Trying TikTok recipes in a college dorm

I have always been fascinated by TikTok chefs. The 60-second video limit means the dishes come together in an instant through the magic of time-lapse videos and jump cuts, and I can’t get enough.

This week, I decided to move from just watching TikTok recipes to actually trying some. Here are three TikTok recipes you can make from the comfort of your dorm.

Recipe 1: Tortilla Triangles

For my first recipe, I began with a trend I’ve seen all over TikTok this month. I was most excited to try this recipe because it is so versatile. The concept is simple.

Take a tortilla, and fold it in half twice. Next, unfold your tortilla, revealing four equal quadrants. Take a knife, and cut your quadrant lines, then fill each section with your fillings. I decided to go for a Southwest-inspired tortilla. My four ingredients included refried beans, salsa, kale and avocado. However, I saw countless fillings on TikTok, including a variety of sandwich meats, cheese and condiments. After you fill your tortilla, follow the lines of each quadrant to fold it. You should end up with a thick triangle stuffed full of your ingredients of choice.

Now, you’re ready for the best part: cooking it. Like the ingredients, TikTok shows countless ways to cook these tortilla triangles. I decided to cook mine in a pan with some oil, but you can cook it in a panini press, waffle maker or even your dorm microwave. This recipe is the perfect thing to eat between classes because it is cheap, easy and comes together in just minutes.

Recipe 2: Gigi Hadid’s Pasta

While my next recipe didn’t start on TikTok, it did become popular due to the platform. This viral pasta recipe comes from a video Gigi Hadid posted on her Instagram story, but it has been recreated in countless TikToks. Technically, this recipe should be made over a stove, but you can just as easily make it in your microwave for a slightly classier twist on instant mac and cheese.

First, cook the pasta you plan to use. I used regular spaghetti noodles, but you can use any kind you would like. Next, prepare your sauce by heating a little olive oil, garlic, green onion and red pepper flakes over a stove or in your microwave. Then add a quarter cup of tomato paste and half a cup of heavy cream to your sauce and cook it all together. Technically, you’re supposed to add a tablespoon of vodka to your sauce at this point, but I left out this step (dry campus!), and it tasted just as delicious.

Recipe 3: Whipped Coffee

This iconic drink, also known as dalgona coffee, dominated my For You Page during the early months of quarantine, but I had never actually made it until now.

To make it, you whisk together two tablespoons each of instant coffee, sugar and hot water. You then add your delightfully fluffy coffee to a cup of milk and ice.

Unfortunately, as a college student, I don’t have access to the hand mixers I saw in most of the TikToks I watched. Instead, I tried to whip together the three ingredients by hand. After 10 minutes of whisking, my fingers felt like they were about to fall off and I was no closer to getting the famous coffee fluff. Despite my best efforts, this recipe turned out to be a failure. Unless you happen to have a hand mixer in your dorm, I would stick with Starbucks for now.

Despite my coffee fail, I still loved my week of trying TikTok recipes. My dishes might not have been as picturesque as the TikTok videos I was following, but they tasted just as delicious. Now that I’ve learned TikTok recipes can be recreated with the things I have lying around my dorm, I’m definitely going to try the next one that comes across my feed, and you should too!