Microwave recipe collection

A from-scratch red chile sauce made with dried chile pods, cumin seeds, garlic, and oregano pureed smooth. The essential building block for enchiladas, tamales, and smothered burritos.

Chicken with thin noodles in a Asian inspired peanut sauce.

Stuffed pasta shells packed with sausage, chicken, and mushrooms, smothered in Mornay sauce. Made in the microwave for a quick Italian-style dinner in individual gratin dishes.

No-bake cinnamon s'mores bars with chocolate-coated honey graham cereal and gooey marshmallows. Made in the microwave in minutes, set in an hour, and vanish even faster.

Three-ingredient chocolate walnut bark with a white chocolate zigzag drizzle. No-bake, microwave-melted, and snappable into gift-worthy pieces in about 30 minutes.

Creamy microwaved spinach blends frozen spinach with sauteed onion, butter, cream cheese, and a pinch of nutmeg into a rich, no-bake side dish in 20 minutes. A microwave shortcut to creamed spinach.

Microwave minestrone with celery, carrots, potatoes, green beans, zucchini, and broken spaghetti in tomato broth. Low-calorie one-pot soup that cooks entirely in the microwave in 30 minutes.

Ham and Swiss cheese rolls stuffed with broccoli spears, topped with a tangy pineapple-horseradish sauce and pineapple slices. A retro microwave dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Hot German potato salad with crumbled bacon, chopped onion browned in bacon fat, and a tangy white wine vinegar dressing. No mayo, served warm, and ready in 30 minutes using the microwave.

Microwave Italian tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, basil, and oregano, ready in under 10 minutes. No stirring, no stovetop. A quick base sauce for pasta, pizza, or chicken Parmesan.

Manhattan clam chowder made in the microwave with minced clams, bacon, tomato juice, and thyme. A brothy, tomato-based chowder ready in about 20 minutes.

Mexicali pasta pie with a spaghetti crust, cottage cheese layer, and spiced ground pork with green chiles and tomatoes, topped with cheddar and crushed corn chips. All microwave.

This 30-minute microwave enchilada casserole cooks ground beef with chili powder and tomato sauce, then layers it with flour tortillas and sharp cheddar. No oven needed for this retro weeknight dinner shortcut.

Microwave poached pears glazed with orange marmalade, brown sugar, and citrus zest, served chilled with a creamy yogurt sauce. A light, elegant fruit dessert.

Pistachio swirl fudge made in the microwave with semi-sweet chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and a vanilla cream cheese swirl. No thermometer needed.

Microwave-poached sole fillets bathed in a creamy white-wine shrimp sauce. An elegant fish dinner from the 1980s microwave-cooking era, ready in 40 minutes without dirtying a stovetop pan.