Back from spring break and missing home-food already? Not to fret, here are a couple fool-proof recipes and quick tips to help you hack the UMD dining halls:

1. Chili Rice Bowl

Fill half a bowl with white rice from Sprouts, and ladle some of that nice diner chili over it. Top with cheddar cheese from the salad bar.

Diner

Photo by Lillian Sun

Mmmmm. Delish. Almost like Ben’s Chili Bowl. Almost.

#SpoonTip: Don’t limit yourself to just chili, this works fantastically with some of the other chunky soups you can find at the diner, like Caribbean Jerk Chicken Soup

2. Kale Stir Fry and Chicken

Anyone who lives on North campus knows that the stir-fry at North Diner pales in comparison to its much more legit cousin on South Campus.

Diner

Photo by Lillian Sun

Sauteed kale + teriyaki sauce + rice + fried chicken from the deli station = HEAVEN.

3. Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Diner

Photo by Parisa Soroya

This one’s easy: just put some cheddar into the broccoli soup. Who needs Panera, am I right?

Now Some Quick Tips:

1. Buy rice as a side, at Sprouts, instead of buying it by weight. Rice is very heavy.

Diner

Photo courtesy of revealnews.org

2. You can also buy cereal by weight in a big ole salad container to keep in your dorm for those mornings when you just can’t.

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

3. Craving some flavor? UMD’s freshly made hummus is a great way to season your meal.

Diner

Photo by Kendra Velkema

4. Get some guac for that quesadilla at the burger station. Unlike Chipotle, UMD doesn’t charge extra.

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

5. Want extra cheesy pasta? You can ask to have your pasta topped with some of the mozzarella they use to make pizza.

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

6. Take some dried cranberries from the salad bar to the deli station next time you get a chicken salad wrap. The tart sweetness from the cranberries goes perfectly with the savory chicken salad.

Diner

Photo by Grant Sorbo