It’s the last day of senior year. You’re finally graduating and, with the help of Spoon University, you’ve been able to master these 39 recipes. Now, you have an actual kitchen and you’re officially an adult now. Impress your friends with these fancy, but useful, recipes that you should know how to make after college.
1. Tuna Tartare
Photo by Julia Murphy
Tuna Tartare is perfect for when you’re feeling a little fancy. It’s easier to prepare than you’d think and this recipe only takes 35 minutes.
2. Proper Homemade Ramen
Photo by Morgan Goldberg
Everyone loves ramen, not only college students, but ramen gets a lot better when it’s homemade and not packed with preservatives.
3. Gourmet French Fries
Photo by Chelsea Hawk
French Fries are a hard-to-resist American staple, but this recipe takes french fries to a whole new level – beyond your basic ketchup and fries combination.
4. Glammed-Up Popcorn
Photo by Andrea Kang
There’s more to life than microwave popcorn. Homemade popcorn is a lot easier than you’d expect – it only take 5 minutes – and there’s a lot more room for customization (NUTELLA POPCORN, ANYONE?)
5. Spaghetti Sauce (From Scratch)
Photo by Judy Holtz
Ditch those grocery store jars of spaghetti sauce and make your own spaghetti sauce with fresh, wholesome ingredients. You can make it in a skillet or let the slow cooker do all the work.
6. Truffles
Photo by Hana Ezaldein
Truffles are a simple, decadent dessert for when you’re feeling in a “treat-yo-self” mood. This raspberry truffle recipe is simple and only 3-ingredient. Give it as a gift or keep all the truffles to yourself. You do you.
7. Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a great go-to remedy for when you’re feeling under the weather. There are also tons of different variations of it that can be enjoyed when you’re not feeling sick, such as adding a shot (or more) of whiskey.
8. Doughnuts
Photo by Phoebe Melnick
You’ll stop going to Dunkin’ Donuts forever once you realize how easy it is to make doughnuts at home. You can spice these up by adding your own toppings and glazes (does Dunkin’ Donuts have bacon doughnuts? I didn’t think so.).
9. Cheese Bread
Photo by Alina Polishuk
Cheese bread is a perfect for almost any time of day (when is it not a good time for cheese?). Pair it with coffee, like they do in Brazil and you’re good to go.
10. Granola
Photo courtesy of Parsa Lotfi
Granola is a great easy-to-carry snack and a perfect healthy treat at work. Make it yourself and customize it to your liking by adding your favorite ingredients.
11. Sushirrito
Photo by Lily Lou
The sushirrito is fun spin on classic sushi, and it’s incredibly easy to bring to work. Just wrap it in parchment paper and you’re good to go. Bonus: it’s healthy and it only takes 15 minutes.
12. Molten Chocolate Cake
Photo by Helena Lin
This molten chocolate cake is a perfect cure to your chocolate cravings. It’s sweet, decadent, and fluffy. Perfect for a night in with friends or a dinner date.
13. Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes
Photo by Caty Schnack
What do you do when two amazing things have been combined to form something even better? Of course, you make a ton of it. These red wine chocolate cupcakes take cupcakes to a whole new level, satisfying both your inner-child and adult.
14. Honeydew Mojito
Photo by Christin Urso
Mojitos are a great cure for when you’re feeling stressed out about your “new adult life”. The vitamin C in the lime juice helps you fight the stress, paired with honeydew, which keeps you hydrated.
15. Vietnamese Coffee
Photo by Jennifer Cao
Coffee is a daily staple, but sometimes a simple black coffee will not do. For those days when you’re feeling extra fancy, make Vietnamese coffee.
16. Crepes
Photo by Jennifer Cao
Crepes are perfect for almost every meal. Make them sweet by filling them with fruit and nutella or savory by filling them with ham and cheese. They’re elegant, but this recipe makes it low-effort.
17. Salad That You Actually Enjoy
Courtesy of Katherine Martinelli
Many people dread salads, but those who do just haven’t found “the one” yet. Learn how to make your own salad from scratch and customize it with your own fix-ins and dressings.
18. Acai bowl
Photo by Makaya Pratt
Acai bowls are a perfect healthy breakfast or snack. They typically cost around $7 to $15 a bowl at a store, but save yourself the trip and money and make it yourself at home.
19. Shrub
Photo by Julia Murphy
Shrub is a fun and delicious cocktail that you can make with only 5 ingredients. It can be made hot or cold, but either way, it’s delicious.
20. Homemade Whipped Cream
Photo by Marissa Arnett
Who doesn’t love whipped cream, especially if it’s easy to make, only taking 1 minute and 6 seconds and 3 ingredients to make? Whipped cream is super useful because you can use it on almost everything: fruit, cupcakes, ice cream, and more.
21. Pork chops
By Hannah Lin
Pork Chops are an American classic, perfect for those nights when you’re unsure what to have for dinner. Add a few roasted vegetables or a side salad, and you’re good for the night.
22. Better Pancakes
Photo by Malia Hu
Just because the waffle maker in your dining hall is gone now, doesn’t mean you can’t make some delicious pancakes. The best part about growing up is that you get to try all the different flavors and get to use as much whipped cream as you want to top your pancakes.
23. Classic Carbonara
Photo by Lucy Rubin
Carbonara is perfect to make when you’re low on ingredients. You only need seven ingredients, and you probably have most of them already. Just put them together in a pan and you got elegant Italian on the cheap.
24. Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies From Scratch
Photo by framedcooks.com
Chocolate chip cookies get an upgrade with these mocha chocolate chip cookies. More caffiene = more energy = more productivity = more reasons to make these.
25. Homemade meatballs
Photo by Dana Salzman
Meatballs are savory balls of deliciousness perfect to eat by themselves, with your favorite spaghetti dish, or in a sandwich. There’s no reason not to make them.
26. Raspberry Mojito
Photo by Vedika Luthra
It’s summer: the season of fruity drinks. Mojitos are so perfect for celebrating the nice weather that you’ll forget that you still have to work.
27. Ultimate artichoke dip
Photo by Maddie Wilmes
Who can resist this cheesy, gooey deliciousness? Artichoke dip is a perfect go-to appetizer, and it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
28. Burger
Photo courtesy of Bonnie Wu
Ditch the McDonald’s and start making this Southwest Burger. It spices up the classic hamburger by adding hot sauce and a few other spices. Plus, it’s probably healthier than fast food burgers.
29. Huevos Rancheros
Photo by Gabby Phi
Huevos Rancheros paired with sangria is one of the best hangover cures and you can make. It’s fast, customizable, and cheap. Plus, it’s great for drunchin’.
30. Pulled pork
Photo by Leigh Needham
Pulled pork isn’t just for the Southerners anymore. Just take out your favorite slow cooker, your favorite BBQ sauce, a few friends and have a barbeque.
31. Shakshuka
Photo by Yair Sakols
Shakshuka is perfect for warming you up on a cold winter day. It’s a one-pot recipe, so you will not have to worry about washing dishes.
32. Fireball
Photo by Libby Perold
Add some spice to your drink by making a fireball. It’s so good that Pitbull made a song with the same name (probably declaring his love for fireballs).
33. Risotto
Photo by Vedika Luthra
For when you get tired of eating pasta, make risotto. It’s easy to put together and there are tons of different variations: spinach and mushroom, beet and barley, or just the classic risotto.
34. Homemade Ice Cream
Photo by Vedika Luthra
Ice cream is probably one of the most delicious desserts you can make for any season (especially summer); however it gets 34209x better when you can customize it and make your own flavors (no ice cream machine needed). Peanut Butter Oreo Fudge Swirl ice cream, anyone?
35. Cheesecake
Photo by Allie Dang
Cheesecake is the perfect dessert for when you don’t want to be overwhelmed by sweetness. It’s sure to impress anyone (who doesn’t love cheesecake?), and for the lazy, there are no-bake cheesecakes.
36. BBQ ribs
Photo by Rafi Letzter
Who doesn’t love some nice, juicy ribs? There are many different variations of it (coffee, brown sugar, Italian, margarita), so you’ll never get tired of it. And, there’s no grill required.
37. Hair of the Dog
Photo by Andrea Kang
This festive spiked peppermint hot chocolate will help you bear the winter cold (and your terrible hangover).
38. Mason Jar Salad
Photo by Bernard Wen
They’re fun, portable, and healthy. What’s not to like about mason jar salad?
39. Flaky Pie Dough
Pie crusts are the best part of the pie, so why depend on store bought pie crusts? Make your own with 5 ingredients (one of them is water) in under 10 minutes.
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