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Ways to Cook in a College Dorm Room

Getting totally sick of dining hall food? Feel discouraged by the lack of cooking opportunity your dorm leaves you with? Here's 10 different ways to cook in a college dorm!

By Kelsey LangePublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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Tired of living off of chocolate ice cream, cereal, and soup? If you live in a dorm, you know the struggles of eating things that hardly taste like food. With just the need for a microwave and mini-fridge, these ten recipes are surprisingly simple. These kitchen hacks make ways to cook in a college dorm fun! And maybe even save you some money.

Mac n' Cheese

One of the most popular dorm room snacks is macaroni and cheese. The meal is easily made in a cup or mug of your choice; stick it in the microwave and you're good to go. Who can turn down cheesy goodness? First cook the pasta naked with some water and then add the best part, the cheese and milk. It should be in the microwave each time for a one minute. As one of the best ways to cook in a college dorm, you can't go wrong with mac n' cheese.

Ramen

Have you really gone away to college if you didn't consume an unhealthy amount of ramen noodles? Every student knows how to make ramen, but this is the real way to do it; that is if you want to upgrade a little from the dining hall.

Some ingredients to make your ramen fancier are spinach, mushrooms, onions, an egg, and garlic. Stir in the vegetables and cook the egg separately prior to making the ramen. You will have a beautiful bowl of noodles in no time!

Scrambled Eggs

We all know that the dining hall eggs are a meal you are going to want to avidly avoid. But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on a scrambled eggs breakfast. All you need to do is beat the eggs with some salt, pepper, and milk in a bowl that can be used in a microwave, and then put them in for 45 seconds, stir, and then another 40 seconds. All of these ingredients are easily stored in your dorm's mini fridge. This is for sure one of the best and easiest ways to cook in a college dorm.

Omelet

Need even more of an egg fix? This microwave friendly omelet requires a little more work than the scrambled eggs, but the extra time is definitely worth it. This recipe requires two eggs, skim milk, flour, cheese, and optional vegetables.

To start, beat the eggs, stir in one tablespoon of flour, one tablespoon of milk, and any vegetables you choose to add (I enjoy tomatoes.) Then season the omelet with salt and pepper, and insert the combination into a mug. Microwave the mug for two minutes, and your omelet is ready!

Baked Potato

Microwaving baked potatoes, or really any kind of potato, is an easy way to pretend you're at your mom's enjoying a home-cooked meal. To begin one of the simplest ways to cook in a college dorm, prick the potato with your fork, microwave for five minutes, season, and mash the inside. Now comes the fun part, butter the potato and add about two tablespoons of cheese before putting it back in the microwave for an additional minute. This can even be topped with extra cheese and sour cream.

Salad

Before you skip over this option, I assure you that salad can be tasty! Plus, it's one of the most simple ways to cook in a college dorm, with no heat required. There are better options than a bland Caesar salad with croutons. For example, a strawberry Caprese salad with mozzarella and fresh mint will have your roommate extremely jealous.

This calls for lots of strawberries, 1/2 a cup of fresh mozzarella, 1/4 of a cup of fresh mint (or basil), and three teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. Now, all you have to do is chop and mix. Add some salt and pepper for extra seasoning.

Another favorite salad is cucumber salad. This not only has cucumbers, but dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, almonds, Spanish onion, lemon juice, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic powder.

Oatmeal

Another recipe that might come across as bland, is oatmeal. However, there are plenty of ways to spice up a bowl, right in your dorm. This oatmeal recipe can be made after your homework is finished and will be ready to eat first thing before your 9 AM. 1/2 a cup of oats, 1/2 a cup of milk, 1/4 a teaspoon of cinnamon, one teaspoon of maple syrup, and 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries, all stirred in a bowl make for the perfect, refreshing breakfast for a hard boiled college student. One of the best ways to cook in a college dorm can even be used for a quick lunch idea!

Pizza in a Mug

What isn't cute in a mug? This microwaveable pizza treat is sure to please your cheesy midnight cravings. You do need a few unusual ingredients that are typically not in a dorm room like flour, baking powder, oil, and baking soda; but they will last you the semester. With the combination of four tablespoons of flour, 1/8 a teaspoon of baking powder, 1/8 a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of baking soda, three tablespoons of milk, one tablespoon of oil, and a little marinara sauce, you will have the perfect pizza in a mug your hall will ever see. Create multiple for you and your friends!

Rice and Beans

One of the best ways to cook in a college dorm is this easy rice and beans recipe, and it will only take 5 minutes. Missing Chipotle? Or tired of spending your money on overpriced Mexican? You'll only need a few ingredients for this fix. First, you will cook the rice, preferably brown; you can find some that will only take a minute in the microwave. Rinse the black beans before mixing them with the rice and four tablespoons of chunky salsa. Microwave this mixture for two minutes and then add cheese and your choice of toppings like avocado or peppers.

Cake in a Mug

Surprisingly, there are so many options to make dessert in a mug. Unlike most of the other options, there are quite a few ingredients that will go into this, but who can stop the call for some chocolate?

One of the most basic options for a cake is the cookies n' cream cake. This recipe calls for 1/4 of a cup of white chocolate chips, three tablespoons of whole milk, four tablespoons of flour, 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 of a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and two Oreos!

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About the Creator

Kelsey Lange

Passionate about writing, animals, makeup, movies, friends, family, learning, exercising, and laughing!

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