Adulting is hard, and cooking is even harder. With busy schedules it's hard to carve out the time to chop, steam, saute, and bake, and don't even mention doing dishes. Yet, as tempting as it may be, takeout cannot comprise every meal. However, there are ways to save yourself time and effort while still creating delicious homemade meals. All you'll need is a mug, a microwave, and a few ingredients, and these single-serving meals can take you from morning to night with just one dish.
1. Omelet
Stir together eggs, egg whites, and the optional milk of your choice. Pour it into a mug, add chopped veggies, cheese, and any additional meats of your choice. Then, pop it into the microwave for a minute or two until the eggs are fully cooked, and you've got yourself a delicious omelet!
2. Mac 'n' Cheese
Combine your desired amount of pasta into a mug (1/3 cup works well) and cover it with water (about 2/3 cups). Then, microwave the noodles until they are thoroughly cooked (about 3.5 minutes). Pour off any remaining water and add in milk, cheese, and cornstarch ( 4 tbsp, 4 tbsp, and 1/4 tsp respectively) and microwave for another minute or until the cheese has melted.
Feel free to add more or less cheese depending on how you like your mac, and enjoy a delicious meal without all the added junk that comes with store-bought microwavable options.
3. Pizza
Mix together 4 tbsp of flour, 1/8 tsp of salt, 1/8 tsp of baking powder, and a pinch of baking soda (it makes the dough rise). Whisk this concoction together with 3 tbsp of milk of your choice and 1 tbsp of oil. Then, add your favorite marinara or pizza sauce and any toppings such as cheese, pepperoni, spices, or pineapple (if you're into that), and nuke it for about 70 seconds depending on your microwave.
4. French Toast
Melt about a tsp of butter in a mug. Then, add 3 tbsp milk (whole works best but can be substituted if you're watching calories), 1 tsp maple syrup, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, a dash of nutmeg, and 1 egg, and whisk it all together. Finally, throw in about a cup of torn or cut up bread pieces making sure to completely coat them in the egg mixture before microwaving it all together for about a minute or until the liquids are solid.
If you want to be truly gourmet throw in your favorite toppings. Fresh fruit, chocolate chips, and powdered sugar all make great options!
5. Lasagna
Break up two sheets of lasagna pasta and put it in a mug before covering it with water (about 3/4 cup) and a drizzle of oil (about 1 tsp). Microwave the noodles roughly three to four minutes (or until thoroughly cooked), stirring halfway through. Then, drain the water and remove the pasta from the mug before covering the bottom with pizza sauce and the first layer of pasta. Continue by adding spinach, ricotta cheese, sausage (if you wish), and a sheet of pasta between each alternating layer. When the mug is full add grated cheese on top, and microwave for 2-3 minutes.
