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TikTok has been soaring in popularity among college students with millions of users posting content daily. The video-sharing app has created numerous trends involving cooking, dancing and more. Food is an especially popular genre, with many users creating and testing viral trends and recipes. I put the three most popular trending recipes to the test to see how well they work for college students.

FETA PASTA

Yumna Jawad is the founder of the Feel Good Foodie recipe blog. She focuses on creating meals that are both delicious and healthy. Her version of a baked feta pasta recipe went viral on TikTok back in January 2021, and as a pasta fan, I was most excited to try this recipe.

For this recipe you will need: 8 oz of cavatappi pasta, 2 pints of cherry tomatoes, ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, ¼ tsp of sea salt, ¼ tsp of black pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves and ¼ cup of packed chopped fresh basil. Any kind of pasta can be substituted for personal preference, and regular whole or canned diced tomatoes can work as well.

One inconvenience is needing an oven. Many students living in dorms are without a kitchen. However, for an apartment-style dorm, it would make for a fun dinner night with friends and it serves about four to five people. The taste and quality of this recipe were the most worth it, in my opinion. The baked tomatoes and feta cheese complement each other beautifully. I liked that it was not overly rich in flavor but still left me feeling satisfied. I would make this recipe again and think it would make great leftovers.

RECIPE

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour the olive oil on top, and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.
2. Place the feta block in the middle of the baking dish surrounded by the cherry tomatoes and flip a couple of times to coat it with olive oil and seasoning.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes burst, and the feta cheese melts.
4. While the tomatoes and feta are baking, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid in case you’d like to toss it in.
5. Immediately add the garlic and basil leaves to the cooked tomatoes and feta and toss everything to combine.
6. Transfer the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss to combine. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve warm.

SALMON RICE BOWL

User Emily Mariko has amassed seven million followers on TikTok. She posts videos about food, fashion and lifestyle. One of Mariko’s videos went viral on October 5, 2021 featuring a recipe of leftover salmon and rice. The video currently has 26.4 million views and 3.1 million likes. Thousands of people have tried her recipe and Mariko has posted several follow-up videos with added ingredients.

Mariko has not published an official recipe, but many people have recreated it from watching her videos. The basic ingredients include a salmon filet, rice, soy sauce, sriracha and Kewpie mayo. Roasted seaweed, avocado and kimchi can be added for extra garnish and flavor. Wanting to keep things simple and costs down, I decided to leave out the extra garnishes. As someone who does not like seafood, I was nervous about this recipe.

While it is quick to make, I do not think most people would have the ingredients on hand. Salmon can be expensive in general; I would consider experimenting with other seafood options. The specific Kewpie mayo Mariko used costs roughly $6 across multiple retailers, so I opted for a sriracha mayo. Simply cook the rice and salmon and shred the fish down with a fork, then add whatever toppings and enjoy.

Personally, I am not a fan of the salmon flavor or shredded texture. It was also difficult to nail the rice-to-salmon ratio in the final bowl and decide what toppings to use. I think people who like seafood, sriracha and leftovers would enjoy this recipe. It is important to layer the toppings and sauce within the bowl to incorporate the flavors better. With the few ingredients and access to a microwave to cook the salmon and rice, this becomes an easy recipe for college students to make.

WRAP HACK

This recipe is unique with its limitless customization options. It is fairly simple; take a tortilla and cut the middle down to one edge, add toppings within the four quadrants and fold them up and grill them. I opted for a fajita-style wrap and included cooked chicken, peppers, cheese and salsa.

Wrapping everything together was slightly difficult, but the biggest challenge I found came from trying to flip the wrap. It takes practice to keep all the toppings within the tortilla and to get it evenly cooked on both sides. The flavor of mine was lackluster and could have been grilled for longer. Given the flexibility, this recipe is the easiest to make and the most cost-effective for college students. However, the difficulties and bland flavor combination of my recipe proved to be a disappointment. It would be worth it to try other options, I saw a variety of recipes on TikTok that included pizza toppings, breakfast wraps and dessert-style crepes. This recipe works great for roommates who may have different taste preferences.