Cooking and baking can be super hard when living in a dorm room, but with help from the Culinary Club you’ll be cooking like a master chef in no time. The two main essentials you’ll need are a microwave and a mug – yes we said a coffee mug! If you don’t have a mug, a microwavable bowl will always suffice. Keep reading to hear some of the Culinary Club’s favorite mug recipes - both sweet and savory. We hope you’ll get cooking soon!
Mug Macaroni and Cheese Recipe:
By far our favorite recipe is Mug Macaroni and Cheese. Whether you want a cheesy kick followed by an insane cheese pull or just an amazing comfort dish, this recipe is for you!
Ingredients:
⅓ cup of elbow macaroni pasta (uncooked)
Pinch of salt
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup whole milk or 2% milk
½ cup finely shredded cheese (pre-packaged)
Instructions:
- Combine macaroni, salt and water into a mug and microwave for 4 minutes, stopping every minute to stir the pasta and allow the boiling water to settle.
- Check to make sure all the water is absorbed. If pasta is not cooked to your liking, add more water and continue microwaving in one minute increments.
- Stir milk and cheese into cooked pasta and ENJOY!
Overnight Oats Recipe
Our next favorite is a homemade Overnight Oats recipe made by the president of Culinary Club. If you want a healthier breakfast option this recipe is for you! Oats have lots of health benefits as well as lots of fiber to keep you full and going throughout the day. Although it does have the word “overnight” in the name, for a faster option, just put it in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours.
Ingredients:
½ cup dried oats
2 ½ tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup of milk (or ¾ cup milk + ¼ cup greek yogurt)
½ scoop protein powder
Fruit of choice
Instructions:
- Put everything into a cup/jar.
- Shake well.
- Put in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
- Enjoy!
Breakfast Casserole in a Mug
I don’t know about you but breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love a good kick at the start of the morning and for me, some warm eggs always do the trick. This quick and easy Breakfast Casserole in a Mug is sure to get you going on those early mornings. It is SUPER flavorful and so versatile as well.
Ingredients:
3 little potatoes from microwave ready pack (we used ½ yukon potato and it worked perfectly)
2 eggs
⅓ cup diced deli ham
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon milk
1 green onion sliced
1 pinch salt
Instructions:
- Chop the potatoes into cubes, microwave for about 30 seconds, stir in seasoning and put aside.
- Whisk eggs slightly and add to the mug, along with ham, cheese, milk, onion, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Microwave on high in 40 second intervals, stirring the first two times (while there is quite a bit of uncooked egg in the mug), until eggs are completely set.
- Serve and enjoy!
Microwave Mug Cheese and Broccoli Rice Bowl
Instead of a mug, it might be easier to mix and cook everything for this recipe in a microwave safe bowl but if you like the added challenge feel free to use a mug! We are on a role with good cheese pull recipes, and this one definitely does the trick. Make sure you get pre-cooked or quick cooking rice to make the process go even smoother.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons rice (quick cooking!)
⅔ cup cold water
2 broccoli florets (finely chopped)
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons cheddar cheese (pre-packaged)
Salt to taste
Instructions:
- In a microwave safe bowl add rice, broccoli and cold water.
- Microwave for 3 ½ - 4 minutes. Keep a close eye on it as it cooks, water may overflow.
- When rice is fully cooked, remove from the microwave and mix in cornstarch, milk, cheese, and a pinch of salt.
- Place back in the microwave to heat the ingredients together, around 1 minute and 30 seconds. The cornstarch needs to get hot for it to activate - it helps to create a thick sauce for your rice bowl.
- Enjoy!!
Pepperoni Pizza in a Mug
Did you know that you could make homemade pizza in the comfort of your own dorm. Oh, and did we say it takes less than 5 minutes to cook? Everyone loves a classic pepperoni pizza slice! Making it in a mug brings cook time down and an even easier clean-up, what could be better?
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
1/16 teaspoon baking soda
⅛ salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon marinara
1 generous tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese
5 mini pepperonis
½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
Instructions:
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a microwavable mug.
- Add in the milk and oil then mix together (there might be some lumps but that is OK).
- Spoon on the marinara sauce and spread it around surface of batter.
- Sprinkle cheese, pepperoni, and dried herbs.
- Microwave for one minute and 30 seconds or until it rises up and the toppings are bubbling (timing is based on 1200W microwave so your timing may vary).
- Enjoy straight away!
We hope you give some of our favorite mug recipes a try and like them as much as we did! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @culinaryclubuncc and click the link in our bio to be added to our Discord. We post all the information for upcoming events on both of these platforms. We hope you will come out to our next event and get cooking with us!
About the Culinary Club
If you like to COOK, BAKE, or most importantly EAT then you are the perfect match for Culinary Club. Being a fairly new club, we are still trying to figure out all the loose ends and correct ways to do things, but even more we want to grow! In this club, we do 3 main things - monthly potlucks, restaurant meetups, and cooking/baking classes.
We do themed potlucks every month where anybody can come, bring their dish of choice, and just simply eat and have fun. The food scene in Charlotte is huge so we definitely want to take advantage of that this upcoming semester, whether it be driving or utilizing the light rail.
Our biggest attraction is the cooking/baking classes. This is member exclusive, therefore meaning you will have to pay the $30 annual fee. We’ll give you the ingredients, utensils, and the kitchen, you ultimately just have to show up. Some of these classes will be held by instructors so definitely look forward to that! The potlucks and restaurant meetups are free for anyone to join, you do not have to be a member. You can completely not know how to cook, want to learn how to cook, or even be an expert chef, we accept everyone no matter your experience!