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Today I am going to show you how to cook in the dishwasher. Some of you may have clicked over because you thought that title was surely a typo. But y’all it is not! You can actually cook in your dishwasher cycle right along with your dishes. Who is thinking that is disgusting? Trust me here….there is a SAFE way to do this and get some delicious food in the process. Follow along as I show you how!
The first question you may be asking yourself is WHY you would want to cook in your dishwasher. Well first of all if you are having a big family dinner and don’t have enough oven or stove space, the dishwasher is a great alternative. Second just because you CAN!! And third it is fairly efficient to cook while you run a load of dishes anyway!
The best place to start with meals in your dishwasher is containers. You will need something airtight to keep your food isolated from everything else in the dishwasher. For me, the perfect container for the job is the mason jar. Grab a variety of jars to use for your dishwasher cooking. You can prepare the recipes below in jars then add them to the top rack of your dishwasher right along with your dirty dishes. They will cook perfectly while the rest of your dishes get clean. Yes, you can add detergent and run the dishwasher cycle as usual. Remember, the jars are sealed tightly and your food will be fine. I have even made a great video for you below with the recipes I tried plus my tips and trick for dishwasher cuisine. Y’all enjoy!
The best options are those foods that can be steamed. Think about vegetables and sides that you are adding to your holiday meal. There are some proteins that will actually cook well in the dishwasher, but those are generally seafood and others that do not have to cook completely through. Always be safe when experimenting with these types of foods and be sure they reach the proper temperature before eating. I have also typed up the recipes for you below just in case you didn’t catch them all in the video.
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp. garlic pepper
- Sprinkle sea salt
- Fresh green beans
- Boiling or very hot water from the tap
Instructions
- Place garlic pepper and sea salt in a mason jar (a 12 oz tall jelly jar works great). Add green beans to the jar. Do not crowd the beans, but put in enough for one serving. Fill the jar about halfway with boiling or hot tap water. Add jar lid and secure tightly. Add to top rack of dishwasher. Be sure to turn on any high temp functions, and turn off any air dry functions for the ultimate in dishwasher cuisine. Let the dishwasher run a complete cycle then remove the jars. THEY WILL BE HOT! Open and remove just the green beans onto a plate. Add a sprinkle of garlic pepper, if desired.
Ingredients
- Sea salt
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parmesan cheese grated
- Potato sliced VERY thin
Instructions
- Grab an 8 oz squat mason jar to make and serve these potatoes. Start layering in your potatoes with the seasoning into the jar. Each layer should have potatoes, a sprinkle each of sea salt, thyme, rosemary, and a drizzle of EVOO. Add some grated parmesan to the top of each layer. Put three layers in each jar. Screw the lid on very tightly and place in the top rack of the dishwasher. Be sure to turn on any high temp functions and turn off any air dry functions. Let the dishwasher run a complete cycle then remove the jars. THEY WILL BE HOT! You can open the jars and serve the potatoes right from the jars. Test the potatoes with a fork when you remove, and if they are not done, run the dishwasher through another dry function to complete cooking.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Ingredients
- ½ can pumpkin
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
Topping Ingredients
- 2 tbsp yellow cake mix
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp nuts pecans or walnuts work well
Instructions
- Mix the above pumpkin ingredients for the pumpkin portion of your pie. Place in four 8 oz squat mason jars.
- For each jar, you will need to mix a topping. Mix cake mix and pumpkin pie spice, and add to the top of one jar. Drizzle with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle on 1 tbsp nuts. Repeat with all four jars. Add lids to each jar and screw on tightly. Place jars in the top rack of your dishwasher. Be sure to turn on any high temp functions, and turn off any air dry functions. Let the dishwasher run a complete cycle then remove the jars. THEY WILL BE HOT! You can open the jars and serve the pumpkin pie directly from the jar. We love this recipe topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream. Enjoy!
Are you going to try to cook in your dishwasher? I hope this fun how to guide helps you along the way. Experiment with one of my recipes above or try to create your own. You never know what delicious foods will come out of your dishwasher…while you clean those dirty dishes!
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I would have never thought of this in a million years. I pinned it to my Thanksgiving board because I never seem to have enough space on the stove, oven, and crock pot! Thanks!
My friend her canning in the dishwasher…..jams, jellies….whatever she is canning. Since the food is already cooked and hot it just needs the hot water bath to seal the jars. She does a full load, top and bottom rack but it is a two person job to get everything jarred up and into the dishwasher while they are still hot.
Its a neat idea,