10 Surprising Things You Can Cook in a Microwave

Margaret Minnicks makes a living by writing online about entertainment, celebrities, books, movies, foods, drinks, health, and spirituality.

You probably already know that you can warm up leftovers in your microwave. You also probably know about some of the foods you can make in your microwave, such as popcorn. However, it turns out that there are many other foods you could be using this kitchen appliance to cook. Let's take a look at some of them—and learn how you can save time and make your life much easier.

Scrambled Eggs

It doesn't take long to scramble eggs in a frying pan. It takes even less time to scramble eggs in a microwave if you are in a hurry.

Coat a microwave-safe bowl or mug with a nonstick spray. Crack an egg in the container. Add just one tablespoon of milk or water. Cook on high for 30-45 seconds. Stir and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy your microwaved scrambled eggs.

Omelet

Perhaps you want an omelet instead of scrambled eggs. You can make an omelet for one person very quickly in your microwave.

Simply combine in a microwaveable mug two eggs, diced bell peppers, diced ham, fresh spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook for only 2-3 minutes. Stir halfway through the cooking time. Make sure the egg mixture doesn't bubble over.

Steamed Vegetables

To steam vegetables in a microwave, simply place them in a microwave-safe dish. After adding 2 or 3 tablespoons of water, cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Cook the vegetables on high for 3 to 7 minutes or until soft. Do not overcook. Otherwise, they will not be crunchy.

Baked Potato

Who doesn't like a nice fluffy baked white potato or sweet potato? You can bake both in your microwave oven, and they will come out perfect every time. It takes a very short time for them to cook. They actually turn out much fluffier than baking them in your oven.

To prepare your potatoes, scrub them clean and poke several holes in them with a fork to give steam a way to escape.

It takes about 8 minutes for one potato to cook. Allow 12 minutes for two potatoes and 18 minutes for four potatoes. Turn the potatoes over halfway through the cooking time. When they are done, they will be soft and fluffy just the way you want them. Use your favorite toppings such as butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, and chives on white potatoes and cinnamon on your sweet potatoes.

Chicken Soup

If you have a taste for homemade chicken soup, you don't have to wait a long time for the soup to be made on the stove. To save time, all you have to do is combine vegetables, chunks of chicken, and broth in a microwave-safe bowl. Season the soup the same way you would season it if you were cooking it in a big pot on top of the stove. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so the liquid won't splatter.

Stir the soup several times to make sure all ingredients are heating. It should take between 15 and 30 minutes for the soup to be ready instead of letting it simmer for hours on the stove.

Macaroni and Cheese

You can make macaroni and cheese in a very short time. Place your macaroni, water, and salt in a microwaveable bowl or mug. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then stir what's in the container.

Add milk, cheese, salt, and pepper, and stir again. Microwave another 30 seconds. Stir and garnish with chives or top with bacon bits or other favorite toppings.

Egg Fried Rice

You do have to go to the Chinese restaurant to get egg fried rice. You can make one serving for yourself in about 10 minutes. You will need 1/2 cup of rice, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 strips of chopped bacon, 1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots, 2 eggs, salt to taste and fresh scallions to garnish.

Mix the rice, water, soy sauce, and bacon and cook in a microwaveable safe dish for 6-8 minutes. Then add the frozen peas and carrots. Beat the eggs with the salt. Add to the rice combination and microwave for 1-2 minutes until the eggs are fully cooked. Garnish the fried rice with scallions. Use hot mustard, duck sauce, and more soy sauce, if desired.

Sweet Potato Chips

You can make sweet potato chips as well as regular potato chips in the microwave. Both types of potatoes can be transformed into crispy and delicious chips in about 5 minutes in the microwave.

Whether you choose to make regular potato chips or sweet potato chips, scrub one large potato and remove all brown spots. Put in a bowl 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Put in thin slices of potatoes and toss to coat them.

Place the potatoes in a single layer on a microwaveable tray. Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until crispy. The chips are best served immediately. You can sprinkle salt on the white potato chips and cinnamon on the sweet potato chips.

Banana Pudding

If you ever have a sweet tooth with no dessert in the house, then make a quick one in your microwave. A banana pudding is easy to make if you have bananas available.

Melt butter in a microwaveable dish for about 30 seconds. Add slices of bananas, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, eggs, and milk. Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Place banana slices on the top. Return the dish to the microwave, and cook for 8 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Brownie for One

It is so easy to make one brownie. The drawback is that one brownie might not be enough for you. To make one brownie in a microwaveable cup, add 4 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of water, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of Hershey's Dark Cocoa Powder.

Melt butter in a microwave-safe cup. Add the oil and mix well. Add in vanilla extract and water. Stir well to combine the mixture. Add all dry ingredients. Microwave just 70 minutes. Add a few chocolate chips on the top of the brownie as shown in the photo above.

Comments

Lisha C on June 29, 2020:

These are some very useful ideas, thanks for sharing this article.

Liza from USA on June 28, 2020:

This is absolutely amazing! I have made a chocolate cake in a mug in the microwave for many times. Most of the time, I use microwave to reheating or warming the leftovers. Thanks for sharing!

Louise Powles from Norfolk, England on February 05, 2020:

It's amazing what you can cook in microwaves these days. I often do omelette's in microwaves.

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on February 04, 2020:

Margaret,

Thanks for sharing this one.

I currently have no stove, so that means no oven.

It is challenging but wanting i only use to reheat food

I do wish i could have a brownie now and then so i jotted down this recipe.

I also got the one for banana pudding because my bananas are constantly going bad.

Thanks again.

Cheryl E Preston from Roanoke on February 04, 2020:

I still feel the microwave is for warming meals. I just can’t get used to cooking an entire meal in it.

Umesh Chandra Bhatt from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India on February 04, 2020:

Very useful article. I use microwave for some dishes but this has given me ample new ideas. Thanks.