If you don’t have a stove, but you’re sick of dining hall food… don’t fret! If you have the staples: eggs, milk, butter and sugar, you can basically make any meal. So, if you’re a college student with a microwave, a means of transportation (buses, walking, cars, if applicable), and a few ingredients you can turn away gross dining hall food for a quick meal that tastes like home right in your dorm!
Now, I’m not a resident student, so I don’t know what ingredients you keep in your dorms. However, this is still geared toward you, resident students!
These are easy, quick and fun recipes to make, but you may have to take the bus to Walmart once to get a few extra ingredients to go with your staples.
BREAKFAST
Blueberry Muffin in a Mug
Now, who doesn’t like a blueberry muffin!? And I know all you guys have mugs in your dorms, you coffee addicts! If you can spare one less cup of coffee for a scrumptious microwave muffin, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a great (and cheaper) way to indulge in something sweet and it’s not too unhealthy without paying the Casey’s price in the morning. Plus, who wants to walk to Casey’s or Saga when it’s cold out?
Ingredients:
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup milk (room temperature)
2 tablespoons salted butter (melted and cooled)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup fresh blueberries
Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder. Then blend in milk, butter, vanilla extract and add blueberries.
2. Microwave on high for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before eating.
Okay, I’ll admit, this might require a trip to Walmart at first, but this sets you up for a whole new world of microwave baking! You can’t go wrong with a little flour and vanilla extract in your dorm and think of all the things you can bake with these two things! And here at Siena, CDTA gives students free rides with your student ID and Siena also offers a bus on the weekends to take you to Walmart, among other places. And these ingredients aren’t that expensive either! So, a free ride and cheap ingredients are the perfect recipe for college students!
French Toast in a Mug
Everyone loves French toast, especially when it’s fresh and hasn’t been sitting under a heat lamp for hours. If you made that trip to Walmart for the first recipe, you’re all ready to go with this recipe! See what I mean when I said it set you up for microwave cooking? This recipe only takes a few minutes to make and it doesn’t lack quality or flavor. Just tear apart pieces of bread, whisk up an egg, and add few more ingredients and you’ll have the perfect breakfast in bed.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup milk
1 egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 slices of bread
Directions:
1. Melt butter in mug and tilt mug to coat all sides
2. Stir rest of the ingredients
3. Microwave on high for 90 seconds
Overnight Blueberry Maple Oatmeal
These are so quick and so good that it’s crazy that you make them in a dorm! They’re great for breakfast on the run, a quick snack, or a dinner when the dining hall is closed. You can make these oatmeal concoctions in any flavor and all you have to do is have a few ingredients.
Ingredients:
½ cup old fashioned oats
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon flax seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½ cup blueberries
Directions:
1. Put everything in a jar or mug
2. Stir thoroughly
3. Put a lid over it and refrigerate overnight
Here are some other recipes you can try too!
- Raspberry Almond
- Lemon Cream
- Raspberry Dark Chocolate Chip
- Banana Split
- Chunky Monkey
- High Protein Peanut Butter Cup
- Brownie Batter
Vanilla Yogurt and Berry Parfait
This recipe a little different than the one before, and it’s a lot cheaper to make than what Casey’s sells them for!
Ingredients:
Makes 6
1 container of Greek or regular vanilla yogurt (32 ounces)
1.5 cups of frozen mixed berries
6 containers (8 ounces)
Directions:
1. Add everything together
2. Eat (last about a week)
LUNCH/DINNER
Scrambled Eggs in a Mug
Here is a simple recipe that literally takes just two staples items you already have in your mini fridge: eggs and milk/water! All you got to do is prep it like regular scrambled eggs and pop it in the microwave for at least minute, or until your desired state.
And to spice up just plain old scrambled eggs, add some cheese and some veggies or meats to make dirty scrambled eggs/scrambled omelet.
Ingredients:
Desired amount of egg
A little milk or water, depending on what you prefer
Directions:
1. Whisk together eggs and water/milk
2. Add in vegetables, meat, and/or cheese (optional)
3. Microwave for at least 1 minute
Mac and Cheese in a Mug
Mac and cheese for lunch or dinner was a childhood dream come true. So, let’s reminisce and whip up a good, single serving mug of some mac and cheese. It will be like home in a mug.
Ingredients:
½ cup macaroni or shell pasta
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk
¼ – ½ cup selected choice of cheese
Directions:
1. Combine pasta, water, and salt in bowl or mug
2. Microwave pasta for 2 minutes intervals until pasta is cooked
3. Stir in milk and cheese and microwave for 30 seconds intervals until cheese is melted and milk is evaporated
Chicken Fajitas
I bet they don’t serve this in the dining hall! If you really want a good homestyle meal, this is for you. And it only takes 15 minutes! It saves you the time and money to go out to a Mexican restaurant and you don’t even have to leave campus!
Ingredients:
Selected amount of bell peppers
Selected amount of onion
1 chicken breast (or for Siena students, go to Casey’s a pick up a basket of chicken tenders)
1 packet of seasoning, use 2 tablespoons
1 packet of tortillas
Selected amount of shredded cheese
Directions:
1. Throw the peppers and onion in a microwave-safe dish and add your selected seasoning
2. Cut the chicken into strips and add the seasoning to this as well
3. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes
4. Serve in a tortilla with cheese
DESSERT/SNACKS
Banana Bread in a Mug
Now, I recognize most resident students aren’t going to have vegetable oil in their dorms, but you can substitute it with butter! Everyone loves banana bread (with or without nuts) and it’s a great treat when you’re looking for something sweet!
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon flour
1 packet of choice sweetener (Sweet n’ Low, Stevia, etc.)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (can substitute with the appropriate amount of butter)
1 tablespoon milk
½ banana
cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
1. Blend flour, sugars, salt, baking powder and baking soda together
2. Add egg and mix until all the dry ingredients are blended with it
3. Stir in vanilla, oil, and milk, then mashed banana
4. Microwave 1-1/2 minutes to 3 minutes
Apple Cookies
Here’s a nice option for those looking for a healthy snack or dessert, besides the dining hall ice cream (although that’s not healthy). These are simple and most of you probably have a bag of apples and some peanut butter already handy! And the fun part about these is that they’re versatile to your own liking. Instead of peanut butter, you might want Nutella (although that’s high in calories). Instead of nuts, you may want extra coconut or chocolate chips. See, versatile!
Ingredients:
1 apple
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ cup almonds/walnuts
¼ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Slice apple into rings or however suits you
2. Spread PB or your favorite spread and add the toppings
ANTS ON A LOG
Here’s another healthy snack you can keep in your dorm! All you need is three simple ingredients and boom you have a great snack!
Ingredients:
Celery
1 box raisins
Peanut butter
Directions:
1. Put PB in celery
2. Put on raisins
Lastly, a few quick tips:
1. Meal prep your foods. When that weekend bus comes rolling around this Saturday and Sunday, take a list of all the ingredients you don’t already have in your dorm that you need for the meals you want to eat this week. It may seem like your stuck with dorm food and you’re never getting any good food again, but that’s not TRUE! You can make almost anything in a microwave, these are just a few examples to try out.
2. Include, flour, vanilla extract and baking powders to your staple foods. These are used a lot in baking and a lot of things, such as cake, brownies, and cookies use them and you make those in the microwave.
3. Don’t hate on the commuters for getting to go home every day to real food, you just have to be creative and willing to use a microwave and make a weekly trip to Walmart! The world is out there, and real food CAN be found on campus, right in your dorm if you try any of these recipes!