Five recipes to meet your quarantine cooking needs

written by: Devin Burrow, managing editor

Everyone is feeling the quarantine blues. By this point in the life of a social distancing American, most have played video games, done school work and cleaned the house over and over again. But there is another way to challenge yourself: cooking. 

We wanted to share with you a few recipes of some delicious foods to challenge both your cooking skills and your tastebuds. Enjoy!

1. Easy Breakfast Quesadillas from pumpkinspice.com

We thought it would be relevant to start out this list with something to start your day off. These quesadillas are filled with scrambled eggs, green peppers, bacon and cheddar cheese squeezed between two flour tortillas. This is a great recipe to try out a different variety of ingredients including sausage instead of bacon or adding ingredients like onion and red peppers. This is also a great healthy alternative and would pair nicely with orange juice. The quesadillas also provide an easy way for you to use common ingredients out of your pantry to help you self-quarantine.  

2. Spiced Banana Chocolate Muffins from goodhousekeeping.com

This is for people who prefer a sweeter side to their morning routine. This 14 ingredient food seems complicated on the outside, but is rather simple and easy with most of the ingredients being pantry safe baking ingredients such as baking soda and vegetable oil. This muffin is a sweet remedy for those who need a quick pick-me-up before starting your day and doesn’t hurt the calorie back that badly, weighing in at only 300 calories. 

3. Double Grilled Cheese from Brit.co

Sure, you have made grilled cheese before. But this simple, yet different take on the comfort food brings the classic sandwich to another level. With this recipe, just add another piece of cheese to the outside of the sandwich before “grilling.” This creates a more crunchy exterior that packs a bunch of flavor into the originally bland sandwich. Try this with different types of cheese!

4. Tomato Tortellini Soup from HoneyandBirch.com

If you’re feeling a little under the weather or just wanting something easier to make for the family, this 3-major ingredient soup is right up your alley. This recipe has you mix fire-roasted tomatoes with chicken stock (or broth if you haven’t any stock) and rich tortellini pockets that soak up the liquid and catch it for the perfect bite. It is advised that you season with kosher salt, pepper and a little red pepper flake. You could also add chicken or beef if you want it to pack some more protein! 

5. Slow cooker Chili from Manilaspoon.com

Not very many foods carry the flavor power of Chili and it’s easy to make with this 3-ingredient recipe! Chili is composed of just meat, beans and water with a lot of water or broth! This recipe asks you to mix those three things (try it with chicken too!) and pop it into the slow cooker in your house. Alternatively, you could throw it all into a large pot on the stove and let it cook for hours. Oh, and don’t forget the spices needed in Chili! 

We hope that you are having a fun, but safe and healthy lifestyle during our time of quarantine! Bon Appetit!

Devin Burrow is the managing editor for BryanTriangle.com. He is a senior communication major with an emphasis in digital media. Devin loves movies and cooking food for his friends and family.