Microwaves can be wonderful appliances for a lot more than defrosting meat (useful) or heating up your coffee (I dislike microwaved coffee). Here are 10 other ways to use a microwave (in no particular order):

  • Popcorn (microwave proof (MP) bowl, half cup of kernels, loose fitting lide, on high for 3 minutes and eat).
  • Souffle (MP bowl, egg scrambled in the bowl, 2 minutes on high uncovered, add shredded cheese and stir, 2 more minutes then voila!).
  • Rice Pudding (MP bowl, 1:1 uncooked rice and water, cover, on high for 5 minutes, stir, 5 more minutes, add coconut milk and either brown sugar / maple syrup, splash of vanilla to taste, 5 more minutes, let cool and eat).
  • Easy Caramel Corn (2 tbsp butter or margarine, 1 tbsp brown sugar, splash of vanilla to taste, on high for 50 seconds, stir and drizzle over the Popcorn above).
  • Baked Potatoes (Arrange potatoes on MP plate, poke hole in top AND bottom of potatoes, nuke on high for 8 minutes for the first potato and add 1.5 minutes for each additional potato eg. 4 medium to large potatoes = 12.5 minutes).
  • Frozen Vege (in covered MP bowl, 3 minutes on high, stir and add butter if you like, 3 more minutes on high).
  • Parboiling Potatoes before Roasting (1/2 to 1 inch cubed potatoes in covered MP bowl, 1/4 cup of water, nuke on high for 10 – 12 minutes, great for precooking potatoes for 1 sheet dinners).
  • Pre-cooking BBQ Chicken Breasts (breasts on uncovered MP plate, nuke on high for 3 minutes for the first and 1.5 minutes for each additional breast eg. 3 breasts = 6 minutes, saves time on the BBQ and ensures they are cooked through and safe).
  • Pre-Cooking Gai Lan for StirFry (2 inch lengths of Gai Lan in covered MP bowl, nuke on high for 2 minutes, stirfry for a minute on high heat with a splash of sesame oil…mmm).
  • Bean Bag heating (1.5 minutes on high for medium bag warmth, 2 minutes for hot).

There are waaay more uses for a microwave, what are your faves?