Foods to Make In Your Dorm Room

It's hard to think of making food in a dorm room, but trust us, you will. More than once.

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afeteria food at colleges is, more often than not, kind of gross (let's just call a spade a spade; some schools can pull this off, but most don't). When you're sick of eating cereal for your 18th meal in a row, you're not just limited to fast food and expensive on-campus dining options, though—with a little creativity (and an on- or near-campus grocery store), you can make yourself some dinner that isn't repulsive. Now, these ideas require a microwave, but you're bringing one of those anyways, aren't you? No? Bring one. Trust us.

Quesadillas
These are probably the easiest thing to do on this list—put a tortilla on a paper plate, top half of it with cheese, salsa, beans, veggies, etc., and fold it over. Pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds, then flip. Continue until cooked through.

Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes take forever to make in an oven, so even if you're not in a dorm, this is a useful tip.  Wash the potato, then poke some holes in it (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!), then microwave for five minutes on one side, then flip and cook for five more minutes. Top it with your choice of toppings, like sour cream, cheese, broccoli, bacon—whatever you like.

Pasta in the microwave? You betcha!

Pasta and Sauce
Noodles are easy to cook in the microwave. First, heat up water in a bowl til it's boiling. Then, add however many noodles you want, then put the bowl back into the microwave and continue boiling until the pasta is as done as you want it. Heat up some jarred sauce and pour on the pasta. It's not gourmet by any means, but if it means not eating crummy iceberg-salad lettuce again, you'll take it, right?

Soup
Canned soup. Need we say more? Sometimes you just want something that reminds you of being a kid. Warm up some tomato soup or chicken noodle soup or even alphabet soup (we're not judging!).

Oatmeal
And not just the instant kind, either. You can use regular rolled oats for this, and mix them with milk, soy milk (or other non-dairy milk), or water. Mix in things like maple syrup, jam, nuts, or dried fruits for a substantial breakfast (or dinner, if we're being honest).

Scrambled eggs
This is great for people who have early classes but don't want to skip out on breakfast.  Crack an egg or two into a bowl, then mix them up with a fork. Cook for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between sessions. Add in things that you'd put in an omelet, and you're good to go.

Bacon!
You don't need a griddle for making bacon in your dorm, but you might want to buy extra, lest your roommates hate you for not sharing.

Cake
Yes, cake. There are plenty of recipes on the internet that offer up recipes for a one-serving cake or brownie.  They still require you to use things like flour, sugar, and eggs, but the amounts are small enough that you can make your dessert in a coffee mug.

With a little bit of effort, you can cook a satisfying meal in your dorm's microwave that's not Hot Pockets or pre-made. It's convenient to have a handful of quick recipes for those days that you just won't have time to head to the caf before a club meeting, game, or class (and believe us, you will have those days).