2nd Post: Boiling the Water

It was the famous day in February, Super Bowl Sunday.  Even though I don’t watch it (I don’t watch sports, even for the commercials), I still wanted to make something that my friends could enjoy while watching the game since they invited me to their party.  So when I was researching for some snack that incorporated ramen, I saw it and immediately knew it would be perfect.  Ramen Nachos.

Process: After my short trip to Safeway, I had ground beef, shredded cheese, and a bag of Doritos.  Total cost: $9.06.  Venturing to the tainted communal dorm kitchen, I found a dirty, stained pan and a colorful, equally stained strainer.  Not desiring any leftover instant-mac in my food, I started cleaning the pots.  After a solid five minutes scrubbing, they still weren’t looking any better, so I just decided to use them.  I started with cooking the beef in the pan, easier said than done when you want small pieces and you are trying to separate the entire glob of ground beef with a standard knife (there aren’t any utensils to cook with in the kitchen).  Meanwhile, I began boiling water in my electric kettle and smashed a packet of top ramen.  Needing small pieces of noodles, I found that smashing the bag with my fist proved most effective.  Taking out the sauce packet and mixing the tiny noodles into a bowl with the boiling water, I was finished with the noodles and could now focus on the stubborn beef.  With the knife, I had been sautéing the beef as it was giving off its oily smell.  Slowly it began turning into a nice brown color that I was aiming for.   I strained the ramen, which started leaking out into the sink before I noticed and put it back into the bowl.  In my to-go container from the cafeteria, I poured a fat layer of Doritos in the bottom, scooped some beef out of the pan with a spoon, while attempting to not get an oil, and tossed some noodles on before sprinkling a generous layer of cheese on top.  I tossed it in the microwave for 45 seconds until the cheese was pleasantly melted and it came out with a delicious smell. 

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Shopping List:      Doritos: $2.30, Large 12 oz.

                              Ground Beef: $3.77, 1 lb.

                              Cheese: $2.99, 0.5 lbs.

Ingredients:         1) One bag of Doritos

2) ½ pound of ground beef

                              3) Graded cheese

                              4) Packet of Ramen

Personal Response: Going into this, I really didn’t know what to expect.  Ramen on nachos… sounds peculiar as it’s mixing Mexican and Asian cuisine.  But it was surprisingly good; that being said, I was pleasantly pleased with myself.  The cooking was simple and took only a little over 25 minutes.  In addition, the prices weren’t that expensive.  If I were to have used everything and saved the leftovers, I’d approximate that it’d make two servings, and each of them wouldn’t have cost more than four dollars, probably feeding a total of six to eight people in all.  Making this for the Super Bowl was also a hit.  Considering it’s not very nutritious meal, it’s an ideal dish to bring to a gathering or make when you’re hanging out with friends, not a meal.  But something that wouldn’t leave my mind while I was cooking was that it seemed like an excuse just to throw ramen in the recipe.  The ramen, in my opinion, is a tasty addition, but I don’t know if I would actually take the time to make the ramen to put in the nachos since the nachos were rather delicious by themselves.

I made this snack for my friends during the Super Bowl, and I got a startling amount of positive feedback.  The majority of the volunteers enjoyed eating the dish and continued to grab more after the initial taste.  One eager volunteer exclaimed, “Why does this actually taste good?” as he was grabbing another chip.  He later went on to explain that the beef, cheese, and Doritos were delicious and the noodles on top were just an added bonus.  He kept on trying to take more when I was looking for more volunteers. Luckily, most were willing to try the dish, some with a little persuasion.  There was usually an initial hesitation, after hearing ramen was in it.  Though, I wouldn’t say it looked too strange (see picture below).  However, there were a couple subjects who politely refused to taste the dish while a few didn’t enjoy it.  Those who didn’t try it were vegetarians, while the volunteers who didn’t enjoy it stated that it tasted “too greasy.”  That may have been due to the fact that some oil transferred over with the beef, but the cheese and rich Doritos may have helped out as well.  Fortunately, the cheese and ramen blended together, making the top seem like a bunch of cheese, which might have aided in the amount of people willing to try the dish even when they were told there was ramen in it.  One surprise was that many volunteers found the dish appetizing without the ramen, though when asked, many said the ramen was a satisfying addition. 

Overall, I would make this dish again.  It follows all my criteria in being tasty, quick, cheap, and easy to make.  The nutritional factor would be the only issue, it’s not exactly something you eat for a month straight.  The ramen is questionable in adding a significant addition to the dish overall. But nevertheless, I give the dish a pass.  I would make it again.  Are there any suggestions or comments for the next time I make it?  Would you give this dish a try?

Recipe from Ramenlicious.com

Works Cited

Red, Shannan. "Doritos Ramen Salad."

Ramenlicious.com. Ramenlicious. Web. 08 Feb. 2013. <http://www.ramenlicious.com/recipes/doritos-ramen-salad.html>.