Cheap doesn't equal sacrifice

Getting creative with simple ramen recipes can spice up mealtime. Photo: Taelar Pollmann The Sentry

Interesting ways to transform instant ramen

Finding ways to spice up simple meals in the kitchen might be an overlooked way to get creative and enjoy a new dish. Luckily, there are tons of different variations that can make instant ramen a delicious meal or tasty snack. Here are just a few options that instant ramen can be utilized to its full potential.

Add a soft–boiled egg

Any bowl of instant ramen can be immediately improved with a simple soft-boiled egg. It only takes six minutes for the yolk of the egg to get the perfect soft consistency that is sought after. To be extra fancy, the egg can be marinated overnight in Tare, which is a seasoned soy sauce. It can be made using soy sauce, sake, garlic, granulated and brown sugar, and chicken broth. If none of these ingredients are available, then soy sauce, sugar, and garlic will do just fine. The recipe can be accessed on The Flavor Blender website.

Switch up mealtimes with breakfast ramen

Ever wondered what ramen and breakfast food tastes like together? Luckily, this has been made a reality. The ingredients are the same as any American breakfast: eggs, bacon, and cheese are certainly the most important elements for this quick breakfast dish. The recipe can be found at Key Ingredient.

Get cheesy with these seasoning combos

While this recipe is the one of simplest listed, it has the most variety. With this particular style of ramen, the seasoning packet does not have to be discarded. Therefore, it is much easier to create amazing flavors with what is given. A great combo is the beef flavored ramen with good old American cheese. There are also tons of different types of cheese that can be used to spice up the dish a bit. Maybe pepper jack would go well with the oriental flavoring. The possibilities are endless!

Snack on ramen “chips”

This form of ramen is also extremely simple and does not require any cooking; in fact, all that is needed is the pack of ramen and the seasoning pack. The first step is to break the ramen into to desirable bite sized pieces while the bag is still closed. Then add the seasoning packet to the pieces and shake until the seasoning is equally distributed throughout the entire bag. There are also other seasoning options, like garlic salt or curry powder. It’s a great way to make a new snack.

It can be difficult to get creative with things that seem so simple. However, there are hundreds of recipes for preparing instant ramen in new and exciting ways. Now is the perfect time to learn a fresh new cuisine to show friends and family.