If you’ve lived on campus these past couple months, you might be wanting a meal outside of the Dining Commons menu. With limited kitchen appliances and little time to cook, it makes life simpler when you can use your microwave to whip something up.
Here’s a list of meals you can make in the microwave that have limited ingredients and don’t come from the freezer section:
Baked potato with veggies
Potatoes can be bought either in a bag or in singles, so it’s easy to grab a few if you’re cooking for just yourself. Prick a few holes in your potato(es) and then pop them in the microwave for five minutes, turn them over and then another five minutes or until soft. Then, place whatever veggies you’ve chosen – make sure they’ve been rinsed off – into a bowl with a splash or two of water. Cover the veggies with a lid and microwave them for two to five minutes, or until soft. Then, you can put whatever toppings you’d like on your potato. If you want some protein in your meal, you can put deli-meat, tofu or some rotisserie chicken inside the potato to elevate it a bit more. Put the potato(es) on a plate with your veggies and enjoy!
Quesadilla/nachos
Both of these yummy foods have the same idea. Pop cheese on top of tortilla chips or inside of two tortillas, microwave it for about a minute or two, and then enjoy your cheesy masterpiece! Again, you can add some pre-cooked chicken on top before microwaving it if you’d like an addition of meat. I also suggest getting a can of pinto, refried, or black beans to put on your nachos or in your quesadilla. The beans will be inexpensive and super easy to warm up. You can top the quesadilla or nachos with salsa and sour cream to add some more flavor, and boom – you’ve got yourself a meal.
Enchiladas
For this microwave recipe, you’re going to need a can of enchilada sauce (I think green is the tastiest, but it’s all about your own preference) cheese, taco seasoning, tortillas and a protein of choice, if desired. If you just like cheese in the enchiladas, then you can put some spinach inside the enchilada to add some more bite to it. First, get your protein or spinach and put two to three tablespoons of taco seasoning on top of it, depending on how much protein/spinach you have. Then, mix it together. Place your filling into your tortilla, add a layer of cheese and roll that bad boy up. Pour your sauce on top of your rolled up enchiladas, then pop them into the microwave for three minutes. Take them out, put some more cheese on top and then pop them back in for another minute, or until hot. Let them cool and then dig in.
Eggs
Yup, you can make eggs in a microwave! Crack an egg into a mug and mix it. Then, add in some green onions, ham, cheese and stir. Place in the microwave for a minute and a half, and you’ve got an omelette ready to go.
Rice
This recipe is great because you have lots of room to spice up your rice however you’d like. The base of this recipe is to put a half cup of rice and a cup of water into a bowl, and microwave it for seven minutes. Then, if you desire, you can add frozen peas, carrots and soy sauce into the mix, microwaving it for another two minutes. You can also add an egg by microwaving it as described above, breaking it into little pieces and mixing it with your rice. Yum!
Baked Apples
This recipe is a great snack or dessert, and it’s super easy to do. Peel and core an apple, cover it with some brown sugar and cinnamon, then microwave it for four minutes. If you happen to eat at the Dining Commons before making your apple, you can even take one from there and save it for doing this recipe later on!
Hopefully these can inspire you when you’re in the mood to cook, but don’t quite have the time or space to use a full kitchen. Have fun and remember to always use microwave-safe materials!