The Caf, The Grill, The Caf again. On those days when nothing seems edible, or a change of pace is direly needed, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Top Ramen are overused alternatives.

Instead defaulting to the usual choices, consider other options. With only a microwave, bowl and spoon, you can create your own meals and avoid common college food fiascos.

Red Carpet Ramen:

At only 14 cents a package, the college stand-by, Top Ramen, is a staple of my personal diet. The carbohydrate-heavy noodles only fill your stomach for a mere hour at most, but his recipe makes a meal out of a once bland dish.

Ingredients:

– 1 package chicken flavored Top Ramen

– 1 head of broccoli, chopped

– 1 carrot, (pre-sliced from the store is easiest)

– ½ cup cabbage, thinly sliced

– 1 egg

– cheddar cheese

1. Follow instructions on Top Ramen packet to cook noodles

2. When noodles just begin to get soft, add cut-up vegetables and let cook for one minute.

3. Break egg over water (boiling or close to it) and cook until egg white turns from clear to white.

4. Add chicken flavoring packet and stir.

5. To finish, place slices of cheddar cheese on top so it melts while the ramen finishes cooking.

Fresh vegetables, protein and the traditional Top Ramen flavoring make a healthy, rounded meal out of a once bland noodle dish.

Warning: The cabbage smells and takes longer to cook, so more sensitive eaters might want to avoid it.

Delicious “Fauxuccine” Alfredo:

You don’t need to go to Olive Garden to get your fettuccine Alfredo anymore. Although not as thick and intricate as the traditional style, this Italian dish provides an easy and filling dinner with only a few cheap ingredients.

Ingredients:

– 2 oz. cream cheese

– ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

– ¼ cup milk

– 1 cup pasta (fettuccine or any other flat noodle)

– 1 ½ cups water

– salt and pepper

1. Put noodles and water in a microwave safe bowl.

2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, then stir. Repeat until pasta is cooked (taste check). Should take around 3 cycles.

3. Drain noodles once cooked, and place in separate dish.

4. Put cream cheese and milk in microwavable bowl and cook for 1 minute.

5. Stir until smooth, or add more microwave time if needed. Then add parmesan cheese and stir until smooth.

6. Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Don’t judge the dish until it is finished. I was skeptical mixing the chunky cream cheese and milk, but some extra heat to melt it all together completed the dish.

Just make sure to use the cheap parmesan cheese because the real kind won’t melt. This is a good base dish to try and expand on. Be creative and try to add more flavor (bacon, paprika etc …).

No-bake Oreo Cheesecake:

For an extra-special occasion, the Oreo cheesecake is a delicious treat. While it’s a bit expensive for the average, broke college student, it feeds many and is extremely filling.

Ingredients:

– 3 ½ oz butter

– 8 ¾ oz Oreo cookies, crushed

– 21 oz cream cheese

– 3 ½ oz powdered sugar

– 10 ½ oz heavy cream, whipped

– 3 ½ oz grated chocolate or crumbled Oreo bits

1. Melt butter in the microwave and mix in the crushed Oreos until they have absorbed all the butter. Press into bottom of pan and let set in refrigerator for one hour. You can also use premade Oreo pie crust.

2. Whip cream cheese with fork until creamy. Then, slowly add in powdered sugar.

3. Fold in the heavy cream and grated chocolate/Oreo bits. When the mixture is smooth, spread over crust.

4. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Top with chocolate shavings or crumbled Oreos.

It’s hard to go wrong with sugar, cream cheese, heavy cream and Oreos. While it’s not for anyone counting calories, this cheesecake’s creamy taste makes it restaurant-worthy.

For even more flavor, readers over 21 can add two shots of Baileys to the cream.

So next time the smell of The Caf makes you turn around before you even see it or you don’t want to eat another dinner out of one of The Grill’s paper bags, try a new recipe.

The worst that can happen is you mess up and end up at The Caf. Again.