5 New Things to Do with Ramen

We all recognize these pleasantly chewy noodles as the star of the comforting Japanese soup that we flock to when temperatures start to drop. Take away the rich broth, green onions and  marinated soft-boiled egg and you're still left with endless opportunities — not all of them savory, either.

Carbonara can't get any easier than when you make it with ramen. Just cook up a couple of strips of chopped bacon and toss it with hot, freshly boiled ramen, a beaten egg, and big handful of grated Parm. Throw some peas in there and it even qualifies as a complete meal!

Tortillas are so old-school! Make crispy ramen tostadas by mixing a package of cooked ramen noodles with an egg and a little salt and pepper. Form that into 4 flattish rounds and put them in the fridge for about a half-hour. Pan-fry them until crispy and top them with refried beans, shredded rotisserie chicken, pico, avocado and cheese.

Raw ramen adds awesome crunch to slaw. Toss coleslaw mix with chopped raw ramen, scallions, cilantro and carrot-ginger dressing. You can even add some of the ramen flavor packet for a little extra umami blast. Eat it as a side dish, on a burger or on a pulled pork sandwich.

Ramen makes a great, crunchy addition to your favorite apple crumble recipe. Just chop a packet of raw ramen, add it to your go-to crumble mixture and bake it as usual. It bakes up golden and crisp, and it looks really pretty, too.