Tired and hungry after a long day of work or classes? We’ve all been there. When you’re too tired to cook and too broke to order takeout —again— instant meals are a great option. With a few additions or substitutions, you can make boring microwavable meals into fun and quick dishes that you’ll crave time and time again.
Garlic and cheese should always be measured with your heart, not with numbers. Use these tips to elevate each of these meals on your own.
Elevated instant Ramen
Ramen, a Japanese noodle dish, is a staple college food. Whatever flavor or brand you have on hand will go great with these additions.
Change the cooking time
Don’t cook noodles for as long as the packet recommends. Instant ramen is meant to be served piping hot, but allowing the cooked noodles to sit in the warm broth means they may be mushy by the time you’re ready to eat. To get achieve the perfect heat and consistency, undercook the noodles by around two minutes according to the packet.
Boil in a broth
Vegetable or chicken broth works wonders for enhancing the flavor of noodles.
Make your own spice packet
The typical spice packet will include flavors like onion and garlic powder, salt, black pepper, or lemon. However, don’t forget that spices don’t have to be spicy! A dash of cinnamon will do wonders for rounding out your ramen flavor.
The humble egg
An egg is a perfect addition to jazz up your ramen. A soft-boiled egg is most commonly served in Ramen dishes, though cracking the egg directly into the broth will mimic the vibe of a poached egg. No matter which way you cook it, adding an egg is a great source of protein.
Garnish, garnish, garnish
Adding just a little something to top your yummy soup bowl can make a world of difference. Crispy additions like nori (roasted seaweed) or fried shallots will add a lot more depth to your instant ramen by creating different levels of texture.
If you’re feeling extra lazy or don’t have typical ramen toppings on hand, leave some of the uncooked noodles aside and use those as a topping. Tortilla chips, bread crumbs, or even croutons will get the job done. Crunch is crunch.
Get saucy with it!
Drizzling in sauce beyond the packets provided by your instant ramen of choice is a surefire way to enhance the flavor profile of your ramen. Sriracha, soy sauce and chile oil are all tried and true choices to pick from. For a fun twist, a tablespoon of peanut butter, soy sauce and brown sugar creates a delicious Thai inspired flavor.
Don’t forget your greens
Most instant ramen brands provide a sad little packet of dehydrated vegetables. Keep those in your bowl because those onions and peppers do contribute a lot of flavor. In addition to them, any quick cooking leafy green will blend into the broth nicely. Tossing in your desired amount of spinach, bok-choy, bean sprouts or cabbage towards the end of the boiling process will wilt wonderfully. To cut through the salty, sweet and rich flavor of the broth scatter thinly sliced scallions, shallots or chives on top of the brothel. The fresher, the better!
Mac and cheese like a pro
Mac and cheese is another classic easy meal that many college students live and die by. The best thing about boxed mac and cheese is that there are so many possibilities in one little box.
Top it off
Cut through the cheesy goodness by popping some panko, toasted or untoasted, on top. A little crunch goes a long way. Extra salt, black pepper, chili flakes, or scallions are also great additions to sprinkle on.
Throw out the cheese packet
One of the joys of instant mac and cheese is how quickly the pasta cooks. Instead of using the cheese packet that’s provided, set it aside and shred up parmesan or pecorino instead! A bit of parmesan and black pepper can make for a perfect cacio e pepe dupe.
Cheese popcorn
Instead of putting the cheese packet onto pasta, it serves as great popcorn seasoning. Make your favorite microwave popcorn, a drizzle of butter or olive oil, and spread cheese powder combined with black pepper for a fun snack.
Creamy, cheesy, yummy
Add some cream cheese to your mixture for a creamier texture and a hint of acidity. It’s best to start off with just an extra tablespoon and continue adding more from there depending on your tastes.
Bone broth for boiling
If you want to add deeper, more savory flavor notes to your finished dish, replace some of the cooking water with bone broth or stock. This adds a delicious umami element and nutritious value.
Bye bye boring brownies
Everyone loves brownies. They’re easy, versatile and take virtually no time to make. With just a couple of adjustments any boxed mix can become a delicacy.
Swap water for coffee
Replace the water that is called for by the recipe with either freshly brewed hot coffee, cold coffee, or 1 tablespoon of ground coffee. This intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds depth to the brownie flavor.
Put flaky salt everywhere
Sweet and salty is a match made in heaven. If you sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt around the bottom of the brownie tin and some on top of the brownie batter just before it goes into the oven it will really make the chocolate flavor pop!
Two yolks are better than one
As a general rule of thumb, 2 egg yolks make a whole egg. Using that ratio, just stick to egg yolks instead of the whole egg when baking brownies. This gives you a nice fudgy brownie because of the increased fat content.
Let us know what you do to modify some basic foods by tweeting us @VALLEYmag.
