Recipes That Won’t Heat Up The Kitchen

Whether you don’t have access to an oven and stovetop or simply don’t want to heat up your house in the summer, you can prepare diverse and satisfying recipes without those conveniences. Instead, rely on smaller appliances such as a microwave, a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, a multicooker such as an Instant Pot, or a blender — or just a bowl, a fridge, and a little time. Here are 35 morning-to-night recipes to get you started. Do you have other favorites in this category? Tell us in the comments.

Related: Easy Recipes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less

Loaded Potatoes

A baked potato is one of the ultimate low-cost meals — and microwaving works as well as baking in the oven. Top the steaming potato with just about anything, from indulgent cheese and microwaved bacon to virtuous broccoli and tahini.

Recipe: The Kitchn

Related: Easy Slow Cooker Dinners That Truly Are “Set It and Forget It”

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Wing lovers will save a lot of money on takeout once they realize how simple it is to make these spicy treats at home using nothing but the microwave.

Recipe: Food.

Related: The Best Chicken Wings Spot in Every State

Enchiladas

Sometimes a dish of hot, bubbly enchiladas is the kind of comfort food you need. This recipe uses the microwave for every step of the cooking. Proteins such as eggs, tofu, beans, or mushrooms can stand in for beef.

Recipe: Food.

Salmon

The microwave actually does a great job of cooking salmon. It’s super quick and easy and comes out consistently each time, taking the guesswork out of stovetop or oven cooking times.

Recipe: Joy Bauer

Ravioli

Ravioli makes an inexpensive yet complete meal — even in a microwave. A mix of ripe tomato and herbs complements the pasta well.

Recipe: Delish

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Mac and Cheese

You might think that, without a stove, the only option for mac and cheese is the packet of yellow powder and microwaved noodles, but there’s a better way: A slow cooker recipe that turns out rich and creamy with the press of a button. Starting from scratch saves money compared with the box version.

Recipe: Delish

Still prefer the boxed version? Mix things up a bit with Super-Simple Twists on Boxed Mac and Cheese.

Pulled Pork

Just five ingredients and eight to 10 hands-off hours of slow cooking makes piping-hot and indulgent pulled pork.

Recipe: Southern Living

Tomato Soup

This classic can be made in a blender from inexpensive pantry staples and enjoyed at room temperature, chilled, or warmed in a microwave on cold nights.

Recipe: Serious Eats

Chili

It doesn’t get much easier or more satisfying than slow cooker chili. Drop in inexpensive pantry staples such as canned beans and enjoy a warming meal hours later.

Recipe: Oxmoor House

Cajun Dirty Rice

A hearty mix of vegetables, sausage, and rice, this pressure-cooker meal yields perfectly cooked rice in a saucy blend of spices. The (optional) chicken livers in this recipe give the dish a distinct, authentic flavor. To ensure proper cooking time, be sure to use long-grain rice, which holds up better than short-grain varieties.

Recipe: Hip Pressure Cooking

Tortilla Casserole

Layering fully cooked ingredients and finishing in the microwave allows for a complex casserole. Adapt the ingredients any way you like, using frozen veggies and a can of refried beans instead of meat and cheese, for example.

Recipe: Southern Plate

Spicy Jalapeño Mango Chicken

This simple-to-prepare salad combines plenty of chilies with sweet mango to balance out the spice level and protein-rich chicken to make it a complete meal. Take the easy route and use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Recipe: BBC’s Good Food

Ramen

Microwave ramen is a nostalgic food for an entire generation. If the bare-bones version seems a little elementary, add toppings such as fresh vegetables and sauces to make a satisfying meal.

Recipe: wikiHow

Zoodles With Pesto

Turning a fresh zucchini into long noodles is even quicker than boiling instant ramen. Tossed with a favorite jar of sauce or, better yet, homemade pesto, one inexpensive vegetable becomes an entire meal.

Recipe: Cookie + Kate

Crustless Quiche

You can prepare a warm, satisfying brunch even without an oven. There are plenty of recipes for crustless quiche made in a slow cooker, including versions with chopped veggies, herbs, and breakfast meats. Use leftovers and frozen produce to keep costs low.

Recipe: Betty Crocker

Baked Beans

A welcome side dish at just about any gathering, these beans cook up fast in an Instant Pot, which is another handy kitchen accessory if you’re looking to keep the heat down. This recipe combines inexpensive beans with rich pork flavor. The Instant Pot makes beans taste as if they had been cooking for 12 hours over an open hearth.

Recipe: This Old Gal

Couscous

Couscous is one of those magical foods that seems to tick all the right boxes: nutritious, inexpensive, versatile, and quick and easy to prepare. All it needs is boiling water, so a microwave works as well as any stovetop.

Recipe: The Kitchn

Gazpacho

This cold vegetable soup is a hybrid of a salad and a salsa. It’s a popular dish for entertaining during warm weather, which means you can still have a signature dish to bring to summer parties with only a blender on hand.

Recipe: Simply Recipes

Shrimp Risotto

This dinner party dish is elegant and indulgent — and made entirely in a slow cooker. Add mushrooms and spinach as suggested for a nutritionally rounded meal.

Recipe: Taste of Home

Veggie Taco Salad

This Southwestern-style salad combines fresh vegetables with taco condiments to create a crunchy, cheesy, and slightly spicy meal. Cheap and easy to make with just a bowl, it’s a cheap, practical way to get a Mexican-food fix.

Recipe: Taste of Home

Smoked Fish Spread

This blended spread comes together quickly and easily with a packet of healthy and flavorful smoked mackerel or trout, both of which tend to be less expensive than salmon. Use this on crackers or bread as an appetizer with a glass of wine, or as breakfast or lunch.

Recipe: Jamie Oliver

Vegetable Sushi

What can be cooler in the kitchen than sushi? While sushi is often expensive at restaurants and for takeout, it can be incredibly cheap to make at home from small amounts of rice, seaweed, and fillings. Stick to vegetable fillings to keep costs low and eliminate health risks.

Recipe: The Green Plate 

BLT

Bacon lovers would do themselves a favor to master the art of cooking bacon in a microwave. There are so many ways to turn simple dishes into satisfying meals with it. A classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich is just the most obvious.

Recipe: Food.

Chef’s Salad

Turn a no-cook salad into a hearty meal by adding plenty of lean protein. A traditional chef’s salad contains ham, but you can try any combination of cooked meats, beans, and cheese. Use what’s on sale at the local deli counter to keep the cost low.

Recipe: Epicurious

Deli Sandwich

Keep ingredients such as deli meat and cheese, mustard and mayonnaise, and sliced bread on hand to allow you to whip up a sandwich when hunger strikes with no kitchen appliances needed.

Split Pea Soup

This soup can be whipped up with a blender until smooth and creamy and enjoyed cold or warmed in a microwave. Using frozen peas keeps the cost low.

Recipe: Wonky Wonderful

Overnight Oats

Oats are one of the cheapest grains available and a true superfood, containing tons of beneficial fiber to keep you full for a long time. Let oats soak up moisture in a bowl in the fridge overnight, so a fresh portion is ready to enjoy in the morning with your favorite toppings.

Recipe: Kath Eats Real Food

Smoothies

Smoothies can be enjoyed any time of day or act as a meal replacement. There are endless variations on blender smoothies that are cheap to make at home using seasonal ingredients as well as freezer and pantry staples.

Chia Pudding

This cheap and nutritious alternative to rice pudding tastes like dessert for breakfast. It requires only three ingredients and takes just five minutes of active prep time to make a batch that could last all week — just soak and refrigerate.

Recipe: Oh She Glows

Yogurt Parfaits

A yogurt parfait is a quick and easy way to assemble breakfast, dessert, or a snack for yourself or a crowd. Simply layer yogurt with favorite fruits, preserves, nuts, or cereal.

Popsicles

To make popsicles, just blend fruit, yogurt, and sugar and pour into paper cups to freeze. Homemade popsicles have the benefit of being healthier and cheaper than store-bought and, of course, can be customized.

Recipe: Allrecipes

No-Bake Cheesecake

This is an easy go-to when you need to make an indulgent dessert without an oven. Top it with fresh fruit, caramel, or chocolate sauce.

Recipe: Martha Stewart

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Balls

These treats are an ideal stand-in for freshly baked cookies. They have a similar shape, size, and texture and can be customized in similar ways. Try using other nut butters or a combination of many.

Recipe: Recipe Girl

Chocolate Bark

Chocolate bark tends to be expensive to buy but is so easy to make. The microwave melts the chocolate; the freezer sets trail mix into it.

Recipe: PBS Kitchen Explorers

Mug Cake

By mixing up cake batter from scratch in a microwave-safe mug, you can indulge a craving in just minutes.

Recipe: Allrecipes