The seemingly endless options at UC Santa Cruz’s five dining halls are a beautiful thing. Sometimes, they really have a more beautiful personality. Luckily, the seemingly endless options From Cowell/Stevenson to Porter/Kresge lend themselves well to some mixing and matching to satisfy all of your cravings. If you are a hungry slug, but you are looking for more options to spice up your dining hall experience, try out these 7 dining hall hacks catered to UCSC dining halls.
1. British Breakfast Burger
So you arrived at the dining hall right as breakfast is ending and lunch is starting, but you are still looking for your breakfast fix. Try taking apart a British burger (because it comes on an English muffin), or a regular hamburger, replace the patty with hard boiled eggs from the salad bar, cold cuts, or whatever other breakfast toppings you can find. Try these breakfast sandwiches as inspiration.
2. Barbecue Chicken and Rice
This is as easy as taking a piece of plane roasted chicken and slathering on some barbecue sauce. If you love saucy chicken, but are looking for a different approach, try adding pesto or marinara sauce if it’s pasta night or from the sandwich station. Heating it up also helps the sauce stick better, so microwave it if there is a microwave available.
3. Pizza Panini
Yes, this is just two pieces of pizza grilled in the panini press. No, it will not ruin the panini press. Yes, this was pizza goals. You can experience the ooey-gooey deliciousness too. If you want to customize your pizza panini a little more, try this pizza panini.
4. Nacho Fries
It is a rare things to find any UCSC dining hall without endless fries! If there is Mexican food that day, pile your plate high with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa and enjoy a twist on an already delicious classic. If your dining hall has a microwave, heat them up, or add some chicken for extra protein.
5. Fry Cone
You are allowed to leave the dining hall with a dessert or a piece of fruit. Who says fries can’t be dessert? Roll them up in some napkins and top them off with a squeeze of ketchup before rolling to your next class if you’re still hungry or in need of a comforting snack.
6. Ice Cream with Cupcake Crumbles
Ice cream and cupcakes are good by themselves, but together they make magic! Try customizing your ice cream with whatever is available, whether it is cookies, brownies, or muffins. The possibilities are endless!
7. Root Beer Float
Soda, ice cream, ‘nuff said. Bonus Hack: bring your own cup and take it to your next class. Try these soda floats next time you are in the mood to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Of course, eating at the dining hall for every meal can get old. Changing it up with available resources can be a fun way to get creative, try new food combinations, and get a nutritious meal in the process. Thank you, College 9/10 Dining Hall for the inspiration and the meal!