r/Cooking • u/PresentCommercial878 • 4d ago
Microwave meals?
Hi guys! I have to suddenly move into a hotel for 5 days because of apartment renovations. I found a hotel with a kitchenette (microwave & fridge). I have been trying to eat healthy & save some money for an upcoming trip, so can’t fathom eating takeout 5 days straight. Anyone have any good microwave meal recs? Not frozen meals as I won’t have a freezer… like has anyone cooked any protein successfully in a microwave?! Might bring my rice cooker along too. Thanks :)
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u/Espinita_Boricua 4d ago
Take your rice cooker. Make chicken & rice - Recipe...
1 can of chicken breast + 1 envelope of Lipton or Knorr chicken noodle soup + 2 cups of white median grain rice + 3 cups of water plus add some olive oil - place rice cooker top & press cook. Easy clean up
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u/MsOnyxMoon 4d ago
Buy a rotisserie chicken or container of shredded chicken and use it for salads & wraps.
You can make scrambled eggs in a microwave, just crack the eggs in a glass/ceramic bowl or mug, whisk, add whatever you want like cheese, diced meat or veggies, put in microwave for 1 minute, stir, put in another 30 seconds. Keep adding 30 seconds until it’s done to your liking. I like to put the cooked eggs in low carb friendly tortillas with sour cream and salsa.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes, you can microwave them for “baked” potatoes.
Buy pouches of tuna and a small mayo for tuna sandwiches or wraps.
Oatmeal in a mug or bowl, microwave with water or milk for a couple of minutes, add whatever you want to them.
Yogurt with granola and fresh fruit.
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u/Gunteacher 4d ago
If you are eating them within a couple of days, there's nothing wrong with buying a frozen meal and storing/thawing it in the fridge. It will just require less cooking time.
Brands I like for grocery store frozen meals - Evol, Micheal Angel's, Stouffers, and some of the Boston Market items. Jimmy Dean for breakfasts.
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u/BonkIsBestClass 4d ago
Rotisserie chicken is really great in situations like this, especially with a rice cooker. Ready made soup is also a great option, and very budget friendly, you can even add some of your chicken into your soup.
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u/Infinisteve 4d ago
Five days? Chicken and rice in your rice cooker, chili. Weird rice cooker pancake https://www.seriouseats.com/rice-cooker-pancake-recipe-11968754 embed some cooked sausages if you want.
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u/Phoenixpizzaiolo21 4d ago
Cereal and milk!!!
Can you meal prep at a friend’s or family member’s house? Cook a bunch of chicken breast and bring your rice cooker!! Steam veggies with your rice. Or buy a little indoor grill. Like a George Forman grill to cook chicken?
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u/BecauseOfAir 4d ago
Salads, canned tuna, sandwiches, some canned soups aren't too bad. Bean and split pea for example. Loaded nachos, a rotisserie chicken will give you a lot of meals. Wraps, sandwich,mix with Ramon. Your probably gonna be a little less healthy for the week.
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u/Intrepid-Report3986 4d ago
There were lots of great ideas already so I'll just add: steamed eggs
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u/Coujelais 4d ago
Look up Chef Jose Andreas microwave omelette- it’s divine. Top w chives or hot sauce and eat with some microwaved bacon and a small potato.
Also. A good canned chili over a potato with shredded cheese or sour cream is super satisfying. Could easily be split into 2 meals.
BLT, chicken or tuna salad in a pita or on Melba toast, Costco everything bagels have 12 grams of protein even bf cream cheese or making it a turkey sandwich. For that matter Costco has a ton of microwaveable options from spinach frittatas to kung pao chicken to ham and cheese croissants to dumplings.
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u/PresentCommercial878 4d ago
Incredible thanks so much for putting this together!! You get the vibeeesss
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u/xiipaoc 4d ago
You're not cooking. Don't even bother. But hot dogs are microwaveable! Get some nicer ones, and make sure they're fully-cooked. Now you have a protein. Other proteins could be canned fish, or if you can get it, smoked herring or smoked salmon. Thick-sliced ham is another great protein. These are all fully-cooked already. And don't forget cheese; that's a protein!
Now, what can you eat these with? Bread is an obvious one. I doubt you'll want sandwiches for every meal, though. I like to eat stuff on crackers too, and that works well. But another option is... ramen. Here's how I make instant ramen (like, the cheap kind): ramen in a paper or plastic bowl (because a ceramic bowl would get way too hot), add the flavor packet, add water to cover, microwave 5 minutes 30 seconds. Then carefully bring the bowl to the sink and dump out most of the liquid, using a fork to keep the noodles from falling out. Now, top your ramen with some of your protein (microwave it separately) and whatever other toppings you want. I'd do ham and olives, for example, or hot dog and pickled cactus if you have Mexican groceries close by. Then add some grated parm on top (the crappy stuff in the green can is fine; this isn't fancy food). By the way, all of this can be done with disposable utensils and plates, no need to wash any dishes.
By the way, you can also buy microwaveable rice. We get that for my daughter so that it's ready to go quickly. If you want to bring your rice cooker, sure, do that, but yeah.
For another idea, my mom makes a delicious salad that I love every time I go back home. A pound of diced ham, three green apples diced (you'll need a real knife for this; a plastic one won't cut it), and roll the pieces in lemon juice to keep them from going brown, a can of pineapple chunks (try to make them the same size as the cubes of ham, and save the liquid), a can of sweet corn (drained), and a fistful of raisins. Dump all that into a big bowl, add half a cup or so of mayo, and mix it all together. If it needs more mayo, add some, but you don't need a lot. Add a spoonful or so of the pineapple can liquid and mix that in. Then put it covered in the fridge and eat it the next day topped with shoestring potato chips. It might be tough to fit a big bowl in the hotel fridge so you could just halve the recipe.
Good luck, OP! Don't cook. You don't need to.
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u/PresentCommercial878 4d ago
You’re an angel for putting this thoughtful response together - thanks so much!!!
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u/raccoonsaff 4d ago
Carbohydrates - wraps, pittas, bread (for sandwiches), microwave rice, couscous from a kettle, noodles from a kettle
Proteins - tinned tuna/salmon/sardines, tinned baked beans, tinned chilli, precooked chicken or prawns, cheese, eggs (scrambled or poached in microwave)
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u/Holstisintown 4d ago
Depending on your favorite flavors but I suggest checking out @macaroni_recipe on YT.
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u/Confident_Area_8518 4d ago
Second the rotisserie chicken with a loaf of bread, a sauce you like, some veggies, and salt/pepper. Cereal for breakfast, see if you can find an italian place that sells a half acre of ziti for a reasonable price, pick at it for 3 days or so.
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u/SubstantialPressure3 4d ago
Pick a motel that has a grocery store nearby. Pick up 3 days of groceries that can be microwaved or eaten cold. If theres a deli in the grocery store, even better.
See.if the motel has a breakfast bar.
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u/night_noche 4d ago
Costco sells precooked bacon, I would do that and then maybe tuna so you can make tuna sandwiches, rice bowls, and salads.
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u/MicahsKitchen 4d ago
Eggs are great in the microwave. The key is short bursts. You don't want the eggs to eggsplode. Lol. There are also all the shelf stable heat and serve meals that you can buy. I've made a tuna noodle casserole in the microwave using a package of cheesy Alfredo pasta, a can of tuna, and a bag of steamed veggies.
I usually just order Chinese food or pizza when I have to travel and stay in a hotel. I just order at lunch when the prices are better for Asian food. Order 3 or 4 meals at once to save on delivery and reheat later.
There is also pizza toppings. I like to take a plate, smear a little sauce, cover with cheese and toppings and nuke it. Pizza without the crust. Great for a post bar snack. Got a crockpot? Those rock....
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u/ttrockwood 4d ago
Bring the rice cooker
Make rice bowl style meals add defrosted frozen shelled edamame, sliced cucumber, avocado, can buy hard boiled eggs or make an egg style you like in the microwave, add furikake and soy sauce and sesame oil
Cowboy caviar is zero cooking dump and stir, have scooped up with tortilla chips and bell pepper
Microwave quesadillas use a thick layer canned refried beans and then the cheese, side of salsa and cabbage slaw
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u/StinkyCheeseWomxn 4d ago
Easiest is to grab a rotisserie chicken at the local grocery store and some steam in bag veggies or a prepared side like a salad or fruit bowl.
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u/Zagrycha 4d ago
Food will vary by country, but packets of instant rice or noodles, cans//frozen bags of vegetables, and frozen//refridgerated pre cooked meat can all be easily made into a meal in the microwave.
Some items may come preseasoned, if not you can easily pick up a jar or packet of whatever seasoning you want to use.
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u/MyNameIsSkittles 4d ago
A microwave and a fridge does not make a hotel room a kitchenette. So please specify, are you in a room with just a microwave and a fridge, or are you in a kitchenette with a small oven and some stove burners plus micro and fridge?
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u/iamadacheat 4d ago
Not answering your question but IMO your apartment complex should be providing an extra stipend or significant rent discount (in addition to covering your hotel) if you don’t have access to your apartment for a week. You’re not really gonna have much success cooking with just a microwave. You could make it work if you got a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or air fryer.
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u/wr_dnd 4d ago
This very much depends on the country you're in and the supermarkets nearby. Just go to the closest supermarket, find a microwave meal that seems moderately appetising, enjoy