Finals are almost here, which means not everybody gets to go home for Thanksgiving. If you can relate, don't fret. At first you might be sad that you'll be missing your mom's homemade pecan pie and turkey cobbler. However, it's not hard to pick up a few affordable items at the grocery store to have a delicious dorm Thanksgiving! You'll feel right at home in the comfort of your own room, a bunch of friends, and, best of all, delicious food. Don't believe me? All it takes is five staple items!
1. Microwave Cornbread
If you're stuck with a dorm Thanksgiving this year, you might not have access to an oven. But you most likely will have access to a microwave! Thankfully, microwaved cornbread is a thing...a very delicious, simple, and easy thing! All you'll need is cornmeal, flour, milk, eggs, salt, oil and baking powder; these are all items that can be bought for under ten dollars all together at any grocery store. It can even be made in a mug! If you'd like to save even more time, there's always instant cornbread mixes, too.
2. Ready-to-Eat Mashed Potatoes
Can't forget the mashed taters, right? It might not be so simple to make mashed potatoes in your room, but Trader Joe's to the rescue, as always. Trader Joe’s sells ready-to-eat mashed potatoes for $1.99, so if you are not in the mood for cooking, or simply can't, it's as easy as pie! (Pumpkin pie, that is!) If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, there are dozens of instant mashed potato mixes sold everywhere.
#SpoonTip: Want mashed sweet potatoes instead? Sweet potatoes can easily be cooked in a microwave and then mashed with a fork! Don't forget to mix in some cinnamon and top with marshmallows for an extra wow factor.
3. Deli Turkey
There's no time, space, and money to buy a huge roasted turkey or to roast your own when your Thanksgiving is a dorm Thanksgiving. Luckily, deli meat exists for these type of situations. It might not be exactly the same, but it gets the job done. Buy the thin sliced deli turkey at your local grocery store, buy a loaf of sweet, aromatic bread, and you got yourself a delicious and nutritious turkey sandwich. Don't forget to add some mayo, ketchup, mustard, and your favorite vegetables to your sandwich!
4. Microwaved Sweet Baby Carrots
We can't forget about the side dishes! Roasted carrots might be a little difficult, but baby carrots can easily be steamed in the microwave for an easy, delicious side dish. This time, however, we're going to add a sweet factor to the dish! First place your baby carrots in a bowl of water and microwave on high for five minutes. This essentially steams them and makes them nice and soft. In a separate bowl, combine some butter, honey, and cinnamon real well. When the carrots are done, remove them (carefully! It's hot!), and let them cool for a bit before slathering them all over the sweet butter mixture. You can eat them as is, or microwave one more time and eat them hot. So good and easy!
5. Frozen Apple Pie
For dessert, apple pie is a must! You can make your traditional apple pie, but we know this is time-consuming and requires a bunch of ingredients that we might not be able to get our hands on. Did you know frozen apple pie is a thing? Some brands that have frozen apple pie include Sara Lee and Marie Callender's. Defrost before use and top with vanilla ice cream for a sweet touch! Edy's also sells ice cream that is apple pie flavor, so if you don't want pie, you can simply get apple pie flavored ice cream and pretend it's an actual pie...gotta do what you gotta do, right?
Whether or not you spend the holiday in your dorm, we hope these give you great ideas for delicious and easy dishes that can be made! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!