inspiration
10 recipes every student needs to know before going to uni
July 31, 2025Going to university isn't just about hitting the books, it’s also a chance to nail that essential life skill – cooking! Because let’s face it, you can’t spend all your time in the library, you’ve got to eat (and we don’t just mean smashing a kebab after a night out).
So whether you’re after a cheap and tasty dinner or you’ve volunteered to feed hungry housemates, these 10 key student recipes will see you right.
And if you want to make your life even easier, having the right kitchen kit is the way to go. It’s no secret that we love air-fryer recipes – Jamie’s written a whole book of them: Easy Air Fryer! So if you’re a big air-fryer fan like us, we’ve got some cracking recipes for you. Let’s get stuck in.
Shop Jamie Oliver by Tefal Dual-Drawer Air Fryer
You can totally rely on this fail-safe omelette recipe for a quick brekkie, lunch or dinner. It’s a great vehicle for using up leftover veggies, cheese or cooked meat, meaning minimum food waste and maximum flavour. Get this essential recipe under your belt and the world is your omelette!
For those times when only something quick, hot and delicious will do, these air-fryer sweet potato fries are the one. Beautifully crisp on the outside and gloriously soft on the inside, they’re a thing of joy. Swap in regular potatoes here if you like – just ramp the heat up to 200ºC and give them an extra few minutes to get them nice and golden.
MORE: Sweet potato recipes
Rustle up this recipe when you need to feed your housemates. With minimal prep and hardly any washing-up, a simple traybake can be a real saviour when you’re pushed for time. This one takes 10 minutes to prep, then the oven does the rest of the graft. Swap in veggie sausages, if that’s your vibe.
SHOP: Epic Roaster from Jamie's Big Love serveware collection
This veggie delight makes the most of frozen broccoli – an ingredient we recommend you have to hand in your freezer. It has a much longer shelf life than fresh, is often cheaper and tastes just as good! Paired with cheesy air-fryer soldiers for next-level dunking, you can’t go wrong.
MORE: Soup recipes
Learning to cook a delicious pasta dish is a rite of passage for every student, and it doesn’t get much easier than a simple carbonara. The sauce only requires a few basic ingredients and is made in the time it takes to cook the pasta – perfetto!
MORE: Pasta recipes
Ditch the Friday night takeaway for these homemade chicken burgers – chances are they’ll be tastier, cheaper and much more satisfying! We’re using Korean store-cupboard staple gochujang here to add instant flavour – it’s worth investing in as you can use it in so many different ways, like in a quick stir-fry or a tasty traybake.
MORE: Air-fryer recipes
This creamy, oozy risotto might be basic, but it’s certainly not boring! It’s a great one to have up your sleeve, because you can throw in whatever ingredients you have knocking about. Nail the method, then mix things up by adding grilled mushrooms, roasted squash, leftover roast chicken, or frozen peas – anything goes!
Velvety soft, sticky aubergine teamed with udon noodles that are tossed in a sweet chilli sauce and peanuts – this is lip-smackingly good. And the best bit? You won’t need to turn on the hob or oven to make it! Winner winner, noodle dinner.
MORE: Stir fry recipes
A quick and easy curry is another student essential, and this recipe ticks all the boxes. Filling, comforting and easy on the wallet, we love it because it’s full of warming spices, soft sweet potato and creamy coconut – it’s a big ol’ hug in a bowl. What’s more, you can easily batch it up if you’re feeding a crowd. Stash any leftovers in the freezer for up to three months.
MORE: Curry recipes
This is one of our faves! Crispy potato skins are stuffed with soft potato, spinach and big-flavour bombs pesto and goat’s cheese – so good! Minimal ingredients means it’s easy on the wallet, too. Enjoy!
Check out these 5 reasons why every student house needs an air fryer
