain grease from ground beef, and return it to the skillet.
  3. Add the onion and let cook with beef, stirring occasionally until done (about five minutes).
  4. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for 30 seconds.
  5. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and egg noodles.
  6. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, or until noodles are al dente.
  7. Stir in ricotta.
  8. Remove heat, and top with Italian cheese blend.
  9. Let the lasagna sit for about five minutes for cheese to melt. If melted cheese is desired, pop pan in oven for three to four minutes.
  10. Top with basil.

Midterm season:

It happens so fast. You’re minding your own business, just trying to catch up on your reading, when all of a sudden, your midterm is in a few days. You’re panicking, trying to fill out the study guide (OK, copy your friend from section’s guide), and you just can’t make yourself a nice dinner. What do you do?

Kraft macaroni and cheese

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Ingredients

  • 1 box of Kraft macaroni and cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup of milk

Directions

  1. Bring 6 cups of water to boil.
  2. Add macaroni.
  3. Cook seven to 10 minutes.
  4. Drain — do not rinse — and return to pan.
  5. Add dehydrated cheese packet, milk and butter.

Finals season:

You might be done, but your semester is still dragging along. There is barely time to use the bathroom, much less the kitchen facilities. Your sleep-deprived body is running on nothing, though, and you need quick and easy sustenance. We have just the thing for you.

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Cup of noodles

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of ramen noodles

Directions

  1. Boil 1 cup water.
  2. Fold back half of lid of cup of noodles, and add water until it reaches line.
  3. Let sit three minutes.

Image sources: jeffreyw, Mike Mozart, D.L.

Contact Holly Secon at [email protected].