You’ve finally done it.

You’ve made the move out of your dorm room and are on your own in your apartment or house. It’s an independent and exciting life.

There is a catch though — you have to cook your own meals.

For those who have some cooking experience and watched as their parents and grandparents prepared meals that always filled everyone up, there’s no problem. There will be a little trial and error, but at the end it’ll work out.

Now for those who were not so observant, there’s no need to fear. Although I might not be a five-star chef, I can make some easy recipes that taste pretty good. These recipes are easy to make and don’t take up a lot of time.

Grilled Cheese with Bacon

This one is very simple to make but is very filling. Everyone loves bacon and who can resist a classic grilled cheese? Combine the two and it’s fantastic.

1. Grab a nonstick skillet, put it on the stove and warm it up for a minute.

2. Grab three pieces of bacon, or however much your heart desires, and place it on the hot skillet.

3. Cook the bacon on each side for three minutes or until it reaches that beautiful bacon color.

4. Wash the skillet off and then heat the skillet again with a tablespoon of salted butter on medium-low heat. If you want the bacon flavor, you can use the bacon fat instead of the butter.

5. Place the bacon, tomato and the type of cheese you want between two pieces of bread.

6. Place the sandwich on the skillet and cook for three minutes or until the bread is golden. Repeat for the other side.

Spaghetti

This meal is quick and easy to make and is everyone’s famous. There are different forms of making this, but I’ll help make the easiest form.

1. Grab a pot, depending on how much you plan to cook, and pour five quarts of water for every pound of spaghetti you’re planning on cooking.

2. Add preferred amount of table salt before the water starts boiling.

3. Once the water is boiling, place the spaghetti in the pot. Cook for 10 minutes and stir from time to time to make sure the noodles don’t stick to each other or the pot.

4. At the same time the noodles are cooking, grab your favorite marinara sauce, meatless or with meat, and place it in a smaller pot that is heated. Stir constantly to avoid sticking and burning.

5. Once the noodles are cooked, drain the noodles and let them cool off for a minute.

6. Place the noodles on a plate and pour the spaghetti over them. Eat with a side salad or some bread. Don’t forget the Parmesan cheese!

Baked Lemon Chicken Breast

This one is a little tougher to make, but is well worth the time and effort. It’s a great meal to make for a date night or just a night to treat yourself for a good grade.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Warm 3/4 cup of olive oil in a saucepan and add three tablespoons of minced garlic.

3. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice, one teaspoon of oregano and a dash of salt and pepper into the baking dish.

4. Pat the chicken breasts with the sauce made.

5. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and salt and pepper.

6. Cut a lemon into eight wedges and place it between the pieces of chicken.

7. Place aluminum foil over the dish and bake the chicken for 30-40 minutes, the chicken will be slightly brown.

8. This can be served with noodles or potatoes, whatever your favorite is.

These meals will become your favorites by the end of the year and will help you stay away from spending too much money at different campus restaurants.

Michal is a sophomore in Media. He can be reached at [email protected] and @bennythebull94.