Oh, yes, the microwave. The kitchen’s best pal. Some people may think Orville Redenbacher’s microwave popcorn is the only tasty thing you can nuke, but I’m here to tell you otherwise.
We are in college and that means there really isn’t a whole lot of things we can control with the food we consume. Some of you may live in an apartment (lucky) and have the use of an oven and stove, but us mere underclassmen that dwell in the school’s freshman dorms or sophomore suites basically have the microwave and the school’s meal plan to live on.
But, that isn’t such a big problem. There are tons of yummy and even healthy food options that can be cooked using just a microwave! Just make sure you have a microwavable bowl, lid, and salt and pepper.
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Steamed Vegetables. || You can either use frozen veggies or fresh veggies for this one. Just wash the vegetables off, put the amount you want in a microwave safe bowl, put enough water to almost cover the veggies, then cover with a microwave safe lid. Pop the bowl in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Be careful when you take it out because it will be hot!
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Bacon. || So, what if you don’t have a hot plate? Bacon lovers won’t be stopped. Just grab a microwave safe plate and place a paper towel over it. Lay your bacon down and fold the paper towel over so it’s covering the bacon. Depending on how many slices you put it at once, the time can vary. Give about 1 minute and 30 seconds per slice.
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Baked Potato. || Rub your potato with olive oil, place it on a microwave safe plate and cut a slice at the top of the potato. Put in the microwave, uncovered, for 12-14 minutes.
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Paper Bag Popcorn. || You’ll forget all about Orville Redenbacher when you try this one, promise!
Pour ¼ cup of popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag and tape it up. Put in the microwave for a minute and 45 seconds, or until you hear the kernels stop popping.
You can add melted butter, salt, or any other popcorn toppings you enjoy!
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Lasagna. || This is for you crafty collegiettes!
You only need a 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese, 4 cups of chopped spinach (get the bagged kind), 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, a 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce, and 6 no-boil lasagna noodles. Also, grab your salt and pepper!
Combine the ricotta, spinach, ½ cup of mozzarella, ¼ cup of Parmesan, and ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper.
Grab a microwave safe 8-inch baking dish and spread ½ cup of the marina sauce at the bottom. Put 2 no-bake lasagna noodles on top and pour ½ cup of marina sauce and half of the ricotta mixture over them. Repeat.
Cover the dish with wax paper, and then place a microwave safe plate on top of that. Put a couple of paper towels under the dish once placed in the microwave in case of any leaking.
Microwave for 12-20 minutes (until the noodles are soft). Let it sit for about 10 minutes before eating!
Enjoy all these yummy foods, and be sure to share with all your college friends!