The average American household spends $3,000 a year dining out. That's a lot of money that could go towards savings goals or a retirement fund.

There's an easy fix: Going homemade. The good news is, you don't need a lot of time to craft a balanced meal. You don't even need a stove or an oven.

In fact, just a few ingredients and a microwave can get you pretty far.

If you're time strapped, want to whip up a hot meal at work or simply don't want to deal with an oven, here are seven fantastic microwave meals, provided by Tasty.