Viktoria Muench | News Editor
From Print [Nov. 17,2015] | Legacy

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but some students are unable to go home to enjoy a nice meal with their families.

When it comes to cooking on campus, those living in dorms have limited options for preparing a meal due to a lack of cooking utensils and appliances. Despite this obstacle, students can still prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, by only using store-bought ingredients and a dorm microwave.

Read the recipes below, and watch the video to see the final results for these four Thanksgiving favorites.

https://youtu.be/s6t_TyHi1Ug

[su_divider top=”no”][su_divider top=””][/su_divider]
[ezcol_1half]

The turkey
Cooking a turkey in a microwave turned out to be surprisingly simple. We put a two-pound turkey breast that came in a cooking bag into a covered microwavable casserole dish after we thawed it overnight in the refrigerator. We cooked it in 5 minute increments and checked it to make sure we did not overcook it. Halfway through, we added about half a cup of water, took it out of the bag and sprinkled more seasoning on top. After 35 minutes, the turkey was fully cooked and ready to be devoured.

[/ezcol_1half]

[ezcol_1half_end]

The side dishesPreparing the sides was the easy part, as the mashed potatoes and corn already came in microvable containers. After adding water to the potatoes, it only took 1 minute until they were ready. The corn took 3 minutes to cook, as we let it thaw overnight as well. The stuffing mix came in a box. We added water and butter, put it in a container and cooked it for 5 minutes. The last step was to prepare the gravy that came with the turkey. We added water to the liquid and after two minutes, it was bubbling.
[/ezcol_1half_end]

[su_divider top=”no”][su_divider top=””][/su_divider]
[ezcol_1half]

Apple crispFor dessert, we decided to try out some mug recipes. The first was an apple crisp pie that included oats, pecans, two fresh apples, flour, brown sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon. First, we mixed the topping using chopped pecans, oats, sugar, cinnamon and salt. We tossed the chopped and peeled apples with flour, sugar and cinnamon and filled up a large mug about three-quarters full with the apple mixture. We added the topping, microwaved it for 2 minutes and it was ready to eat. [/ezcol_1half]

[ezcol_1half_end]

Pumpkin spice pieThis mug recipe is a variation of the classic Thanksgiving dessert. It called for pumpkin puree out of a can, two crushed graham cracker cookies, one egg, milk, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt and vanilla. We mixed the puree with all the ingredients except for the graham crackers, which were put on the bottom of the mug as a crust. We added the pumpkin mixture and cooked it for 2 minutes. To garnish, we topped it with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon. [/ezcol_1half_end]

 

[su_divider top=”no”][su_divider top=””][/su_divider]