The microwave oven may be a few decades old already, compared to the newer kitchen gadgets like the airfryer, but it remains an efficient, affordable and reliable kitchen appliance for faster cooking.
If you just dusted off your microwave oven and plan to re-discover new recipes, here are some must-try meals that you can cook in your handy microwave:
6 Must-Try Microwave Meals
When I first bought a microwave, I went crazy with making poached eggs. This technique is pretty challenging when done traditionally, but in a microwave, it’s incredibly easy.
Other must-try microwave meals I recommend include:
- Fancy Melted-Cheese Bowls – Want to make your salad presentation 10x more awesome? Get wax paper, spread mozzarella cheese on it (making a small circle), then “cook” it in the microwave for 30 seconds. While it’s running, get two small same-sized bowls. Once the cheese has melted, get it out, mold it onto the bottom of one bowl, then use the other bowl to squeeze the melted cheese to form.
- English muffin – This recipe is a hit on keto, low-carb communities because it’s super easy to make and the closest you can eat as a bread alternative. You just combine 2 tablespoons of peanut flour, with a large egg, 2 tablespoons of milk, cinnamon, salt, sugar/sweetener, baking powder and mashed pumpkin in a cup.
- Single-serve French toast – In a cup, melt the butter and slide it to cover all sides of the cup. Cube your choice of bread (can be an old croissant or baguette or just any sandwich bread). Once done, place them inside the cup. In a separate cup, crack an egg, add milk. a drop of vanilla extract and a teaspoon or two of cinnamon, then scramble everything. Pour the mixture into your bread and smoosh the bread down to mix. Cook in the microwave for a minute or two until the egg is cooked. Finish with a drop of syrup.
- Homemade Chilli – Combine and cook ground meat, onions, green pepper, and tomatoes in the microwave. Check until the meat is browned around 10 minutes. Add kidney beans, tomato paste, garlic, salt, water, cayenne pepper, chilli powder, stirring everything together. Cook again in medium-high for about 20 minutes. Once done, stir and serve.
- Steamed fish – do you miss cod, salmon or other types of fish you eat in restaurants? Don’t be afraid to try cooking them at home. With a microwave oven, steaming fish is not only quick and hassle-free, it also prevents you from overcooking the fish.
- Pizza in a mug – On a microwaveable bowl or ramekin, combine 4 tablespoons of flour with 1/8 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder. Mix in 3 tablespoons of milk, some oil and your favorite ready-made marinara sauce. Top it off with pepperoni, herbs of your choice, and shredded cheese. Microwave in 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of your bowl.
Dorm-friendly Microwave Meals
If you have limited space or no kitchen, but have a source of water nearby, then these meals should be easy for you:
- Macaroni in a mug. Put macaroni and water in a mug. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Bring it out, mix the cooked macaroni, add milk, add your choice of easy-to-melt cheese, then put it into the microwave for another 2 minutes.
- Chunky omelette. Scramble 2 to 3 eggs in a mug, add salt and pepper, bell peppers, bacon or ham, your choice of greens (like spinach or broccoli) and run it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Top off with sliced spring onions.
- Baked potato. Choose 1 to 2 big potatoes and clean them up. Microwave for 10 minutes. Once cooked, slice them in the middle, add cheese and bacon, then run it back for another 60 seconds. Top with your preferred garnish or sauce.
- Nachos. Take your sliced pitas or plain nacho chips and place them on a plate. Got leftover chicken or meatballs? Mash or cut them into smaller pieces and spread them all over the nachos. Add sliced onions and tomatoes, salt, pepper, spices, and cheese. Put in the microwave for under a minute, and you get a quick homemade nacho plate to enjoy.
- Fake-fried rice. There’s no frying needed, but it tastes like your mom’s fried rice. Scramble an egg or two in a mug and cook it for 2 minutes, slice to smaller bits, then set aside. In a separate bowl, put 1 part rice, 1 part water, a teaspoon of oil, and a teaspoon of soy sauce. Cover with a small plate. Let it cook for 10 minutes. Check if the rice is done, add frozen veggies and mix the sliced eggs into your rice bowl.
Mug cake, mug chocolate chip cookies, and other “mug desserts” are awesome, time-saving “hacks” even if you’re not living in a dorm anymore. Craving for a cake but have no time to bake an entire cake? Using your favorite recipes, make the serving size small enough to fit in your microwave-safe mug.
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