Campus and Student Life

University Park offers over 45 different eating options on campus. Downtown State College has dozens of eateries catering to the college student’s palette. So when you are sitting in your residence hall room listening to your stomach growling, you might be wondering why.

“I eat at the [Findlay] commons every day and I even work at Fresh Express in the morning; so even though I get good discounts I get a little tired of the same sandwiches and stir fry every day,” said freshman Karissa Rodgers. “It would be nice to have a full kitchen in my dorm room like the apartments [in downtown State College].”

Let’s face it; eating at the dining commons can get boring. Sometimes downtown restaurants are too pricey for a college budget, and chowing down on microwaveable Ramen noodles made with water from the bathroom sink is just plain scary.

When hunger is calling and the other food options just aren’t cutting it for you, you may think your choices for satisfying meals are limited. And while you won’t have a fully-functioning kitchen at your disposal, you will learn how to become resourceful with what you can use on campus. With a few simple tools and some cheap ingredients, you can battle the boredom and feed your need for delicious food right in your residence hall room.

University Park residence hall rooms come equipped with a Microfridge: a neat energy-conscious device that combines a mini-refrigerator with a microwave. (The Microfridge uses less energy by only operating either fridge or microwave at one time.) When it comes to residence hall cooking, this handy Penn State original, developed by a Penn State alum, is your new best friend. Some other university-approved appliances like blenders and George Foreman grills will help you become a master of cooking in the residence halls. However, be cautious when purchasing and using any electrical appliances in the residence halls.

The University prohibits use of toasters, burners, or other appliances with open heating elements, so don’t buy these because they are unsafe and your Resident Assistant will ask you to get rid of them. Also, personal mini-fridges or other cooling devices are not allowed because they are not energy efficient and, frankly, they take up space.

As always, use caution with all electrical appliances. Never leave silverware or other metallic items on food while using the microwave, and make sure to keep the areas around outlets clean and dry to avoid electric shock or fire.

So, now that you have some common rules for cooking in the residence halls, here are some fun and simple recipes to try that involve ingredients you can find on campus at stores like Good2Go in Findlay Commons or downtown at McLanahan’s Market.

The Candy Bar Milkshake (makes 2 servings)

You’ll need:

-A Blender
-3/4 cup of milk (skim and lower-fat varieties will work, too.)
-1 candy bar of your choice, chopped (Snickers are recommended.)
-3 scoops any flavor ice cream (vanilla works well with the Snickers.)
-Whipped cream / chocolate syrup (optional, but definitely recommended.)

Make it:

-Pour milk and chopped candy bar into blender cup.
-Cover and blend for about 5 seconds, or until candy bar chunks are broken up.
-Add ice cream to blender cup.
-Cover and blend with the milk and candy bar 5 seconds or to desired thickness.
-Pour into two cups and top with whipped cream and syrup, if desired.
-Enjoy on days when the line for the Berkey Creamery is around the block!

Microwave Caramel Corn

You’ll need:

- A microwave (In this case, you will be using the Microfridge.)
-A medium-sized microwave-safe bowl
-2 cups brown sugar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 cup margarine
-½ cup corn syrup
-1 teaspoon baking soda (don’t get confused with baking powder)
-6 quarts popped popcorn (you can either microwave it yourself or find large bags of plain popcorn at your local supermarket)
-Wax paper or aluminum foil
-An airtight container for storage (unless you decide to eat it all in one sitting, which is totally fine, too)
-A brown paper bag big enough to fit all your popcorn in

Make it (yields 6 quarts prepared):

-Microwave sugar, salt, margarine and corn syrup together in a microwave-safe bowl about 1 minute or until the ingredients are melted.
-Remove from microwave and add in baking soda.
-Place your popcorn in a large brown paper bag (like the ones you would find in a grocery store)
-Pour your melted mixture over the popcorn in the bag, close the bag and shake until the mixture covers most of the popcorn
-Place the brown bag with the popcorn mixture back into the microwave and heat again for about 3 minutes or less, removing the bag and shaking it around after each minute
- Spread melted popcorn mixture over wax paper or aluminum foil and allow 5 minutes to cool.
-Break off chunks of caramel corn and store in an airtight container (like a Tupperware or even a few large Ziploc bags.)
-Enjoy with your roommates over a movie!

Ham Roll-Up Snacks

You’ll need:

-A microwave
-A Medium bowl for mixing
-toothpicks
-a paper towel or napkin
- a large microwave-safe plate
-3 ounces of spreadable cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup shredded cheddar (you can easily find pre-shredded cheese at your local supermarket in the dairy aisle)
- 1 tablespoon green onion, chopped (this is optional, and can be substituted with pretty much any vegetable you choose)
- ½ teaspoon prepared mustard (grey poupon works great with recipe)
- 4 slices prepared, fully cooked ham (tavern ham from a deli counter tastes fabulous)

Make it (yields 16 roll-ups):

-Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion and mustard in a medium bowl.
-Spread the mixture onto your ham slices without making the layer so thick that the sandwich wont stay rolled (a half-inch or less layer will do fine)
-Roll your ham up from the narrower end of the slice, trying to keep the roll as tight as possible without allowing the mixture to come out of the sides.
-Cut each roll into 4 pieces and secure through the outside of the roll with a toothpick.
-Place rolls on a paper towel and then on a large microwave-safe plate
-Microwave on HIGH 45 to 90 seconds or until the cream cheese mixture is warm.
-Serve and enjoy at your next group-study meeting.

If the above recipes don’t interest you and you seek some serious home-cooking like mom used to make, try making a grilled cheese. Now, since burners and toasters are prohibited and a microwave grilled cheese is just unappealing, you may think you are out of luck. Introducing: your clothing iron. Clothing irons are university-approved appliances that students living in the residence halls may overlook as cooking equipment; but students who have tried making grilled cheese with their iron say it never fails.

“I think the trick is the tin foil,” said senior Brittany Reutzel, who attempted making a grilled cheese with her iron at her downtown apartment. “If you don’t wrap it up the cheese melts and burns, and it smells horrible,” she added.

Reutzel demonstrated how to properly butter each piece of bread, place two slices of cheese on the unbuttered center, and neatly wrap the uncooked sandwich in tin foil. Then, with her iron set on medium, she proceeded to press the sandwich as if it were a shirt collar.

“It took a few minutes because the iron doesn’t get as hot as a skillet, but in the end I definitely had a grilled cheese sandwich,” Reutzel added as she took a bite of this experimental concoction.

Whether it means covering their food in ketchup or using a clothing iron to render a homemade favorite, college students will often do anything to kick boring fare up a notch. Just remember to remain safe when cooking in the residence halls and, if all else fails, there is always Ramen.