Roommates

Must-try recipes to conquer with your roommates

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Don’t enjoy spending hours in the kitchen? Have some extra food in the fridge you can’t use before the expiration date? Cooking dinner with your roommates — a super easy weeknight activity — might help you solve these issues.

Try these delicious recipes, and tell us what you think!

Flatbread Pizza

A quick and delicious meal that all roommates will enjoy is a personal flatbread pizza. The only ingredients you need are naan bread, olive oil, garlic, tomato sauce, and cheese. Brush the flatbread with oil and garlic, and cook until crispy in a preheated oven at 350°F. Place a light layer of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese on top, along with any other toppings you might have in the fridge: fresh tomatoes, pepperoni, etc. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for about 5 more minutes or until cooked. Dinner is served.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Another no-fail, classic dinner recipe is the lemon rosemary chicken. Marinate some chicken thigh cuts with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, and rosemary, and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a cast-iron pan, sear the chicken thigh (with or without lemon slices) and flip when golden brown. Once both sides are brown, move the chicken thighs to a small 8×8-inch baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes (until fully cooked). Let rest for 5 minutes before serving with some fresh salad or roasted potatoes. Bon Appetit!

BBQ Chip Mac n’ Cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F for this cheesy, gooey skillet of goodness. First, cook a pound of penne or rigatoni in a pot of boiling salted water. Once cooked, rinse in cold water and put the pasta off to the side. Then, take a large skillet over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Dice and cook ½ an onion to the mix. Add 4 tablespoons of flour and slowly whisk in 2.5 cups of whole milk. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, and add 3.5 cups of sharp cheddar cheese and ½ a cup of BBQ sauce. Whisk until melted.

Pour the cooked pasta into the BBQ Cheese mixture in the skillet, and mix to coat evenly. Top the pasta mix with crushed BBQ chips and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown, and serve this delicious dish for dinner.

Crockpot Red Lentil Curry

Cooking a meal shouldn’t take hours of work in the kitchen. Make enough food to share with your roommate and pack some for lunch with your crockpot. This red lentil curry is delicious and making it will take the same amount of time as eating it.

Rinse 4 cups of regular brown lentils and place them in a large crockpot. Add 2 onions (diced), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 tablespoon of ginger (minced), 4 tablespoons of butter, 5 tablespoons of red curry paste, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and a few shakes of cayenne pepper. Stir all together, and then pour 1 can of tomato puree and 2 cans of water into the crockpot. Make sure all the lentils are covered. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low overnight (8 hours). Taste and season with salt, making sure lentils are fully cooked and soft. Coconut milk and cilantro are optional ingredients to add. Serve with rice or naan bread right before eating.

Dark Chocolate Skillet Cookie

Dessert after dinner is a must. One of our favorite sweet treats is this dark chocolate chip skillet, which requires minimum baking and few ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat on an 8-inch cast iron skillet. Add ½ cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and stir. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Beat 1 egg in a bowl, and add ¼ cup of the melted sugar and butter mix from the skillet. Whisk to combine. Pour this new mixture into the skillet and stir all together. Next, add 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to the skillet. Stir carefully with a wooden spoon. Lastly, add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 1 cup of chocolate dark chocolate chunks, stirring to combine.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. We recommend eating it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.


At Common, you can cook with your roommates any day of the week. Our kitchens come fully stocked with skillets, salt and pepper, olive oil, wooden spoons, whisks — any tools and household essentials you might need. You can also expect high-end appliances, from your large fridge to your state-of-the-art ovens, so you can move in and be ready to conquer these yummy recipes and more.

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