The average American household spends $3,000 a year dining out. That’s a lot of money that could go towards savings goals or a retirement fund.
There’s an easy fix: Going homemade. The good news is, you don’t need a lot of time to craft a balanced meal. You don’t even need a stove or an oven.
In fact, just a few ingredients and a microwave can get you pretty far.
If you’re time strapped, want to whip up a hot meal at work or simply don’t want to deal with an oven, here are seven fantastic microwave meals, provided by Tasty.
1. Macaroni and cheese
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Ingredients for one serving:
- ½ cup elbow macaroni
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoons milk
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh chive, to garnish, optional
Preparation:
- Mix the macaroni, water and salt in a microwaveable mug.
- Microwave for 2-3 minutes, then stir.
- Add the milk, cheese, salt and pepper, then stir.
- Microwave for another 30 seconds, stir and garnish with a sprinkle of chives.