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.