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I spent four years in college, and two of them in a dorm, and the only thing more daunting than surviving cafeteria food in the dorms, was surviving on meger rations I could provide through my own imaginative cooking, but one thing I learned is that cooking with bare essentials is not as bad as it seems.

Most kids start out with Ramen and the classic PB&J, but with a little help, the cooking can go much more amazing.

It takes very little money to start up your operation, but you'll have your floor swooning towards your room in no time.

Essentials for a Dorm room kitchen (or what we pretend to be so):
One crock-pot
Dry place to keep the food
Optional: fridge
One can opener

It's simple, and it fits every lifestyle, whether it's vegan, carnivore, medical student, or general studies. Even if you can't cook, the list following (though it isn't everything, just a few suggestions) will still make a wonderful meal, and it just takes the food ingredients and the 3-4 things in the list above.

Home Made Mac and Cheese
Get one of those gigantic sticks of Velveeta and the noodles of your choice. Add a little milk (either powdered and watered out if you don't have the real stuff, canned milk, or real) the cheese, and the noodles to the crock-pot and simmer it on high for a bit. The longer you'll be studying or away, the lower you want the pot to be on. I'd have to say, leaving it out without an icebox would be fine, since the cheese isn't real and it should preserve it enough for the next meal *wink*.

Anystew
Stick a few cans of broth, and a bunch of veggies into the pot. If you can't get a hold of any meat, either throw in beef jerky- since it will soak up the broth ad soften, or for the protein add some dry beans or canned beans. For more carbs and a filling stew, add rice about an hour before eating.

Enchilada ala crock-pot
In the pot mix a bunch of cheese, cut up and crisped tortillas, chicken (canned or fresh-cooked), enchilada sauce (watered down), kidney beans, peppers and onions. Simmer for a few hours, and it's an absolutely wonderful concoction.

Most of the meals above will feed quite a few people, and they'll be really easy on the wallet. All you have to do, is remember to put them together a few hours before.

If you are hungry NOW and you didn't have a chance to put anything together, with no chance of take-out of delivery pizza, there are still options.

Quesadillas
Cheese and tortillas, how hard is that?
Tossed salads
Put salad dressing and veggies into a Ziploc and shake up.
Burritos
One can of beans, some cheese, lettuce, and hot sauce. Yum

Plus many more Remember it isn't always necessary to sacrifice your life and health to eat something warm.

Learn more about this author, Chey.
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