[Stephanie]

Edit: thanks everyone!! I received lots of great ideas! Tonight I’m making salsa chicken (salad) in my crockpot which I’m cooking in my breezeway.

I also made a lime jello with drained and rinsed fruit cocktail for dessert.

I have lots of recipes and ideas for the future!

I need some ideas for dinner that can be cooked in the microwave. Why you ask?

Well, because our ac compressor stopped working and we no longer have cool air coming into our home.

I don’t want to unnecessarily heat the house when I can’t cool it down effectively.

Plus, we will be pinching our Pennies for a bit to save up for a new ac unit.

Thanks!!

[Diane]

Why cook? Cottage cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, store bought potato salad and or macaroni salad, cold baked beans (yum), lettuce, cheese, pickles, chips— just a good ole picnic!!

[Holly]

Ramen with add ins (ex: bok choy, spring onions, spam, cheese, bell pepper, Napa cabbage, ect.)
Hot dogs

Rice (I like Knorr) or scalloped potato packets.

The instructions say it’s not good in the microwave but I tested it before a trip where we ate in hotel rooms a lot and it was fine.

Salads with protein add ins such as deli meat, pepperoni, hard boiled eggs (can buy already boiled), beans
Canned soup

Canned baked beans

Sandwiches

Charcuterie board (sounds fancy but it can be anything, examples) deli meat, cheese slices, cream cheese, jam, crackers, olives, pickles, fruit, nuts, veggies, hummus, spinach dip, pickled banana peppers, ect.

Baked potato bar with sour cream, butter, bacon bits, canned chili, cheese, chives

Cereal and milk

Oatmeal

Winter squash

Sweet potatoes

PS you can often find crockpots at thrift stores.

A rice cooker could be helpful too and you can cook a lot more than rice in a rice cooker.

[Josette]

Get yourself a crockpot, they don’t heat up your house and you can cook meals and desserts!!

[Elisabeth]

My favorite cheap, no-cook dinner is: a can of black beans 🫘 (drained) or cannellini beans, or chickpeas, whatever + a good glug of Brianna’s Real French Vinaigrette dressing.

Perfect as is, or add cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, or whatever you have.

Zero effort. Huge payoff.

I even bring it to potlucks, and everyone is like Wow! This is amazing!!!!

[Jennifer]

Hey, we live in an old farmhouse with no central air. So we bought 2 window units until we can get things updated first (insulation, windows and electrical), before getting central air.

It’s our 5 year plan to replace the furnace and have central air installed at the same time.

We’ll need more ducts ran throughout the house.

I’m not looking forward to that estimate.

[Wendy]

I’m not sure about cooking much in the microwave but if you have a grill outside, those can be used like an oven

[Eulonda]

Can you do a outside grill? Great hot dogs,baked beasns,corn on cob. Ect.

[Sandra]

I went to the thrift store and bought a small convection oven for outside. Works great

[Kellie]

That was my reality the past two days. I made cold salads and used my air fryer for a few things.

[Author]

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