College is a time to experiment, push yourself and find out what works for you. Food is no exception. Sometimes it’s even a necessity if you’re looking to eat. I know that there have been many times when I’ve opened the fridge and thought, “Welp. This sucks,” because I have nothing to eat. Sometimes it’s true; you have a pack of fruit snacks and some ketchup, and there’s really nothing you can do with that. Other times, however, you might just be hoarding the makings of a delicious—though perhaps a little odd—snack.
The following is a list (in no particular order) of odd food combinations I’ve found to actually be good. Most of these were tried during desperate times, but repeated thereafter for pure enjoyment purposes.
1. SRIRACHA AND PEANUT BUTTER PRETZELS. Everybody knows that peanut butter and pretzels make a killer combo: the salty and crunchy pretzels are filled with some sweet peanut butter goodness. But ever feel like it needs just a little something extra? Adding Siracha can give them a spicy kick and take your snacking experience to a whole new level.
2. CHEETOS AND CHOCOLATE PUDDING. Cheetos and pudding are common finds in a child’s lunchbox, so why not just combine them into one delicious throwback experience? I’m honestly not sure why this flavor combination works, but dipping your Cheetos in pudding is pretty good. Well, at the very least it’s not bad.
3. OREOS AND CREAM CHEESE. Ever had those homemade Oreo truffles where all you do is puree Oreos and cream cheese and cover them in chocolate? Well, this is the same thing, but now instead of using a food processer to combine the flavors you just use your mouth… Way less cleanup this way too. This is a rich combination, so be careful not to eat too many in one sitting (disclaimer: easier said than done).
4. CHICKEN AND HONEY. We’ve all heard of honey glaze; marinate your chicken in it before you grill it and you’ve practically got a five-star dinner. But this is college and that honey marinade is expensive. A cheap and easy substitute is to just drizzle some honey on your chicken breast after you cook it. BAM: InstaFlavor.
5. PINEAPPLES AND SRIRACHA (PIZZA). As the title indicates, this flavor combo is best when paired with bread and cheese (AKA a pizza), but if you’re really desperate you could combine it with another food, such as ham. These guys work together in a similar fashion as the peanut/pretzel/Sriracha combo; the spicy and tangy mix offset each other nicely.
6. BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND VANILLA ICE CREAM. Ok it’s not the weirdest combination out there, but it’s still really good. The key is to try to get high-quality vinegar and use it sparingly… you don’t want the sour flavor to overpower the sweet. It’s a great substitute when you don’t have any chocolate sauce left as well.
7. WATERMELON WITH CHILLI POWDER AND SALT. The heat of the chili powder and salt emphasize the sweetness of the fruit. Just make sure not to use chili powder that has any oregano or cumin in it. Adding lime is good too.
8. SRIRACHA AND AVOCADO TORTILLA. PSA: Slap anything in a tortilla and it will almost always be good. One of my favorite combinations to put in is Sriracha and avocado: the cool, smooth creaminess of the avocado offsets the Sriracha nicely… it ends up being akin to guacamole with an added kick to it.
