Being a college student, I know all too well of the Top Ramen go-to meal. Maybe you’re exhausted from a late night of studying or work–Top Ramen. Maybe your bank account is looking rough but you still need to eat–Top Ramen. No matter the reason, Top Ramen will always be an easy meal students can eat when the struggle is real.
But you don’t have to eat basic Top Ramen. In honor of National Noodle Month, I found some recipes that anyone can use to upgrade their Top Ramen noodles. Ditch the flavor packets and try these easy-to-do recipes:
Faux Pho
Traditional Vietnamese Pho may look too complicated to follow and requires an abundance of ingredients that the normal person may not have on hand, but you can make a “Faux Pho” by just adding in some lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and pepper flakes. Make a broth with steak, bean sprouts, and some herbs and your Top Ramen just got upgraded to a nice bowl of pho (even if it’s not traditional). For the full recipe, click on the link or picture above.
Chicken Noodle Ramen Soup
Ramen noodles are just like any other soup noodles. If you leave out the flavor packet and create your own broth, you lower the amount of sodium in your ramen. Simply create your own broth with some chicken, carrots and cabbage and add them to the ramen noodles. The full recipe says to use the flavor packages, but I prefer to leave them out.
Spicy Ramen Noodle Mac and Cheese
If you’re like any other American out there, you probably like macaroni and cheese. Did you know you can actually add in Ramen noodles to create a spicy noodle mac and cheese? All you need is butter, flour, milk, cheese, and Siracha sauce to give it that spice. Check out the full recipe at Spice Kit Recipes.
Chinese Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad
If you’re tired of soup but still want to use Ramen noodles, try a salad. This cabbage Ramen noodle salad is easy to make and the recipe comes with a DIY dressing recipe. Check it out!
Pepperoni Ramen Pizza
Okay so I’m not saying I would do this but you have to give it to the person who made this creation! So inventive. Check out the full recipe here.
Ramen Snack Mix
Need a snack but all you have is Ramen noodles and some Chex Mix? Check out this recipe on how you can make a great on-the-go snack with an extra crunch.