Heading off to college means learning how to cook for yourself without spending a fortune, filling your tiny kitchen with unnecessary gadgets, or surviving on ramen every night. If I were stocking my first apartment or dorm kitchen, these are the easy college meals I’d keep on repeat.

They’re quick, budget-friendly, made with simple ingredients, and most of them taste just as good as leftovers the next day. Whether you’re cooking for one, feeding roommates, or meal prepping for the week, these recipes make college life a whole lot easier.

Pantry Staples Every College Student Should Keep

Our oldest has finished a couple years at college now, and these are some of these things that she kept in stock:

The “I Have 15 Minutes Before Class” Meals

When you’re racing between classes, work, and studying, dinner needs to be quick, filling, and made with ingredients you can actually keep on hand.

Mother’s Day deserves more than a last-minute plan. Whether you are pulling off a Mother’s Day brunch, setting the table for a special dinner, or finishing the meal with a dessert she will talk about for weeks, this collection has everything you need to make the day feel as thoughtful as she deserves. No restaurant reservations required.

Special Brunch Recipes

There is nothing quite like a Mother’s Day brunch spread that feels special without requiring a culinary degree. These recipes are beautiful, delicious, and totally doable whether you are cooking solo or putting the kids to work in the kitchen.

5 Minute Easter Snack Mix [+Video]

Snack mixes are the easiest way to feed a crowd for any gathering. My kids love this Easter snack mix because of the little bunny snickerdoodle cookies in it and the candy. I love this snack mix because it comes together in 5 minutes and makes everyone happy!

This is a sweet snack mix with loads of spring colors. It is quick and tasty and disappears in our house in no time. Try these salty snacks to balance of the sweetness in this snack mix recipe: rosemary parmesan popcorn, best cheese ball, creamy artichoke dip, or the ranch slow cooker chex mix.

One of my absolute favorite holidays is Easter. I love the decorations, the food, the meaning behind everything, all of it!! As a kid I couldn’t wait to wake up and find Easter eggs hidden all over our house and oh how lucky we were if we got a giant chocolate bunny or those big Cadbury Eggs! 

Now I’ll be honest, I feel sick trying to eat those BIG Cadbury eggs, but man, those mini Cadbury eggs that are pure chocolate with a candy shell are irresistible! The best news is, no baking or cooking needed to make this treat!

What Goes into an Easter Snack Mix?

The beauty of a snack mix is that you can add anything that you want! Around the holidays, it is fun to find ingredients that really bring out the color of whatever holiday it is. This is Easter Snack Mix recipe is all about the beautiful bright pastel colors:

• Berry Cherrios
• Easter Pretzels (you could also make your own with the colors you want)
• Speckled Malt Eggs (I know a few people who don’t like malt…they are a wrong…but nonetheless, I saw they have speckled peanut butter m&m’s now which are delicious and will get you the same color)
• Annie’s Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Bunny Cookies
• Pastel Candy Corn
• Easter Caramel M&Ms
• Mini Marshmallows (I did just white because I already had some at home, but doing the multi-colored pack would be so fun)

How to Make this Snack Mix Recipe

There’s not much to make this recipe. You open all the bags of ingredients and pour them all in the large bowl. Stir everything together to combine, and then dig in! I like to serve it with some festive cups so people can snack from their own serving. It also makes a great gift for neighbors and friends or to put in Easter baskets.

Storing Snack Mix

This snack mix recipe can be stored for 4-6 weeks if it is kept in an air tight container.  The mini marshmallows and pretzels will get stale first, so we recommend keeping them separa

Quick and Easy 3-Ingredient Unleavened Bread Recipe

This Quick and Easy 3-Ingredient Unleavened Bread Recipe requires just three simple ingredients! Last year, we decided to do a Nativity dinner with our children to help us remember Jesus Christ at Christmas, and this Unleavened Bread Recipe quickly became a favorite among the kids.

When planning the dinner, I researched foods that might have been typical in Jerusalem during the time of Christ’s birth, particularly around the Passover week. I aimed to create a meal that closely resembled what people would have eaten during that time, and this recipe fit perfectly!

Unleavened bread was one food that kept coming up in my research. It was simple and would go perfectly with the other recipes I had planned, like our easy homemade hummus.

Complete Nativity Dinner Menu:

• Jerusalem Herb Chicken Thighs
• Hummus
• Wild Rice
• Naan
• Roasted Pear Salad
• Creamy Garlic Brussel Sprouts
• Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Unleavened Bread?

You only need three ingredients for this recipe—well, technically just two if you don’t count water, which I don’t really consider an ingredient!

• All Purpose Flour
• Salt
• Water

There’s really no reason not to make this bread! With all the ingredients on hand and no rising time required, it couldn’t be easier!

How to Make Unleavened Bread

You thought the ingredient list was simple? Wait until you see just how easy it is to whip this up! Ready? Let’s dive in!

• Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and stir together.
• Add the water and stir until the dough forms a cohesive ball.
• Knead the dough for 5 minutes. And before you groan about kneading, remember—it builds both muscle and character!
• Preheat your skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Then, divide the dough into 5 to 7 balls, depending on how large you’d like your pieces of bread to be.
• Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s approximately 6 inches in diameter.
• Cook each piece on a hot skillet for about 2 minutes on each side.
• Serve hot, and for an extra special touch, brush on a bit of melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs. I like to choose the herb based on what I

Crock Pot Copycat Cafe Rio Chicken [+ Video]

Enjoy the delicious flavors of Cafe Rio at home with this easy and flavorful crockpot Cafe Rio chicken recipe. We’ve included a step-by-step video instructions for a perfect copycat dish!

This chicken dinner recipe tastes just like Cafe Rio’s recipe for shredded chicken. It’s a great dinner idea to take to someone who may need a family friendly meal. It is delicious served with cilantro lime rice and topped with creamy tomatillo cilantro ranch dressing. Use it for a salad, tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or a chicken taco salad. It’s so versatile!

Ok, so if you live in Utah there are probably 3 Mexican fast food chains that you try to copy their chicken or pork. (Mostly the sweet pork, but I’ll do that one later.) This copycat Cafe Rio Chicken recipe is seriously so good and if you don’t want to do a salad then turn it into a burrito!!

This chicken is one of those life saver crock pot (slow cooker) recipes. Kinda like this regular Crock Pot Chicken. I love that you can throw everything together in less than 5 minutes, let it cook all day and then feel like a hero as you serve it to your family. The only thing you really need to watch out for is how darn much the recipe makes.

Scale that sucker back! It’s too much chicken for just our little family! However, that usually means it’s a great opportunity to invite someone over or to surprise a neighbor with dinner. And I’m definitely all about that. It also freezes well to save for another night!

Ingredients for Cafe Rio Chicken

You only need 5 ingredients to make this delicious chicken recipe! And you literally toss it all in the slow cooker let it cook. Here is the ingredients list:

• Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing: I know this is super specific but it’s just the right flavor for this recipe. Avoid the fat free dressing.
• Cumin: adds flavor
• Chili Powder: adds flavor and a little heat
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Chicken Breasts: boneless skinless chicken
• Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing: easy to make and so delicious
• Cilantro Lime Rice: the perfect complimenting flavors to this chicken

The measurements a