Making treats for myself and my co-workers at the office

February 17, 2009 7:02 AM

I'm looking for foods that can be prepared at the office.

I recently had a friend forward me this recipe and got to thinking, what other food can I cook at the office?

The only thing I have here is a microwave, so perhaps microwave recipes might work too. It can't have too many ingredients (carrying a whole grocery bag in to work would be weird). Ideally, I'm looking for snacks I can prepare while on a lunch break.

Bonus points for healthy recipes.

posted by reenum to food & drink (16 comments total)

You can make scrambled eggs in the microwave.
posted by tybeet at 7:04 AM on February 17

I love a good jerry-built creme brulee: scrape a vanilla pudding cup into a dish; smooth the surface; top with a solid layer of granulated sugar; microwave until the sugar melts, wait till it cools into a thin, shattering film. The trick is to catch the sugar just before it burns...not easy.
posted by peachfuzz at 7:08 AM on February 17 [4 favorites]

Also - the scrambled eggs mentioned in tybeet's post really make something more like little egg patties; they're kind of weird as scrambled eggs, but perfect for egg sandwiches when combined with a toasted english muffin, a slice of canadian bacon, and a little cheese. We do this all the time for quick weekday breakfasts - the heat of the egg and bread is usually plenty to warm everything up.
posted by peachfuzz at 7:11 AM on February 17

Cook soup at home, pour into meal-sized tupperware container, freeze at home, bring it to work, put it in freezer at work (don't let it thaw), then microwave to cook for lunch.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:28 AM on February 17

Just a note: that chocolate cake recipe was widely decried for being absolutely disgusting: flavorless at best, vomit-inducing at worst. Please don't try it.

Combinations of crackers, cheese, and vegetables are always a good option, assuming you have access to a refrigerator.
posted by Bleusman at 7:56 AM on February 17

You can cook pasta by pouring boiling water into an enclosed, insulated container and letting it sit for a few minutes. Someone gave me an As-Seen-On-TV device called a Pasta Perfect that I used for this many times when I lived somewhere without a stove.
posted by grouse at 8:30 AM on February 17

You can microwave anything, say, broccoli and kale and tofu, and then pour some sort of sauce on it.
posted by salvia at 8:33 AM on February 17 [1 favorite]

If you want microwave cake, buy a box of cake mix and portion it out in baggies. Two parts cake mix to one part water, mix it up, microwave for about a minute. You should have something similar to those Betty Crocker Warm Delights things. This isn't particularly healthy, I suppose. You can also swirl things like jam (lemon cake with raspberry jam swirl is good) or syrups in it before cooking.
posted by kerning at 8:39 AM on February 17

Five minute fudge!
posted by knile at 9:03 AM on February 17

I have cooked whole potatoes, both regular and sweet potatoes, in the micro and topped them with a plastic baggy full of goodies.
posted by Foam Pants at 9:51 AM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Those mini-bags of popcorn are great, especially Orville Redenbacher's Buttery Salt and Cracked Pepper.

Or you can bring plain popcorn and drizzle things like melted butter and garlic powder and cheese on it.

My ideas basically revolve around modifying microwave food- I bring microwaveable lasagna, and frozen vegetables and mozzarella cheese and doctor it until it's tasty, and things like that.

If you could bring in a toaster oven, well.... the possibilities are greatly expanded.
posted by rachaelfaith at 9:58 AM on February 17

If I was you, I'd prepare a large batch of trail mix/something similar and bring it in a large sealable container to work every Monday. It'll stay fresh and you won't have to transfer food to work every day.

Hummus and pita are a great idea, there's little prep time and you can eat it at your desk.
posted by David Fleming at 10:08 AM on February 17

I've made caramel corn for movie days at work, and that was a big hit. I made it at home making the caramel from scratch, but I don't see any reason you couldn't do a version of it just melting store-bought caramels in the microwave. If you're making your coworkers tasty caramel corn, they don't get to complain that you took a shortcut.
posted by Stacey at 3:16 PM on February 17

Couscous is ridiculously easy to prepare. Poor on boiling water, wait five minutes, stir in butter/olive oil and spices or herbs as the mood takes you.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 3:35 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Do you have a toaster too? If so, I recommend bagel things. And if you are very lucky, a sandwich press/jaffle maker? I make outstanding toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches that have co-workers asking where I bought it.
Otherwise, microwaves spell leftovers. How about fried rice? It reheats pretty tastily. I take a great chorizo/tomato/cream sauce pasta to work and it is fine microwaved. A simple indian curry with rice and a couple of papadums goes well in the microwave. You can easily make large portions of these and freeze/reheat.
posted by bystander at 8:46 PM on February 17

One minute molten chocolate muffins

But if you want healthy, you can steam any vegetable you like. Dress with sesame oil and enjoy!

For something meaty: microwave a few strips of smoked ham, deliciously bacony!
posted by lioness at 11:12 AM on February 24