Dairy

The fresh basil and mozzarella give this salad such terrific fresh flavors that it’s like a little bit of summer all year long. It’s easy to put together, and it’s light but also filling. If you’re not a fan of green olives, use black olives or just leave them out. The salad will still be delicious.

This traditional Mexican dessert is the most unusual cake I have ever made, but it’s excellent. The cake rises when it bakes, falls when it cools, and rises again when it absorbs all of the milk topping. Serve it in small bowls because once it is cut, the liquid comes out to form a sauce.

This is the world’s easiest dip to make and it’s delicious. Even if you aren’t having a Cinco de Mayo party, this is a great dip to make when you are just hanging out with friends.

These mini tostadas are ideal because you get all the flavors in one bite. You can use any kind of chips, but the scoops that are shaped like little bowls hold everything together well.

The combination of shrimp and green chiles is fantastic on these quesadillas. It doesn’t matter what size shrimp you buy because you’ll have to cut them up anyway, so save some money and buy the smallest frozen shrimp they have.

These are one of my favorite things to order in a restaurant, so when we figured out how to make them at home, I was super excited. They are actually pretty easy to make, which is even better. For an even lower-budget option, leave out the ground beef, use the whole can of refried beans, and add an extra cup of cheese.

This is based on a French dish popular during the cold winter months. They use Reblochon, a super delicious stinky cheese, but since it’s hard to find here (and expensive), I used Swiss instead. This is so delicious that I cut it into quarters as soon as it comes out of the oven to avoid the fights over who got more. (And I’m not kidding about that.)

You’re in college now so it’s time to break away from boxed mac ’n’ cheese and try the real thing. It’s not hard to make and once you realize how creamy and cheesy the homemade version tastes, you’ll never go back to that boxed stuff. We added ham to this dish, but you could make it without the ham or with cooked chicken or broccoli. Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. Who doesn’t love cheesy broccoli?

Okay, I know this isn’t authentic carbonara, but eliminating the cream cuts the calories and reduces the cost. As long as it still has that exquisite bacon and Parmesan cheese flavor, I’m all for fewer calories and less money. This is another super simple recipe with generous portions that reheat well.

Okay, I won’t lie to you, these take a while to make, but they’re so delectable and quintessentially Greek that it’s worth the time it takes. You can make these several hours ahead and serve them at room temperature or you can put them together and just bake them right before you serve them.

These aren’t hard to make, but it does take a while to clean out the insides of all of the tomatoes. The good news is that they can be made up to a day ahead and the taste is most definitely worth the effort.

What is tzatziki you ask? It’s a cucumber sauce that they serve as a spread for pita bread in every Greek restaurant. And, if that doesn’t help, it’s the white sauce that they put on gyros. If you still don’t know what I mean, make it and you’ll find out.

I know you’re thinking, “Yeah, it’s low-cal because I only get one measly enchilada.” Not true. Okay, partially true, you only get one enchilada per serving, but they’re really big. By making larger enchiladas, you can pack them with all the good stuff and still save a couple hundred calories from skipping the extra tortillas.

This is a delicious low-fat version of a standard curry dish. You might think that low-fat means you won’t be full, but with all the potatoes and chicken in this easy-to-prepare meal, even big eaters will be satisfied. Curry can be a refreshing change especially if you’ve gotten stuck in a culinary rut.

My boyfriend’s mother made this dish when my family was visiting and we all fell in love with it. It’s surprisingly simple, but the combination of flavors is amazing. She served it as a side dish, but we loved it so much that we make it as a meal now. Trust me, you have to try this recipe.

Here is another super simple dish that can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta. You can use any type of pasta in this dish so feel free to swing out. I’ve used all different shapes, but my favorite was the pasta shaped like the state of Texas. It was so weird I had to buy it.

Oh, Barbecue Chicken Pita Pizza, how I love thee! Okay, that might sound kind of weird, but try it and you’ll know what I mean. These silly little pizzas are the easiest things in the world to make and most excellent to eat. In my opinion, that’s the perfect combination. I like making them this way, but you could use almost any toppings you want.

As one of my all-time favorite dishes, I make this recipe all the time. It’s best with fresh mushrooms, but I will admit that if I don’t have any in the refrigerator (or if I’m feeling particularly lazy), I will make this with canned mushrooms and it’s still yummy. When your friends think you’ve created a masterpiece, remember you don’t have to tell them how easy it was.

I adore tortilla soup, but a lot of restaurants make it too spicy for me. I’d rather make it at home where I can control the heat by using milder salsa. This is an easy version that can be made from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.

When I first started college, I was a total pastaholic, not only because it’s cheap and you just have to boil water, but because it’s so darn good. This is one of my favorite versions. With pasta, Italian sausage, and melted mozzarella, who wouldn’t love it. This dish makes a lot, but that’s okay because it’s also excellent reheated.