Video: Flame Writers Persephone Burleson, Molly Henderson and Judd Wiltse spent the evening crafting a delicious ramen recipe for college students to try and enjoy! Filmed by Judd Wiltse.

Ramen noodles have been known as the poor college student’s meal of choice for 60 years.  Instant noodles were invented by a Taiwanese-Japanese man named Momofuku Ando in 1958 and they have since become a worldwide food staple.

However, there’s more than one way to cook those noodles, ranging from chili to nachos to pizza to tacos. Here are four different recipes of noodly goodness gleaned from the internet and embellished for personal taste preferences!

CHEESY CHILI RAMEN

1 Ramen Noodle package

1lb ground beef

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained

1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained

Sliced cheese

Brown the meat and transfer it to a pot.  Add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Add beans and simmer 10 minutes. It is said the longer chili simmers, the better it is, so proceed as you would like.  While the chili is simmering, boil water in another pot and add the ramen noodles. Discard flavor packet. Drain noodles and prepare to serve. Place a layer of noodles in a bowl, then ladle chili, then cheese as well as any other toppings, such as sour cream.  A demonstration video of this recipe is included in this article.

NACHO AVERAGE RAMEN

1 Ramen Noodle Package

1 Summer Sausage

1 Chili with/without beans

1 Nacho tortilla chips

1 Cheese

First, boil noodles, drain, and set aside.  If you would like, you can follow the chili recipe in this article or just buy a can of chili.  Make your chili while working on other food items. Chop summer sausage, then add Ramen seasoning.  Microwave your summer sausage mixture for 4 minutes on high, afterwards take out and place to the side.  Take tortilla chips and place a large amount on a bowl. Place a serving of the meat mixture over the tortilla chips.  Next, take your chili and cooked noodles and pour over your chips. Lastly, place your cheese to top it off. Enjoy these not-so-average nachos with friends or while binging your favorite show!

PIZZA RAMEN

2 pkgs. Beef Flavor Ramen

Salt

3 cups water

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

15-1/2 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

3 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

1 pizza pan

aluminum foil

This recipe is the most complicated but it’s not as daunting as it seems.  Cover pizza pan with aluminum foil. Build up foil edges to form about 1/2″ tall rim around the pan.  Lightly grease the aluminum surface. Cook both packages of ramen noodles in water with pinch of salt.  Do not use flavor packets. Drain noodles and set aside. Brown beef, onions, and mushrooms together. Drain excess fat.  Stir both flavor packets into meat mixture. Set aside. Beat together egg, milk, and parmesan cheese. Stir this mixture into the ramen noodles.  Evenly spread noodle/egg mixture onto pizza pan. Pour spaghetti sauce over noodles. Sprinkle meat mixture over sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden, bubbly brown. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Great for parties!

SPAGHETTI TACOS 

1 pack of ramen noodles

1lb beef

1 package of taco seasoning

Taco shells (hard or soft)

Brown the meat.  Crunch up the noodles in the package and add it to the meat in the pan.  Add the seasoning packet and water you would use to boil the noodles normally to the pan as well.  Cook it down until the ramen is the desired texture, adding more water as necessary. Fix tacos with your preferred toppings, like cheese, sour cream, etc., and enjoy!

Instant noodles have come a long way in 60 years, and there are many more recipes to be found online.  Experiment and find new recipes on your own!