Many students at Mt. Vernon High School get home late because of sports, extracurriculars or work. While the time they get home itself may vary, this often results in the same thing: students have to make their own dinner.
Most Mt. Vernon attendees likely want their food to be quick, easy and tasty. Some students may simply skip a meal instead of putting in an effort. The work behind a meal is often why people go out and get fast food. Favorite places like Chick fil-A or Taco Bell are easy options, but many students have limited budgets. It would be much easier to use items in their own kitchens.
Ramen noodles, grilled cheese sandwiches and tacos are all pretty simple. Many students have made these recipes before. They are usually pretty cheap.
To make this ramen noodles, start with buying a prepackaged container and then making it more nutritious by adding some vegetables. Cut up a handful of vegetables, usually carrots or celery, to a quarter centimeter thickness. Then, cook them in a pot of water on the stove. After the veggies are softened, add in the noodles from the package. Following instructions on the package, continue to cook until the noodles are soft. Next add the ramen package’s seasoning. Ramen is best served as a soup, however for people who want a noodle dish, drain the noodles and vegetables before adding the spice packet. Either way, students have a noodle bowl or a bowl of soup they can enjoy..
While making ramen noodles can seem somewhat complicated, the recipe is fairly simple. The pot can easily be watched while doing homework, and there is not much clean up. If a person uses the Maruchan Ramen brand and a 1 pound carrot bag from Walmart, this costs roughly $2. The 1 pound bag of carrots will also leave the chef leftover carrots for a snack later, making it even more worthwhile. The cost combined with a simple recipe makes it rewarding at night.
Grilled cheese is another quick recipe. Start by putting less than a tablespoon of butter on an electric skillet or in a frying pan. Put two slices of bread on the skillet. Brown one side of each piece and flip. Then, the chef should place sliced cheese on one slice. Stack the slices on top of each other with the less cooked sides on the outside.
Once one side of the sandwich is golden, flip the sandwich. Finally, take the sandwich out of the pan once both sides are crisp. Chefs can even add any additional ingredients on top of the cheese like precooked bacon, tomatoes, or pickles.
While grilled cheese is not a unique recipe, it can easily become unique with the toppings a person adds. Furthermore, it takes very little time and hardly any preparation. A loaf of sliced bread costs about $3 at Walmart, and cheaper packs of pre-sliced cheese cost around $2 at Walmart. Altogether, this can make at least 10 sandwiches for only $5. Along with the simple steps and everyday ingredients, that makes this recipe easier than most.
Tacos are a little harder to make, but they can be just as worthwhile. The most important step is making the taco meat. Defrosted hamburger meat just needs to be cooked in a pan on the stovetop. Early while the meat cooks, tilt the saucepan to scoop out the excess fat. This can easily be done with a spoon, tipping the grease into a small bowl. Make sure to use a spatula to evenly stir and distribute the meat. Do this regularly, so the meat does not burn. Finally, add some taco seasoning. The easiest method for this is to use pre-made taco seasoning from the store. Use half the package for a mild flavoring and the full package for a bold taste.
Once this is finished, set the meat aside. Tortillas can either be warmed up or used straight from the package. Cooking a tortilla can easily be done on a buttered electric skillet, flipping whenever the tortilla has turned golden.
Once both the meat and the tortilla are finished, the taco can be put together. Any other additional vegetables or toppings, such as sour cream, shredded cheese or salsa, can be added to taste and wrapped in the tortilla. While this is an American style taco, it is often very tasty and satisfying.
This recipe can take slightly more time than the others, but it is often much more satisfying. It still usually takes under 20 minutes and yields beautiful results. If prepared the correct way, the meat and fixings can be easily made for multiple meals, saving future time and effort.
At Walmart, one pound of ground beef costs roughly $7, one pack of taco seasoning costs about $1 dollars, and a set of tortillas costs $5. However, this is enough to make multiple tacos, up to eight usually. Overall, this meal can be quick, easy and worthwhile.
After a long day of school, work, sports, extracurriculars and other activities, most students are very ready for a delicious meal. When they get home late, these quick options will leave them satisfied and with enough time to finish up any homework they may need to get done. These options will save students from leftovers or midnight snacks. After a couple of tries, students could come up with late-night meals of their own.