Living in a dorm can be tough when you’re broke, or hate dining hall food, or don’t care for ramen—basically, dorm life and cooking don’t always mix.
Many dorms provide an oven and cook top for student convenience, but lugging cook equipment back and forth between your room and the kitchen is not always desirable.
These days, you don’t need much more than a microwave and a mug to make a meal that’s tastier and more nutritious than premade food. Check out some of your options that work at any time of the day:When you’re craving breakfast food:
1. Microwave French Toast
Maybe it's eight in the morning, maybe it's four in the morning! Either way, you want a sweet breakfast to keep you going. What's better than microwave french toast? This recipe requires only basic ingredients you should always have on hand anyway, which just adds to it's already sweet appeal.
2. Chia and Flax Seed Microwave Oatmeal
This breakfast is perfect for every oatverachiever and slacker alike! Packed with protein, fiber, and those all-important carbohydrates, this breakfast just might be the jump start you need to get going in your morning classes.
3. Microwave Scrambled Eggs
Yes, you can make eggs in the microwave and yes, they are still delicious! This breakfast is super customizable (change up your vegetables, sauces, seasonings, etc.) and only takes a few minutes to make! You can't go wrong with eggs.
4. Nachos in a Mug
Is there ever an occasion that doesn't call for nachos?
Only an "I hate nachos" party which obviously has never happened.
So then what's keeping you from making microwave nachos from the comfort of your dorm? Just another food that's great at 2 pm or 2 am, depending on your sleep schedule—wait, this is college, you have no sleep schedule. But you still have nachos!
5. Mac 'n Cheese in a Mug
Looking to impress someone? Homemade mac 'n cheese in a mug is a key right to anyone's heart. Unless they don't like mac 'n cheese. In which case, more for you. Congrats!
6. Pizza in a Mug
7. Microwave Mug Chili
Here in Florida, it doesn't get cold enough to necessitate chili. However, when you crank your dorm room's thermostat down as low as it can go, it's almost like it's actually cold!
This microwave mug meal is perfect when you're dining with friends and watching football, enjoying the weather, or just pretending like the weather is worth enjoying.
8. Microwave Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those things that you can't always have even when you're craving it. That is, until now! With this recipe, everything is done in the microwave which means no real skill required!
9. Microwave Chicken Pot Pie
While it sounds a little weird, there's no reason to leave pot pie out of your microwavable meal list. Sure, a little bit of prep is required, but it's most definitely worth it when you've got your own personal pot pie and all you had to do was use the microwave.
10. Cookie in a Cup
Do you ever want just one single nice warm fresh-baked cookie, but your choices are either suffer with store-bought or go through the over-intense and usually inaccurate mathematical process of dividing the recipe down into one single cookie? Now you can!
11. Mug Cinnamon Roll
While nothing compares to Cinnabon, this homemade treat comes pretty darn close! Mix up the dough, add that sweet cinnamon and sugar, pop it in the microwave and you've got yourself one delicious treat.
12. Nutella Dark Chocolate Cake in a Mug
This dessert requires three of my favorite things: dark chocolate, Nutella, and mugs. In a few quick minutes you'll have one of the most delicious microwave meals that you've ever made! Desserts like these are perfect for those picky individuals who just don't like what everyone else is having.
If you’re looking for even more simple mug recipes, Spoon University is a great spot to find them. With a mug, a microwave, and the right ingredients, any meal is possible—even in a dorm room.
