Going to class, doing homework, commuting and working leave little time to prepare a meal at the end of the day.

During the school semester it becomes all too convenient to pop something frozen in the micro- wave and call it dinner. I was resorting to the classic boxed macaroni and cheese, which didn’t do me any favors other than provide a speedy meal.

After getting fed up with pre-made dinners, it was time to make a change. I didn’t have time to make a full meal every night, but I could squeeze in some time to pop something in the toaster oven. It took little time to prepare the meals but it proved easy to have everything ready for an entire week’s worth of toaster oven meals in a small amount of time.

Each recipe is made from scratch and takes no longer than 10 to 12 minutes to cook in a toaster oven. The basic food preparation consists of boiling some chicken and separating it into a few different containers to add the different sauces for each meal. To save time throughout the week, boil enough chicken at the start of the week to last so the preparation time is cut down each day.

Wonton tacos

Ingredients:

2 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast, boiled shredded

8 square wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons sesame dressing

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons shredded Mexican cheese

Half an avocado peeled and sliced

Cooking spray

Preheat the toaster oven to 400 degrees.

Then shred the chicken and place in a bowl.

Mix together two tablespoons of barbecue sauce and two tablespoons of sesame dressing into the chicken and stir well.

Add one tablespoon of chopped cilantro and two tablespoons of shredded cheese.

Then place a spoonful of the mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper and fold like a taco. Spray the rack of the toaster oven to prevent sticking and place your tacos inside.

Let them cook for about 10 minutes and voila, dinner is served.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

12 egg roll wrappers

1 cup boneless, skinless chicken breast, boiled and shredded

1⁄2 a cup of hot sauce (your choice)

1 cup broccoli slaw or cole slaw (make sure it is dry. It is usually pre-bagged at the grocery store with other salad mixes)

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Small bowl of water

Blue cheese dressing (for dipping)

Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place a small amount of the slaw in the center of the wrap, and then top it with the chicken and crumbled blue cheese.

Roll the egg roll wrapper up like an envelope. Get the tips of your fingers wet and rub them over the last corner of the egg roll wrapper to seal it.

Then, after spraying the rack with nonstick cooking spray, place it in the toaster oven for 10-12 minutes. Depending on how full or little you stuff the wrappers, the cooking time may vary.

Chicken Flautas

Ingredients:

1 cup boneless, skinless chicken breast, boiled and shredded

1⁄4 cup of corn

1⁄2 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese

1⁄2 of a small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1⁄2 roasted poblano pepper tortillas (corn or flour)

Preheat the toaster oven to 400 degrees.

Place the all the ingredients in a bowl together and mix well.

Place them inside the tortilla, spreading the mixture throughout and roll it up. I found the rolling process was easier when I placed the tortilla in the microwave for 30 seconds prior to stuffing the ingredients in.

Place the flautas in the toaster oven – don’t forget the nonstick spray – for 10 minutes on each side to make them nice and crispy.

Alex Mecredy can be reached at [email protected]