Making food without a kitchen can be a major hassle. It feels like all the great meals you can make require a stove. But have you heard of a hot plate? It’s basically a portable stove top that you can cram into any space in your dorm, so long as it’s on a clean surface near a plug.

The next problem, then, becomes recipes and time. But what if I told you there are 5 recipes that take just minutes to make? Read on.

1. Chicken

hot plate

Photo by Samantha Goodman

Cooking up chicken to go with your salad has never been easier. All you have to do is take it out of the package, add some spices, throw it into a frying pan, and voila — you’ve got yourself a freshly cooked chicken for a chicken salad.

2. Eggs

hot plate

Photo by Samantha Goodman

You can make eggs however you want with just a spatula and a frying pan. My personal favourite is scrambled eggs. No matter how you make them, I suggest you put avocado on the side for flavour. Just don’t forget to butter the pan.

3. Pasta

hot plate

Photo by Samantha Goodman

Sick of the food at the cafeteria and missing home-cooked meals? You can recreate your favourites right in your dorm room. Check out this warm plate of pasta with mom’s legendary meat sauce. All you need is a pot with boiling water, noodles, tomato sauce, and cheese and your room will start feeling like home.

4. Sloppy Joes

hot plate

Photo by Samantha Goodman

Adding some protein to your diet can be hard with your small fridge at school, but you can use a simple package of ground beef to cook up a delicious Sloppy Joe sandwich. It’s as easy as frying ground beef, adding spices and tomato sauce, and spreading it all onto a bun for your enjoyment.

5. Chicken Quesadillas

hot plate

Photo by Samantha Goodman

Having guests over? You can get fancy with some chicken quesadillas. Using that frying pan, all you need to do is cook up some chicken, place it on a fresh tortilla in the pan, let it sizzle, and flip it. Add some salsa and sour cream on the side and it’s good to serve to all of your guests.

hot plate

Gif courtesy of Trojans360.tumblr.com

Hot plates are a gift from above for all of you students who are sick of eating at the cafeteria and short on time. Homemade meals and snacks for a crowd-pleasing party are simple to create just minutes after the top gets sizzling hot.