A Return To College Food
By Monica on March 25th, 2008
Well, almost. Like most people, my undergrad years were filled with unrecognizable cafeteria food and late night take-out garbage. In my years at NIU, the late night, post-drinking, junk food of choice was Beer Nuggets - fried chunks of dough you dipped into pizza sauce and/or powdered cheese sauce. One could purchase an entire brown grocery bag full for about $4, a bargain for any poor, hungry, inebriated college student.
Despite how terrible they must be for you, let’s face it: fried dough tastes good. When I saw Bryanna’s 5 Minute No-Knead Bread & Focaccia, I was immediately inspired to make imitation, healthier beer nuggets. Here is the intact focaccia, made with whole wheat flour, and covered in garlic and fresh dill - luxuries never afforded to the greasy beer nuggets of my memory.
The focaccia was sliced up into approximate nugget form and served with pizza sauce and “Gee Whiz” spread from the Uncheese Cookbook, an idea from Zuckerbaby at ZB’s Vegan Recipes.
Perfectly nuggetlicious, but without all the grease and mystery ingredients. 2 entire focaccias disappeared within minutes; anything dipped into cheez is always the crowd pleaser! Bryanna’s recipe made two focaccias and two loaves of crusty bread, all with no-kneading!
But lastly, if we’re talking about college food, you can’t beat nachos. Here is the heap I prepared for my junk-food loving crowd, using Nacho Cheese Sauce from Yellow Rose Recipes. Certainly not health food, but definitely an improvement with tons of black beans, fresh tomatoes, avocados, jalapeños, scallions, and black olives.
VKO-Lifestyles of the Chic & Vegan says:
That foccacia looks gorgeous and those nachos are truly droolworthy! I think of my college days and yes, there are quite a few deep-fried remembrance of things past and we are not talking madelines here…
March 25th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Veggie says:
I’ve never heard of Beer Nuggets before, but i’m sure I would have eaten them if I’d gone to your college. I certainly did consume alot of pizza and beer in my college days.
I can’t believe how well that no-knead turned out. Pretty amazing!
March 25th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Mihl says:
Oh why did you show these great bread photos to me? I have been baking bread like a total madwoman over the Easter weekend and thought I was over it. It turns out I am not. Both your focaccia and the loaves look super good!
March 25th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
bazu says:
Awww, this takes me back. For me, college was filled with 3 a.m. trips to diners- I miss those days!
March 25th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Romina says:
That focaccia is beautiful!
March 25th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Cakespy says:
College food, but clearly all grown up–damn that focaccia is FINE. And those nachos look as healthy as they COULD be–for nachos!
March 25th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Chocolatecoveredvegan says:
LOL you’re too funny! But my college food doesn’t look anywhere near that good!!! Boo
March 25th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Lori- the pleasantly plump vegan says:
beer nuggets sound pretty amazing.
i love the cheeze sauce from YRR.
March 25th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
ZuckerBaby says:
*drools* I love all of it - but the not!beer nuggets are ridiculously fabby! *mental note to make these very soon*
March 25th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Liz² says:
k, I love the name - “beer nuggets”. that just SOUNDS carby and awesome and sold by the gigantic bag. Amazing reworking of them, too! And those nachos… so much good stuff on top!
March 26th, 2008 at 7:23 am
VeggieGirl says:
beer nuggets, haha! :0D
that focaccia looks ESPECIALLY enticing - yum!!
March 26th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Lyndsay says:
I am all over the revamped beer nuggets! The Focaccia looks magazine worthy.
March 27th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Monica says:
Thanks Lyndsay, this was actually my first time making focaccia, so I’m thrilled it came out so well!
March 27th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Amy says:
the focaccia looks awesome! and the soup, and the snack cake, and the pasta…oooh! it’s almost lunchtime!
March 27th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
jd says:
Holy Christ! I went to NIU for undergrad & totally lived on beer nuggets, too!
(By the way, did you ever try the ones at Pizza Villa? They were great, but totally not vegan…)
Anyway, you’re killing me with those nachos. I love them, but I’m kinda weird because I hate the cheese. When I make them, I actually prepare “un-nachos” (with all of the toppings except cheese). Uh, yea, that’s what they’re called
March 28th, 2008 at 3:23 am
vegetalion says:
foccocia like that is the reason I rarely make bread. Because I will just be disappointed that mine doesn’t turn out as amazing as yours. yummmm
March 31st, 2008 at 9:36 pm