No matter how many points you have left on your college meal card, sometimes you just want something homemade. Don’t let a dorm room keep you from enjoying something delicious! These 20 quick and easy recipes can be made safely in a dorm and enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a quick snack in between classes.
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Loaded “Baked” Potatoes
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Potatoes cook up in just minutes when made in the microwave (even better than the oven, in my opinion!) and once you have a cooked potato, the options are endless. Students can fill it up with leftovers, frozen broccoli and some shredded cheddar cheese, or all the fixings like sour cream, bacon bits, chives—or even something like canned chili. “Never in my life have I made a baked potato in a microwave, but this potato turned out fabulous,” said one Allrecipes member.
Classic Chicken Salad
A rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or even frozen chicken strips would also work great in this classic Chicken Salad recipe. If your college kid doesn’t want a bunch of condiments filling up their mini fridge, they can grab little packets of relish, mustard, mayo as well as sachets of salt, pepper, and sugar to pull this recipe together without a special stop at the grocery store.
Salad paste
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Did you know you can cook noodles in the microwave? It’s quick, easy, and super convenient. Just put pasta in a microwave safe bowl, cover with water, and cook for a few minutes at a time—stirring and checking in between. Take it out and drain when the noodles are cooked to your liking. Then, cool the noodles under cold water and put together this easy-peasy pasta salad! The recipe is totally flexible, so add in your meat, cheese, and veggie of choice. Bottled dressing makes this even simpler!
Fluffy Scrambled Eggs
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
If you’re a college kid who needs a quick and easy breakfast, look no further. Microwaving eggs is easy and can come together in just seconds. Keeping any add-ins—shredded cheese, bacon bits, diced deli ham—in the mini fridge makes for a hearty breakfast students can quickly eat before their first morning class.
Mediterranean Chicken Pitas
Allrecipes / Julia Hartbeck
This recipe is less about cooking and more about assembling. Jarred artichoke hearts, feta, onion, and chicken (canned would work great here) come together with a squeeze of lemon juice for a lunch that’s made in a flash. “Very tasty and easy,” said one Allrecipes member. “It will be part of my regular lunch rotation. Thanks for the recipe!”
Guacamole
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This family-friendly dip comes together in minutes, and is great to top toast, or just enjoy with some salty tortilla chips. And this beloved version has nearly 7,000 5-star ratings. Make sure to tightly cover any leftovers with clingfilm for the best possible chance at reducing oxidation.
Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Replace quick-cooking oats with instant oats and you can make this hearty snack in less time than it takes to make a dorm room twin bed. Sugar and maple syrup make a classic combo, but adding in fruits, nuts, raisins, or any other sweet or savory addition would bulk out this breakfast. “Yummy, one of my favorite combos, maple syrup and brown sugar,” said an Allrecipes member. “The banana is a nice topping, it is on my menu!”
2-Minute Cheese Quesadillas
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
There are only two ingredients in this easy dorm-safe recipe, but the fillings are only limited by your imagination. “I made this with gluten-free tortillas in the microwave on my dorm floor,” said one college student and Allrecipes reviewer. “Delicious. It’s the perfect snack before studying for my second exam in history. YUM!”
Microwave Chicken Parmesan
No one will claim this Chicken Parmesan recipe is traditional, but it is an easy way to create a delicious, filling dinner any day of the week. All the work is done in the microwave. Cook the breaded chicken first, then layer with sauce and cheese. Add it to a hoagie roll or a plate of microwaved noodles for a fancy meal right in the dorm. “Quick, easy, and tasty, perfect for those busy or hot days when you don’t want to run your oven,” said an Allrecipes reviewer.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Fudge
If your college kid has a sweet tooth, send them this tasty recipe. This peanut butter and chocolate fudge is made completely in the microwave, and makes enough to enjoy for several days in a row. “I really liked this recipe because it was quick and required only a few ingredients,” said an Allrecipes reviewer. “If you want nuts in it you can put them in or if you want more chocolate add more or put in less. My family and I really enjoyed this.”
Apple Cider Hawaiian Roll Donuts
Peyton Beckwith
Doughnuts are a classic college breakfast, and this recipe makes them incredibly easy to prepare. Pop them in the shared oven in the dorm room’s common space for 12-14 minutes, and watch groggy college students awake to the delicious smells of delicious Apple Cider and yeast rolls.
Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl
This is a great recipe when you’re craving sushi, but your dining budget is tight. Simple veggies and smoked salmon top some cooked rice (microwave packs are easy to keep on hand) for something that will definitely satisfy your cravings. Some kewpie mayo, sriracha or eel sauce would add to the magic!
Greek Salad
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Greek salad is a good-for-you dish to keep on hand for the busy college student. Add a can of chickpeas or chicken to this dish for even more oomph. “Absolutely delicious,” said one Allrecipes member. “The best salad I’ve had in a very long time.”
Fast English Muffin Pizzas
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
These four-ingredient English Muffin Pizzas come together in just minutes—and can be stored in the mini fridge for quick snacks and on-the-go breakfasts. While these are simple to make if the dorm has a shared oven or toaster in the common space, the English muffins can always be toasted in the cafeteria first, then assembled and microwaved in the dorm. “It was so good,” said one Allrecipes member. “The English muffins were so soft and not greasy at all.”
Ham, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches
The Allrecipes member who shared this recipe suggested letting the sandwiches cool, putting them in the freezer for an hour, and then wrapping and storing to save them for a quick breakfast or snack down the road. This recipe calls for making eggs in a muffin pan, but we suggest using this chef-favorite microwave omelet recipe instead.
Easy Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This two-minute dessert has over 1,500 5-star ratings on Allrecipes. Several reviewers suggest making this in an extra large mug, or even a bowl. “Delicious recipe, would also recommend putting a few marshmallows in so they melt during the baking process,” suggested one Allrecipes member. “A lovely quick dessert for a movie night and great to make with the whole family I would 100% recommend.”
BLT
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Tip: You can make the bacon in the microwave. The smell of bacon in the halls will make friends, or enemies, depending on how much bacon you have. It’s easy to keep all ingredients on hand for quick lunches to bring to class or eat between periods. “I never get tired of this classic,” said one Allrecipes reviewer.
Quick Tuna Salad
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This three-ingredient tuna salad is a college kid’s dream. In only one minute you can have a filling salad that you can eat by itself, with crackers, on top of salad greens, or stuffed into bread or a croissant. “I used Caesar salad dressing for mine and it was delicious,” suggested an Allrecipes member.
Cuban Crunchwrap
Peyton Beckwith
This Cuban Crunchwrap recipe takes the work out of enjoying a delicious Cuban sandwich. Tortillas are stuffed with ham, cheese, pork, pickles, and potato chips, then quickly toasted in a skillet. If there’s no access to a stove top in the dorm, an air fryer, toaster oven, or even microwave will help to get this all gooey and warm.
Simple French Toast in a Cup
It only takes a minute of prep, and 90 seconds in the microwave for this simple French toast recipe to come together. “This is a great, simple recipe,” said an Allrecipes member. “Honestly we were not expecting it to be so good and will make this again soon. We added a small amount of maple syrup when it was done, and it exceeded our expectations.”
