Let’s be honest, cooking in a dorm can suck. There is a limited amount of space for prep, you have limited options of appliances to use and cooking takes time that college students don’t always have. The overstock of ramen noodles and hot pockets have lost their appeal since living on campus for a few weeks, and to be completely honest, so has the thought of walking to the microwave a couple of floors down.
What many college students don’t realize is that there are so many meals you can make with just a microwave. There are plenty of foods that you can make in the microwave that don’t come from the frozen section of Walmart:
Breakfast bowls: Eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese or peppers make up the simple ingredients that you don’t need a stove or oven to cook.
Burritos: Roll up the ready rice, beans and chicken with a hint of taco seasoning to get your Mexican food fix.
Spaghetti in mug: Mug recipes are really popular now. Just take all the ingredients for the recipe and cook them in a mug. The result is a perfect meal that’s portable.
Instant Mac and Cheese: This is always a classic, but you can also make your own pasta with the microwavable pasta packets and whatever cheese you want.
Eggs: Scrambled eggs are a good choice for a healthy breakfast in the morning.
Potatoes: Who doesn’t like a loaded potato? Just like your mom used to make at home.
Sausage and tomato sauce pasta: You don’t have to just make pasta with cheese. Add your favorite sauce, red or white, to get your favorite Italian dish. If you want more, add some fresh veggies to really feel like a home-cooked meal.
Quinoa bowl: Or any kind of grain mixed with veggies and proteins will give you a nice hot meal.
Lasagna in a mug: This one is a little more complicated. Use the microwave pasta, any shape, and add the cheese and sauce and you have ready to eat lasagna.
Pizza in a mug: One of the favorites if you want something to snack on; otherwise, just get a personal frozen pizza. Just make the crust and add in the sauce, toppings and cheese.
If you don’t fancy making the trip to the microwave, there are plenty of other options to make right in your dorm room:
Smoothies: Small blenders tend to be a good appliance to keep in your room. You can freeze fresh fruit until you are ready to use it and then just blend it all up to make a good breakfast on the go.
Wraps: You can’t go wrong with simple meat, cheese, lettuce and whatever else you decide to put on your tortilla, or regular bread if you just want a sandwich.
Cereal: It’s always a good choice for those days you really don’t feel like leaving your bed.
Lunchables: Seriously, no work involved. Yes they may be a little gross, but let’s be real: some of the food at dinner is worse than your favorite childhood lunch.