One of my favorite "meals" has always been Ramen noodles. It's different from Cup O'Noodles. Plus, haven't you ever eaten an instant soup and still been hungry afterward? In fact any frozen or "instant" meal I took to work were never quite fulfilling, unless it was leftovers of a home-cooked meal.With my recent mason jar for meal planning infatuation, I decided to give ramen noodles a try. I have to tell you... it's changed my life! Not only are they super easy to make and put together, but they're filling, and I'm getting a lot more out of my meal than I would from eating out or heating up a frozen TV dinner.Ingredients + Supplies:Mason Jars (32 oz.)Ramen packageBaby spinachCornShredded chickenSoy sauceHot sauce, like SrirachaDirections:Add the corn and spinach to the mason jar, followed by the packet of Ramen noodles & seasoning.Then add the chicken.Add approximately 14-16 oz of hot water to the jar.Top off with soy sauce and hot sauce. I personally use the sauce packets from Waba Grill and their hot sauce (or Sriracha).Cover the mason jar and let it sit for about 10 minutes.Tips + Ideas:You can add carrots and other veggies that you like in soup. If there's a particular vegetable that you like crunchier, then you can add it to the mason jar uncooked. It will be cooked very lightly with the hot water. If you like your veggies softer, you can put cooked vegetables in the jar and store it until you're ready to cook.You can add all your veggies on the same day and store them. I do that, but I don't include the ramen noodles until the morning I know I will eat them at work. That way, I'm not putting the noodles in the refrigerator. I shake my mason jar to get the flavors all in the jar. The longer you wait, the fatter your noodles will be. If the water is not hot enough, the noodles will taste more like Cup O'Noodles. Some people like it like that. I like them actually cooked and soft, so I will let it absorb as much water as possible.You can add cooked beef or shrimp instead of chicken, but make sure it is thoroughly cooked. The hot water will not cook the meat.I love eating this because it's so filling, inexpensive ($10 will pay for a week's worth of lunches), and I get my veggies. I'm able to lug it to work without having to stick it in the microwave to cook different parts of my lunch. I can eat it at my desk, in my car, or on the picnic tables outside. And clean up is so easy too. It can't be beat!
