Durham, we need to talk about your dinners

Can you no longer stomach the idea of eating pesto pasta for the fifth time this week? Are you reminiscing about the glory days of catered college living, when food magically appeared and washing up simply… wasn’t your problem? Let’s be honest: your plates have been “soaking” in the communal sink for far too long, while your flatmate group chat fills with increasingly passive-aggressive messages.

Gym bros, are you tired of chewing through boiled-to-death chicken and rice that tastes like cardboard and regret? Or maybe you’re just in desperate need of some culinary inspiration. Whatever the reason, this article has you covered!

In my time as a Durham student, I’ve witnessed some truly dire dinners. I’m talking raw chicken, three cans of tuna eaten with nothing else, and cold baked beans straight from the tin, proudly labelled as “di-dins” (I have definitely never done this, and I was definitely not hungover.) I even know people who have somehow managed to mess up the holy student grail of pesto pasta.

It’s clear Durham needs help – and frankly, it’s long overdue. It’s time we levelled up our culinary game. What follows are some quick, easy (minimal washing up, minimal ingredients) and, most importantly, cheap, tasty, and nutritious student meal ideas. Meals that will actually keep you satiated, fuel you properly, and give you the nutritional foundation to go and achieve that first. (If you don’t get it, that’s on you – don’t shoot me.)

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As for my qualifications? I’m a self-confessed lazy foodie (yes, I’ve been rejected from MasterChef, let’s not talk about it) with a severe aversion to washing up. I therefore consider myself a near-perfect representation of the Durham student population. These are my pro tips, and those of others, for low-effort, high-reward, budget-friendly eats:

Some Classic Staples

Lets start with the basics: meals that are cheap, reliable, and have been carrying Britain’s brightest minds on their backs for generations.

The All-Around Winner: The Humble Jacket Potato

Yes, it’s basic. But it’s also elite.

Honestly, jacket potatoes are the sole reason I survived second year (aside from the unwavering love and support of friends and family, of course). They’re cheap, filling, and endlessly customisable. Load them up with chilli, tuna mayo, cheese and baked beans – the options are genuinely endless. Or, if you’re feeling bold, go rogue and make a baked sweet potato (revolutionary, I know).

Normally, jacket potatoes take 45–60 minutes in the oven. However, here comes the all-important pro tip, if you’re short on time, the microwave is your best friend.

Speedy Jacket Potato Method

1. Thoroughly wash your potato, pat it dry, and prick it several times with a fork to avoid a kitchen disaster.
2. Place on a plate lined with kitchen roll and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
3. Flip (it will be scaldingly hot) and microwave for another 4 minutes.
4. Coat generously in butter or olive oil — the secret to crispy skin — and sprinkle liberally with flaky sea salt. Add Cajun spice, paprika, or garlic powder if you’re feeling fancy.
5. Transfer to a preheated oven or air fryer at 220°C (200°C fan / gas 7) for 10–15 minutes until perfectly crispy.

Voilà – a truly elite tatty!

Bonus batch-cooking tip: If you’re organised and prepared (could never be me), batch-cook jacket potatoes, store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and crisp them up later. Future you will be very grateful.

Soup: A Bowl of Comfort

Another classic staple which should be part of any Durham students culinary calendar is soup, especially during the notoriously cold months the North-East has to offer. It’s cheap, warming, and surprisingly quick to throw together. Yes, you could buy ready-made, but making soup from scratch can be as easy as chucking some frozen veg, a frozen protein (Quorn, chicken, whatever takes your fancy), and a handful of noodles into boiling water, add stock, and Bobs your uncle!

Soup is endlessly versatile and a great way to use up the odd bits and bobs lurking in the back corners of your pantry, fridge and freezer, the kind of ingredients you’re not quite sure what to do with, but refuse to throw away.

If you want something equally low-effort but slightly more satiating, quick wins include leek and potato soup, a simple ramen, or chicken noodle soup, which are not only  comforting and great for your immune system (and the occasional bout of homesickness), they’re also perfect for lazy evenings and batch cooking alike.

For the Veggies & Vegans

Beans and legumes are your best friend: cheap, filling, endlessly versatile, and packed with protein and fibre. Some of my go-to recipes include lentil dhal and crispy oven-baked black bean tacos (courtesy of my wonderful mate Issy), which are genuinely life-changing. The filling is easy to customise, works just as well in nachos or quesadillas, and freezes brilliantly for future low-effort dinners. Another filling, quick and easy veggie recipe is a 6 bean chilli, (shoutout to the absolute legend Krishna) because why only have one type of bean when you can have six?

Ingredients
• 1 can six bean medley
• 1 table spoon Olive oil
• 1 Onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 Bell pepper
• 1 Canned Crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups Vegetable broth
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Salt & pepper

Steps
1. Heat olive oil in a pot and saute chopped onion until translucent, then add minced garlic.
2. Once garlic is golden brown, add bell pepper; cook 1–2 minutes until they are soft.
3. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and paprika to taste.
4. Add all the beans, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable broth.
5. Simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Other quick, easy, veggie- and vegan-friendly wins include a simple Thai curry, a meal I practically lived off during Veganuary. It’s genuinely as low-effort as it gets: grab a jar of curry paste (red, green, or yellow, depending on your mood), add a tin of coconut milk, then throw in whatever veg and protein you have to hand. Tofu is my go-to, but anything works. If coconut milk isn’t your thing (or you’re allergic), a half-and-half mix of cream and water does the job just as well. You can even finish with a squeeze of fresh lime if you’re feeling a bit boujie.

And because it would feel morally wrong to write an article about student food without mentioning pesto in some capacity, shoutout to Honor for a genuinely lush option: Crispy Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Squash and Sage, which features all the comfort of pesto (a substitute Honor recommended instead of the basil dressing), without yet another bowl of pasta.

For the Meatlovers

I would like to start off the meatlovers’ recipe section with an absolute banger from one of my best mates, Aidan, who is easily the best cook I know and rumoured to have won Malaysian MasterChef. Safe to say, his claypot chicken rice packs serious flavour and is an absolute crowd pleaser 🙂

One-Pan “Claypot” Chicken Rice

Equipment: Your biggest frying pan with a lid

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
Half a knob of ginger, minced
Oil
2 chillies (optional, but encouraged)
Coriander to garnish
Chicken marinade:
500g chicken, diced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce

Method:

1. Wash the rice (yes, this is essential unless you want porridge).
2. Fry garlic, ginger, and chillies until fragrant.
3. Add rice and toast for one minute.
4. Add water (1 cup rice = 1 cup water).
5. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add marinated chicken on top of the rice.
7. Cover and steam for another 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with coriander and enjoy.
9. You should end up with crispy rice around the edges and a soft, fragrant centre!

Other great meat recipes include Nando’s style loaded chips (pro tip: buy the Aldi knockoff sauce and bulk it out with lettuce – shoutout Gabe 🙂 ) and pork mince chilli. Pork is cheaper than beef and freezes well. If pork isn’t your thing, turkey mince works brilliantly too.

Here is a quick and easy pork mince chilli recipe from one of my main babes Emily:

1. Finely dice the vegetables: 1 onion (white or red) and 1 bell pepper (any colour, though red works best).
2. Heat a glug of oil in a pan over medium heat and gently sweat the onion until soft and translucent. A handy tip: cover the pan with a plate and add a teaspoon of water – it helps the onion soften without burning.
3. Add the pork mince (or your chosen alternative) and cook until fully browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Stir in taco or fajita seasoning. If you don’t have tomato purée, a squeeze of ketchup works surprisingly well thanks to its added salt and sugar.
4. Add the chopped bell pepper and drained black beans, then reduce the heat and let everything simmer for a few minutes so the flavours can come together.
5. If meal prepping, allow the chilli to cool to lukewarm before portioning into sandwich bags or containers and freezing. Stack flat to save freezer space.

A Final Tip

Cheap ingredients are your best friend. Try heading to supermarkets just before closing time –  if you’re lucky, you’ll be greeted by a sea of yellow stickers and some serious bargains. It’s also worth checking out Too Good To Go, which is perfect for discounted food while saving money and food waste.

Hopefully, these recipes help pull you out of a culinary rut and stop you instinctively reaching for the pesto-pasta combo yet again. If you’re still hungry for inspiration, or you’ve already cooked your way through everything in this article, social media is another great source of inspiration and full of  student friendly food accounts. Another one of my fave recipe sources is BBC Good Food Student recipes, which proves cheap and easy meal ideas.

Durham, it’s time we collectively upgraded from pesto pasta.
Let’s expand our culinary repertoire together!

Featured images via Google.

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