10 Cooking Tips For Students

First, make sure your kitchen cupboards are full to bursting with affordable staples you’ll use frequently. Try these to start with…

• Tinned chickpeas, lentils and pulses
• Tinned tomatoes
• Frozen fruit and veg
• Rice and dried pasta
• Tinned fish
• Spices and seasoning

2. Learn to batch cook

Cook once, freeze and enjoy meals at a later date. Batch cooking makes the most of your ingredients and is great for avoiding food waste. Make one of these satisfying bulk recipes on the weekend when you have more time.

Our easy big-batch pressure cooker bolognese is ideal for feeding a crowd, especially if you take turns cooking in shared accommodation. For a veggie option, try this healthy double bean chilli which you can eat with rice, fajitas or pasta. For an indulgent treat, try this easy pulled beef ragu, a recipe cooked low and slow for a richer flavour.

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Take a look at our batch cooking collection for more delicious freezable meal ideas.

Vegetarian batch cooking recipes
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Batch cooking for beginners
Vegan batch cooking recipes
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3. Try adaptable recipes

It’s always a good idea to learn one basic recipe that you can adapt depending on what’s in the fridge. Curry is a great place to start. Make this basic curry sauce and you have an easy shortcut to a quick chicken curry or a meat-free veggie version. Having canned ingredients like chopped tomatoes and chickpeas in the cupboard makes life easier (see below). Use up odds and ends of veggies in your fridge with our fridge-raid one-pan pesto pasta, fridge-raid soup and fridge-raid fried rice.

Try whipping up a Mexican feast if you’re catering for friends and include these fun roll-your-own fajitas. You can swap in ingredients depending on dietary requirements and veg preferences. With any leftover tortilla wraps, try these cheesy bean & chipotle quesadillas for a hearty lunch.

Basic recipes
Easy recipes
Five ingredients or less recipes

4. Use storecupboard staples

Master super easy storecupboard recipes using those old favourites, rice and pasta. If you’re happy to stand and stir, try one of our risotto recipes with a variety of veggies and seasonings. Egg-fried rice is also perfect for using up leftovers. It’s also worth learning how to make tasty lunches like a classic dhal with a bag of lentils and some well chosen seasoning.

Stock up on tins, cans and frozen veg for easy go-to bulking ingredients. Our tuna pasta & aubergine bake uses tinned tuna and homemade penne to make an easy yet nourishing dinner that’s surprisingly low in fat, too.

How to use storecupboard spices
Budget storecupboard meals
Vegetarian storecupboard recipes
Storecupboard health foods
Healthy storecupboard recipes

5. Use up your leftovers

Making the most of your leftovers is not only good for the environment and saving money, it also saves you the time and effort of cooking another meal from scratch.

Cook a batch of our roasted summer vegetable traybake and then transform it into a fragrant peanut & coconut curry, summery orzo soup and smoky white bean & ricotta traybake. Or, make our roast chicken for weeknight leftovers at the weekend and then you’ll be halfway there to making our lemony chicken lentils and creamy spinach, basil & chicken pasta during the week.

Or get ahead of meal prep with our freezable recipes to save you time during the week. Stop throwing away good food with our guide on how to waste fewer bananas and what to do with leftover croissants.

Leftovers recipes
Leftover rice recipes
Leftover potato recipes
Ways to use up leftover milk
Leftover chicken recipes

6. Make the most of budget ingredients

Everyone needs comfort food and the classic baked potato ticks so many boxes. Read up on how to make the ultimate spud as well as ideas for cheap and tasty toppings. Eggs are also a handy, cheap protein-boosting ingredient that can be added to just about any dish. Omelettes, tortillas, rice pots and even shakshukas are nutritious meals that you can make with just a handful of ingredients. Take a look at our healthy egg collection for low-cost recipes with that all-important key ingredient.

Soups are yet another way to pack in the veg and are good for freezing in advance. This classic tomato soup uses tinned tomatoes and is perfect for chilly evenings. You can also make a hearty cottage pie with your favourite veg, a simple stock, or sauce, and a crisp mashed potato topping. We’re particularly fond of this Italian veggie cottage pie. Grab an apron and check out our pie collection for more mouthwatering sweet and savoury slices.

Budget recipes
Budget meals for one
Budget slow cooker recipes
Budget salad recipes
Budget batch-cooking recipes
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7. Make the most of kitchen gadgets

A few essential kitchen gadgets can easily be used to whip up a wide range of dishes, for example deep saucepans for one-pots, soups, sauces and more. A good non-stick frying pan is a no-brainer when it comes to stir-fries and a roasting tin is perfect for lazy all-in-one traybakes. Mixing bowls are great for a spot of baking, as well as combining savoury ingredients (and can double up as a fruit bowl!)

Make the most of microwaves if you have one in the student kitchen or have brought your own with our microwave recipes.
If you want to splash out a bit more, consider getting a slow cooker, air-fryer or even a toastie maker. A mini fridge is also super useful for storing a few essentials in your room like milk, spreads etc. Find plenty more advice in our review of the best student kitchen essentials.

Quick and easy microwave recipes
How to cook bacon in the microwave
The best microwave cake recipes
How to cook pasta in the microwave
Air-fryer recipes
Healthy air-fryer recipes

8. Perfect pasta dishes

For a seriously simple yet flavour-packed dinner, this budget beauty ticks all the boxes – plus it only takes 20 minutes all-in. You’ll be the envy of your flatmates when they get a whiff of our caponata pasta.

Once you’ve mastered a classic lasagne, you’ll be the most popular housemate on campus. This easy, five star-rated roasted vegetable lasagne only takes a bit of assembling, if you cook the sauces in advance, and it won’t break the bank. Check out our best ever pasta bake recipes for more ideas and whip up a batch of this roasted red pepper sauce and keep it in the freezer. It’s great with pasta and it goes well with our baked gnocchi, too.

Easy pasta recipes
Quick pasta recipes
Storecupboard pasta ideas
High-protein pasta recipes
Most comforting pasta recipes
Dairy-free pasta recipes

9. Whip up some quick and easy sweet treats

These treats are just the thing for when you’re craving something sweet but don’t have the time or kitchen space for serious baking. Try this melt-in-the-middle mug cake for a shot of chocolatey goodness in four minutes flat. Read our tips on how to make the best mug cakes with a microwave and a few of your favourite flavours. If you want something fruity, these autumnal baked apples and our apple crumble sundae are both ready in no time.

If you’ve got parents or friends to wow, take a look at our easy but impressive recipe collection.

Moreish mug cake recipes
Easy desserts
Desserts for one
Quick dessert recipes

10. Cook some budget-friendly plant-based meals

Veggie and vegan-based cooking tend to be a cheaper alternative to meat and fish, so it can be a great way to cut down on food costs while being a student. It also means you’ll more easily pack in more fruit and veggies, beans and lentils – although ultra-processed meat alternatives may be tempting, try to keep them as an occasional treat. Whether you’re fully plant-based or not, introduce some more variety into your diet with our delicious vegetarian dinner recipes for meat-free Monday and beyond.

Upgrade the student favourite of jacket potatoes with our baked sweet potatoes with whipped feta, spiced chickpeas & green tahini for a healthier twist, or try a classic of vegetarian fajitas, a warming spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal or a lentil bolognese.

Easy vegetarian recipes
Quick vegan recipes
Vegan brunch recipes
Vegan pancake recipes
Budget vegan recipes

Like these dishes? Here’s more student recipe inspiration…

Our ultimate student recipe collection
How to kit out a student kitchen
12 ways to cut your food costs