Ramen, the epicurian delight

I spent the afternoon making marshmallow fondant for the baby shower and 16th birthday cakes I have coming up this month, and neglected the fact that the fiance doesn't do the kitchen thing, and dinner just wasn't going to cook itself. Because I've been so caught up in cake making lately, I really haven't been doing much cooking. The fiance has been putting up with what I've been feeding him, but I actually wanted to take the time and cook an actual meal. I was feeling creative, and invented the following recipe using Ramen, the old college go to meal. The fiance is a really picky eater, and he absolutely loved this. Score.



Ramen Casserole

3 packs of Ramen. Toss the seasoning packs in the trash
1 pound of ground turkey
Dried minced onion (or fresh, whatever you prefer)
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup of flour
5 cups of milk (any type)
4 cups of your favorite shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar and Parmesan)
1 12 ounce can of low sodium chicken broth (you will only use half)
1 small bag of frozen corn (or any frozen veggies)
black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground mustard

Preheat the oven to 350

Place the blocks of Ramen (unbroken) in a pot of hot water. Soak for 5 minutes, flipping each block and continuing to soak for 5 minutes more. Drain the water, and set the Ramen aside.

Brown the ground turkey in a frying pan. Add the minced onion (fresh onion can be used. I used dried minced onion because fresh onions make me cry WAY too much). Season the meat with black pepper, cayenne pepper, and ground mustard to taste (or use whatever spices you like). Set browned meat aside.

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter or margarine. Add the flour and whisk until a paste forms. Add the milk, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until boiling and thick. Add the cheese, 1 handful at a time, whisking until fully melted. Turn off heat.

Add the ground turkey, Ramen, and frozen corn into the pot of cheese sauce. Add the half can of chicken broth. Mix well. Pour into an ungreased 9 X 13 baking dish and bake uncovered in the oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.



The best thing about this recipe is that it's pretty much a blank canvas......and quick. Follow the general recipe for the cheese sauce so the consistency comes out right, but as far as meat, veggies, cheese types, and spices go....use your imagination. This can't be screwed up. If you don't want to make the cheese sauce, which is the only part of this recipe that takes a bit of time, you could probably get away with using cream of cheddar soup or something like that. I think the cheese sauce is way worth it though.