My goal is to feed you for an entire week’s worth of lunches for the same price you would spend on one meal. Don’t think it can be done? Give it a try and find out.

College students can save an average of $30 per week by cooking their own food at home and skipping the take-out. Just take 30 minutes on a Saturday or Sunday to whip up these burritos, then heat them up for lunches between classes during the week.

This recipe is fast, easy and delicious. I mirrored it after Chipotle’s burritos – so there is room for you to add and subtract your favorite ingredients. This can even be made in a dorm room: all you need is a hot plate, microwave, a skillet and some bowls.

Also, I tend to leave out meat in my recipes because you can get plenty of protein for so much less than buying chicken or beef for every meal. I understand that some people cannot live without meat, so I made accommodations for some chicken to be thrown in.

Alright, let’s start with your ingredient list. I made a note of how much I spent on each item to give you a ballpark idea of what you will be spending on this meal.

Ingredients:

small white onion – $.62

red bell pepper – $1.77

cilantro – $.50 (I used dried cilantro – found on spice aisle – for about $2.50)

lime – $.20

2 cloves garlic – $.50

2 cans of black beans – $1.48

1.5 cups white rice – $.79

1 can of hatch green chilies – $1.08

1 package large tortillas – $1.78

your favorite salsa and cheese

Along with these ingredients, hopefully you already have oil, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. If not, they are a good investment for any basic kitchen.

And that’s it, just those 9 ingredients that add up to $8.72. If you want to add chicken I recommend John Soules Foods pre-cooked chicken fajitas. It’s chicken with no steroids or hormones added for only $5.98 for a good sized package. Plus, you don’t have to hassle with cooking raw chicken – just heat it up in a pan.

Let’s get cookin’!

Put the rice and 3 cups of water in a large bowl and cover. Microwave for 20 minutes on high or until all the water is absorbed. You can also just simply cover and boil the rice on a stove top until all the water is gone.

In the meantime, chop up the onion and bell pepper. Also chop up the leaves of the cilantro and mince the two garlic cloves. Cut the limes into fourths.

Heat a pan on medium and add some oil, the onions, peppers, and chicken if you choose to use it. Cook until the onions are browned, about 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of chili powder right before they are done.

You can either microwave the beans or heat them on the stove top. Drain the beans and add 1/2 cup of water, the can of green chilies (un-drained), the garlic, 3/4 tablespoon of cumin (a palmful), and a pinch of chili powder. Simmer on the stove for about 8 minutes, or heat covered in the microwave for 2.5 minutes.

Once the rice is done, add the cilantro, the juice from half the lime and a pinch of salt.

That’s it! Now just assemble all your burritos in the large tortillas, add your favorite cheese and salsa, and wrap them in foil so they keep their shape! This made a total of ten large burritos and kept me happy all week.

Come back next week for some Kabuki!