If You Fancy A Crispy Noodle Upgrade, Try Waffling Your Ramen

Got ramen? Of course you do. While we don't have any statistics to back it up, we'd bet most of the households in the U.S. (maybe the world) have a few packets of instant ramen somewhere in the cupboard. There are a zillion and six ways to upgrade those noodles, too, from adding bacon grease to your bowl of ramen to swapping ramen in for lasagna noodles. Our latest, greatest ramen hack, however, isn't so much about adding ingredients to the noodles as it is cooking them in a different way. If you cast your mind back to 2013, you may recall a trendy little item called the ramen burger. In case you blinked and missed it, this 20-teens food fad involved baking ramen noodles into patties that were then used as burger buns. Well, the ramen waffle is a similar concept, although it's easier, more fun to make, and comes out a lot crispier (and waffle-shaped, of course).

To waffle your ramen, cook and drain the noodles, then mix them with an egg and your choice of seasoning. If you want to substitute your own spice blend for the included packet, go right ahead, but we're big fans of salty, delicious ramen seasoning, and see no need to throw it away. (To each their own is the best cooking motto.) Oil your waffle maker so the noodles won't stick, then preheat it. Once the light indicates it's ready, cook the noodle-egg mixture for two to three minutes, or until your ramen waffle is crispy and golden brown.

Ramen waffle is kind of a mouthful. Plus, aren't these mashup foods usually deemed portmanteau-worthy? We therefore declare that these are now to be known as raffles. Not the kind where you win a prize, but then, a crispy noodle waffle is a prize in and of itself. Even more so, however, if you embellish your raffle with a few well-chosen toppings (broke chefs have always known how a few simple additions can make instant ramen noodles much better). Since ramen noodles are Asian in origin, you could go with toppings such as soy sauce, chopped green onions, and pickled radishes. Boiled, fried, or poached eggs, too, always pair well with ramen noodles in any form.

Harkening back a decade or so, you could also make two raffles and use them as burger buns. Or you could top the raffle with marinara and mozzarella and go where 2013 dared not venture: the ramen pizza! (Ramizza?) If you prefer sweeter spreads like peanut butter, Nutella, or jelly, these could also work for a raffle, but in this case, you might want to omit the seasoning packet and instead flavor your noodles with a pinch of sugar and maybe some sweet-friendly spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg.