How to make a Meal in a Mug

Learn how to make a meal in a mug:
Recipe: Savoury meal in a mug
Recipe: Sweet meal in a mug

This may just be the only recipe you’ll ever need. It’s warm and comforting, quick and easy, satisfying and satiating, cheap and cheerful.

Using two slices of bread and an egg you can create a meal in a mug in only a couple of minutes. This is perfect for any time of day –  breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or just a snack.

There are so many combinations you can try:

• Peanut butter and jam
• Apple, cinnamon and brown sugar
• Berries and chocolate chips
• Jam and cream cheese
• Banana and maple syrup
• Cheese and chutney
• Cream cheese and sweet chilli sauce
• Sweetcorn and cheese
• Baked beans and cheese

Did you know Kiwis throw away 20 million loaves of bread every year?

It’s true! Bread is the most wasted food item in New Zealand. That’s more than enough bread to make sandwiches for every school student in New Zealand for over a year.

We waste bread because it goes stale or mouldy, or because we (or our kids) don’t eat the crusts.

Here’s how you can use your loaf:

• Store bread in your freezer to keep it fresh and stop it growing mould. Tip: Bang the loaf gently on the bench before you pop it in the freezer. This will make it easier to separate the slices once it is frozen.
• Make sandwiches using frozen bread – it will be thawed by lunchtime.
• Encourage your kids to eat their crusts. Don’t throw away your crusts and bread ends. Turn them into breadcrumbs or make bread chips. Keep them in the freezer until needed.
• Use bread to make a meal — use it to make a pie, French toast, cheese rolls, mini quiches.