By Mackenzie Wagner
Most of the Class of 2017 will be attending college and living on campus next school year, which means many will be living on their own for the first time. One of the basic struggles of a college student is the food. College campuses have dining halls and restaurants, but there will be times they do not want to leave the dorm due to studying, inclement weather, or just being generally lazy. Therefore, The McNicholas Milestone has created a compilation of meals students can make in the microwave in the comfort of a dorm room with few supplies.
Hair-Straightener Quesadilla 
Milestone staff member, Mackenzie Wagner, cooked and tasted the quesadilla at her house. Senior Emily Ferguson was pleasantly surprised. “It tasted like it was made on a stove, it was really good, and I would definitely recommend making it,” Ferguson said.
Ingredients/Supplies:
- Microwave-safe mug
- Fork
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- Any Toppings you want (cheese, chopped onions, chopped ham, peppers.)
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions:
- Crack eggs into a mug, add milk and mix with a fork.
- Microwave for one minute.
- Add toppings.
- Microwave again for 10-20 minutes until the egg is cooked.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Spoon University
Homemade Mac & Cheese 
“The mac & cheese was surprisingly easy to make, I think next time I am going to add more cheese,” senior Mackenzie Wagner said. Senior Seonjin Kim also agreed the mac & cheese was a success.
Ingredients:
- Microwave-safe cup or bowl
- Cup of water
- 1/2 Cup of elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup of cheeses of choice
- Optional Toppings (bacon, pepper, onions, etc.)
Directions:
- Pour desired amount of elbow macaroni in cup or bowl and fill it with enough water to cover the macaroni.
- Microwave on high for 8 minutes.
- Pause at 5 minutes to stir and add more water if necessary.
- Cook longer (if necessary) until the noodles are cooked
- Mix cheese in with a small amount of water remaining in the cup. If the cheese doesn’t melt, put back in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- Add desired toppings and enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Made by Monique
Single -Serving Lasagna in a Cup
This dish was also one that the Milestone staff cooked using the café and student union microwaves on May 11. “I was surprised that the lasagna tasted like actual lasagna,” senior David Waterman said. “I was sure that it was not going to work.”
Ingredients:
- Microwave-safe cup (or bowl)
- 2 lasagna pasta sheets
- ¾ cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of pizza sauce
- 4 tablespoons of ricotta cheese (or any cheese you prefer)
- 3 tablespoons of spinach
- 2 tablespoons of uncooked sausage
- 1 tablespoon of grated cheese
Directions:
- Break pasta sheet and put at bottom of the cup.
- Cover with water and olive oil.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until pasta is tender, pausing halfway through to stir.
- Take pasta out of mug and drain water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce and spread at the bottom of the mug.
- Add layer of pasta, spinach, sausage, and cheese.
- Repeat the layers until it reaches the top of the mug
- Sprinkle cheese on top
- Cook in the microwave for 2 ½ -3 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Gemma’s bigger bolder baking
Cookie in a Cup
Milestone staff member sophomore Ellie White suggested this dessert as a simple way to make a one serving cookie to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. “I really liked the cookie; it tasted like a fluffy vanilla brownie,” senior Emma Hughes said.
Ingredients/Supplies:
- Microwave-safe cup
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) salt
- 1 egg
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1-2 Tablespoons chocolate chips
Directions:
- Microwave butter until it’s melted.
- Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt into cup and stir.
- Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
- Add flour and mix. Add in chocolate chips.
- Microwave for 50-60 seconds.
- Stick a fork into the middle of the cup and push it to the bottom. Pull out the fork and it should be clean. If not, microwave for another 10-15 seconds.
- Enjoy with a glass of milk or scoop of ice cream if you have it!
The McNicholas Milestone 