While most college students head home for Thanksgiving, not everyone can. How do college students tackle Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) when they’re on campus? This fool-proof hack is the way to do it if you ever find yourself in this position. Psst... The entire meal costs under $50 and feeds up to two people (with leftovers!).
Grocery Shopping List
Prices are estimated based on the Publix catalogue.
DELI
PRODUCE
BAKERY
CANNED ITEMS, CONDIMENTS & BAKING
DAIRY
Recipes
We’re assuming that you can access a communal kitchen with a working oven, stovetop, pots and pans, baking pans, mixing bowls, cooking utensils, and basic spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cinnamon.
TURKEY IS OUT, CHICKEN IS IN!
A storebought rotisserie chicken is the no-cook gift that keeps on giving.
MASHED POTATOES
Ingredients
- One large potato
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Cut and boil one large potato (keep the skin on for flavor and vitamins). When fork tender, drain potatoes. Add a few pats of butter plus salt and pepper to taste, then mash with the back of a fork until creamy.
GREEN BEAN "CASSEROLE"
Ingredients
- A package of green beans from the produce section
- One can of cream of mushroom soup
- Package of crispy onions
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
Instructions
Cut the tips off the green beans. Boil in salted water for about 5 minutes. While they’re boiling, put a bowl of ice and water nearby. Drain the green beans and immediately transfer into the ice water bath (this stops the cooking process and keeps them tender but still crunchy). Set aside in a baking dish.
Pour cream of mushroom soup into a bowl and season with garlic powder and onion powder. Evenly distribute the soup mixture to the green beans and top with crispy onions. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
SWEET POTATO "CASSEROLE"
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 small package of marshmallows
- Handful of brown sugar from the dining hall (or a small package of brown sugar from the grocery store)
- Cinnamon
Instructions
Cut sweet potato in half lengthwise. Pierce with fork several times. Wrap halves in wet paper towel and microwave for about 4 minutes on high. Add more time if necessary.
Top the cooked potato with a few marshmallows and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Broil for about two minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly brown.
STUFFING
Ingredients
- Stale loaf of French bread, cut into large pieces
- Boullion cube
- Celery, diced
- Onion, diced
- Fresh sage, torn
- Butter
Instructions
Boil three cups of water and dissolve one boullion cube. Set aside.
In a pan, sauté the celery and onion with butter, salt, and pepper until translucent and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add sage and stir until wilted and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
To a large bowl, add bread, vegetable sauté, and half the boullion mixture. Mix everything together adding more boullion mixture as needed. You don’t want the mixture too wet, and you don’t want it too dry.
Transfer stuffing to a buttered baking sheet and bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover for the last ten minutes so the top gets a little color.
BAKED APPLES
Ingredients
- 1 large ambrosia apple
- A packet or two of brown sugar from the dining hall
- Cinnamon
- Butter
Instructions
Cut apple in half and scoop out the inside core. Top with a pat of butter, a packet of brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Bake on a cookie sheet or baking pan at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until tender.
CRANBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients
- 1 can of whole cranberry sauce
- 1 orange
- Cinnamon
Instructions
To a sauce pot, add one juiced orange, a can of whole cranberry sauce, and a few shakes of cinnamon. Stir until heated and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
GRAVY
Ingredients
1 packet of gravy powder of your choice (we like mushroom gravy)
Instructions
Prepare according to packet instructions.
With a little creativity and these easy dorm-friendly recipes, you can bring the warmth of Thanksgiving to campus. Will you try some of them or come up with your own? Who knows? You may have some new favorite hacks to bring to the table when you get here!
