Dorm life is not the end of home-cooked meals. There are still ways to whip up fast and easy meals while living on campus; so put that pack of Ramen back on the shelf and pick up just a few items that will go a long way in a dorm room fridge. Below is a list of breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert recipes that can easily be made with a microwave. The great thing about these is that most of them can be made with the same ingredients, which cuts down on costs.

First, make sure your food cabinet contains salt, pepper and garlic salt. While you’re at the grocery store grab a carton of eggs, tortilla wraps, bread, shredded cheese, butter, milk and microwavable bacon.

You don’t need a stove to prepare scrambled eggs; they can be made in the microwave. Just crack a couple of eggs into a microwave-safe bowl, add milk, salt and pepper — garlic salt if you’re feeling fancy — and whisk it together before putting it in the microwave for two minutes. You can even add shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.

Throw a couple pieces of buttered toast on the side and voilà! You have a delicious breakfast in a matter of minutes. To have breakfast pre-made for the week, scramble up a whole batch of eggs, throw in your favorite ingredients and wrap it all up in a tortilla. Eat one breakfast burrito on the spot and put the rest in Ziploc bags to store in the freezer. Zap one in the microwave each morning to eat on the go.

In your dorm around lunchtime? Make a bacon sandwich — toast some bread, add bacon and shredded cheese. If you’re willing to head to your dorm kitchen, you will be happy to learn that a waffle iron doesn’t just make waffles. Put shredded cheese between two tortillas, close the iron for about a minute and you’ll have yourself a quesadilla. Have leftover french fries? Toss them in olive oil, add your favorite spices and throw them in the waffle iron. This makes a delicious hash brown pancake.

Dinner can be just as easy. Box mac and cheese is microwavable; just put the noodles in a microwave-safe bowl and fill with water until the noodles are covered. Microwave for five minutes, drain the excess water and then add the remaining ingredients in the box. To complete the meal, add spaghetti or meat sauce. Don’t worry about using it all at once, since jars of sauce can be kept in the fridge for weeks.

Now I know we’re in college, so you probably kept that pack of Ramen; but that’s okay because there are some tricks to doctor up this dish as well. Whisk an egg and some leftover soy sauce from Panda Express into the broth with your noodles. You also cook the noodles, drain the water; add a half-cup of shredded cheese and a pad of butter to make a creamy pasta dish. Like things spicy? Throw some Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into your bowl — you’ll be surprised by the amount of flavor this adds.

For dessert, cookie dough — which can be frozen and thawed for later use — makes gooey cookies in the microwave. Put some dough into a bowl and zap it for 30 seconds. Nutella brownies are microwavable also. Mix a half-cup of Nutella, an egg and four tablespoons of all-purpose flour in two mugs, and microwave for one minute for the perfect dessert.

Looking for a few extra tips? It’s helpful to know that bread keeps longer in the fridge, eggs keep for up to five weeks and you can freeze bacon. It’s so easy — and cost effective — to do a lot of your cooking in your dorm with a few ingredients. There is no excuse now, so head on over to Kroger and get cooking.

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