Are you thinking about kicking your toaster oven to the curb? Does it seem like it’s taking up way too much counter space and getting used way too infrequently? You can fix that—just read up on the best things to make in a toaster oven. It’s capable of a lot more than you ever gave it credit for.
Yes, you can toast yourbagelor reheat takeout without needing to turn on the actualoven. But since the toaster oven on your countertopisjust a tiny version of the full-size one, there’s really almost nothing youcan’tcook in there, as long as you scale the servings down: a single chicken leg or breast, or (depending on your oven’s capacity) even a whole half chicken? Check.Broiled salmonfor two? Absolutely. A small batch ofroasted veggies,kale chips,nachos, orgranola? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. A miniaturelasagna? Sure, as long as you have a small enough pan! Don’t forget minisheet pan dinnerseither.
Some things are better suited to this smaller appliance—like toasted and roasted and melted things. Or one-to-two-serving amounts of food to be reheated (thosemeatballsyou made ahead and stashed in the freezer, for instance). But it can also still surprise you—so see how to make the most of your toaster oven with these 15 recipes and delicious ideas:
1. Lazy Grilled Cheese (Or Tuna Melts)
True, you won’t get the perfectly golden-brown, crisp outer layer you do from mayo-kissed bread meeting a hot pan, but this is a solid way to make a no-fuss melted cheese sandwich of your choosing, and the bread will still have crunch. Lay a piece of foil down to make clean-up easy. And see ourrules for the best tuna melt.
2. Potato Skins
If you’ve got a potato, you’ve got dinner. You canbake one or two potatoes in your toaster oven, thentop themwith whatever you like (making this a great meal for using leftover meat, veggies, or evenpantry staples). But for a snackier option, you can’t beat baked potato skins, which get crisp and melty in the mini oven. See our guide toperfect potato skins with recipes.
3. Basic Baked Eggs
Ramekins are a great investment—they serve as prep bowls when you’re setting up your mise en place, work as small condiment containers, and act as cooking vessels formolten chocolate cakes, among other things. Crack an egg into one, add some butter and cheese—and whatever else you please, fromspicesto a splash of milk for extra creaminess—and pop it in your toaster oven for an easy, quick breakfast or lunch. Serve with bacon or sausage for breakfast, or add a salad and a piece of toast later in the day. Get ourBaked Eggs recipe.
4. Toaster Oven Bacon
The best way to make bacon is in an oven. Ergo, the best way to make a small batch of bacon is in the toaster oven. Just keep a close eye on it in case it renders a large amount of grease—and maybe have a fire extinguisher close at hand. If the pan is pooling with too much fat, take it out and (carefully) drain it partway through the cooking process.
5. Mac and Cheese Bites
When you buy a mini muffin pan for your toaster oven, don’t relegate it to sweet duty—use it for all sorts of individually portioned treats. Leftover mac and cheese, for instance, gets new lifebaked in crisp prosciutto cups. You can makemini frittatas,quiches,meatloaf, and more. Basically,anything you can make in a muffin pan, you can scale down to make in a toaster oven muffin pan!
6. Pita Pizzas
Store-bought Bagel Bites are great and all, but you can make lots of other types of small-scale pizza in your toaster oven too. One especially easy way is topile your toppings on a pita(or naan, or other flatbread) and bake until they’re done to your liking. See someunconventional topping ideas, andlightened-up pizza topping combosperfect for summer, just for starters.
7. Toaster Oven Cookies
The joy of using the toaster oven to make cookies is that you can bake one or two at a time without any fuss (and without feeling guilty about leaving a huge oven mostly empty).Slice-and-bake cookie dough logscan be stored in the freezer so you can just cut off as much as you’d like to chew. Other cookie doughs (likechocolate chip) can be pre-portioned, frozen on a baking sheet, then stored in zip-top freezer bags.
You’ll want to use the bake function, preheat the toaster oven, and keep an eye on your cookies as the bake time may fluctuate from your regular oven (especially if you’re baking the dough straight from the freezer, which you totally can). No frozen dough at the ready? No worries. You can find lots ofsmall batch cookie recipesonline—ditto otherdessert recipes for twothat are small enough to fit perfectly in a little oven.
8. English Muffins with Bruléed Bananas
For a more early a.m.-appropriate treat that’s still, well, sweet, try topping your English muffins with caramelized bananas. It’s as simple as sprinkling a bit of sugar on top and popping them back in the toaster oven for a few minutes (just keep an eye on them, of course). Get ourEnglish Muffins with Bruléed Bananas recipe.
9. Toaster Oven Hardboiled Eggs
Eggs in the oven? It’s unusual, but a great way to make do if you’re without a stovetop or can’t boil water…and don’t have anInstant Pot, of course (that’s still the best “alternative” way to go). Using a toaster oven takes a little bit longer (about 30 minutes) but if you’re making a big batch of egg salad you can easily scale up and put the whole dozen in the toaster at the same time. Here’show to make hard “boiled” eggs in the oven—and seemore pointers here.
10. Spinach Artichoke Dip
This rich and creamy dip is definitely not low-cal, so if you’re just one or two for snack time, you might want to halve ourBaked Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe—and a small amount is perfect for the toaster oven. Just be sure you have an oven-safe dish of the right size.
11. Small-Batch Jalapeño Poppers
Another nibble that’s easy to downsize:jalapeño poppers. Just prep as many peppers as you want to eat and broil them in the toaster oven for a quick snack. These are also a great way to use upleftover cream cheese.
12. Portobello Burgers
You can, if you choose, make a regular hamburger in your toaster oven, but we honestly think those do better in a searing-hotcast iron skilletor on a grill. A meaty portobello mushroom cap, however, takes well to roasting (and you can stilladd a smoky flavor with spicesif you like). It’s juicy and flavorful even without the cheese, but obviously that melts like a dream in the toasting machine. Toast your buns or bread too, then assemble and slather it with whatever condiments you like—chimichurri,pesto, orhomemade mayoare all fine options. (Use ourPortobello Burger recipeas a guide but tweak it for the toaster oven.)
13.Tomato Confit
Pro-tip: Your toaster oven is the perfect size forroasting a few heads of garlicto use throughout the next week or two (hello,compound butter)—but it can also be used for a small batch of confit tomatoes, which are also good oneverything. Get ourTomato Confit recipe.
14. Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
Told you those ramekins would come in handy! ThisMolten Chocolate Lava Cake recipeonly makes four desserts, and you could fairly easily cut the ingredient amounts in half for two servings total. (Otherwise, make the full batch and simply store the batter in the fridge for two or three days, baking one cake at a time. You’re welcome.)
15. 3-Ingredient Crème Brûlée
One more way to make those ramekins really pay off: Make a single-serve crème brûlée with just three ingredients! This brilliant3-Ingredient Crème Brûlée reciperecently tookTikTokby storm, and it’s plain to see why. You will have to plan ahead for this one, and you’ll need a mini casserole dish for your toaster oven in order to set up the bain marie (i.e., water bath), but it will be SO worth it.
