Cooking in college can be a challenge. Whether it is because of a lack of funds, time, resources or space, cooking edible and satisfying food is much easier said than done.
However, utilizing the wonder that is the cast-iron skillet to create meals gives students no excuse to go hungry or waste time complaining about on-campus food choices. A skillet is practical and versatile.
If you are craving Mexican food, but do not have the means to create a five-star burrito or a heaping plate of cheesy nachos, throwing a few ingredients into a skillet, including store-bought Mexican cornbread mix, will give you an easy Mexican cornbread dish.
Coat the skillet with approximately two tablespoons of peanut oil.
Layer the skillet with half of the Mexican cornbread mix, browned ground beef chuck, cheese and top it off with the rest of the mix. Add water or milk as required by your mix recipe.
Bake the dish in the oven for approximately 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
If you are looking for a healthier option, olive oil can be used in place of peanut oil and ground turkey can be used instead of ground chuck.
This dish, which is delicious and requires little effort, can be eaten all at once or portioned and saved for leftovers.
After Mexican cornbread, sometimes you just have to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Instead of binging on generic candy bought from the on-campus stores, you can satisfy your sweet cravings by cooking indoor s'mores in a cast-iron skillet.
No, it doesn't require a fire or complex culinary skills.
Only taking 10 minutes to make, indoor s'mores are made by covering the bottom of a skillet with chocolate chips and topping it off with halved marshmallows.
After baking for nine minutes at 450 degrees, the delicious combination can be dipped and enjoyed with graham crackers.
Let me caution you, though. While the indoor s'mores will melt in your mouth, if you indulge too soon, the heat will melt your mouth with one bite.
Unlike cast-iron skillet Mexican cornbread, there are no healthy substitutions to be made here. Sometimes you just have to enjoy good food.
These are two examples of many delicious dishes that can be prepared using a cast-iron skillet.
The lack of effort required may come as a surprise, but the end results will blow your mind and your taste buds.
Not only will a cast-iron skillet allow you to create tasty food, but it is also easy to clean. After letting the skillet cool, simply empty it of any crumbs and wipe it out with a dry paper towel.
Each recipe can be altered to fit your skillet's size. So whether you are seriously hungry, making a meal for four or making a meal for just yourself, each recipe will satisfy whatever expectation you set.
Lindsey Raygan is an Intrigue writer for The Plainsman. She can be reached at intrigue@theplainsman.com.
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