By Mary Eileen Gallagher

Welcome back – to the kitchen, that is.

This fall, whether you plan to make your meals in a spacious West Village culinary haven with a two-door fridge and dishwasher, or an off-campus micro-apartment with a closet-sized kitchen so cramped the Cheez-Its are stored in the microwave, your college kitchen experience need not be the stereotypical bowl of cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

You can use the oven and feast on a meal with your roommates. You can use your microwave for something other than reheating pizza. You can use the George Foreman grill in novel, mouthwatering ways.

And you can conquer each of these appliances with recipes using just five ingredients or less, including favorites such as cheddar cheese, Eggo waffles and ranch dressing. (Don’t worry, that combination is not a recipe, but you get the idea.)

So stock up on the staples, plaster these recipes to your fridge, and go a little gourmet.

The Oven

Count the ingredients on one hand: chicken breasts, ranch dressing, teriyaki sauce, cheddar cheese and green onions. Yep, only five.

And while the combination of ranch dressing and teriyaki sauce might seem unusual, it formulates one of the juiciest and easiest meat marinades. After the cheddar cheese melts into the mix and the green onions crisp and begin to caramelize, it is easy to see why this recipe often becomes a favorite.

The Microwave

For those who believe peanut butter is one of the greatest inventions to grace the palate, this dessert is for you. For others who deem chocolate the finest gift to the taste buds, this dessert is for you too! Amazingly, this addictive fudge requires no cooking, only four ingredients, and a couple quick button pushes on the microwave. When it comes to easy, there is no fudging this recipe!

The George Foreman

Many of us made our kitchen debuts with the George Foreman, and continue to make many of our meals with this ingenious culinary companion. But grilled chicken, grilled steak and grilled cheese can grill you to death with monotony, not to mention repetition of the g-word.

So, the next time you find your stomach grumbling during an afternoon or 2 a.m. study session, surprise your starving taste buds with some creativity. The cousin of the quesadilla, this Eggo-inspired panini is a nostalgic upgrade of the kindergarten snack of cheese and apples. Ham is added for heartiness. The good news is you don’t have to wait until snack time to eat it, and you don’t have to share.

High-Five Chicken Serves 4

Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 cup ranch dressing 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash chicken breasts and place them in a greased, oven-safe pan. Spoon the ranch dressing over the chicken breasts, coating well. Next, spoon the teriyaki sauce on top, swirling spoon to slightly mix. Top chicken breasts with cheddar cheese and green onions. Bake in the oven on the lowest rack for 35-45 minutes or until tested done.

Forbidden Fudge Serves Many

Ingredients: 1 cup Reese’s peanut butter chips 1 cup chocolate chips 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Line an 8×8-inch pan or Tupperware container with aluminum foil. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the Reese’s chips and half the can of the sweetened condensed to milk. Microwave for 1- 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully remove the bowl and stir contents until chips are completely melted. If needed, microwave 1 minute more. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Pour peanut butter mixture in aluminum foiled pan, spreading evenly.

In another microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and remaining sweetened condensed milk. Repeat microwave instructions. When completely melted, stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture, coating completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or until firm. Cut into bite-size pieces and serve.

Eggo Panini Serves 1

Ingredients: Two Eggo waffles 1/2 of a green apple, thinly- sliced 2-3 slices of cheddar cheese 2-3 slices cooked deli ham

Directions: While the George Foreman is warming up, thinly slice half of a green apple. Assemble panini sandwich to your liking, layering the cheese, apples and ham in between two Eggo waffles. Coat grill with cooking spray. Carefully place panini on grill, and close lid. After five minutes, check if done. Eggos should be lightly browned, cheese melted and ham heated through. Continue grilling as needed.