Mongolian Noodles with Ground Beef

I am a huge fan of noodles of any kind, so when I saw this recipe on my feed, I knew I had to try it. Sadly it lacked the creator credit.  Later I discovered there are tons of recipes for Mongolian Noodles with Ground Beef - all slightly different. You'll find them with more garlic, fresh ginger, beef broth and other additions. 

What this tells me is this is an obviously make-it-your-own kind of recipe.  I only made 2 minor changes this first time, but may make more in the future. I did not have Ramen noodles laying around, so subbed in the Wun Tun noodles that were in my pantry. They are skinner than Ramen noodles so that changed the look of the dish a bit. They also took up more of the seasoning, so I could have increased the amount of sauce a bit to compensate, but it still had a nice flavor as it was.

And I added cross-sliced Baby Bok Choy.  I prefer my noodle dishes with meat AND vegetables. I could have added more as the Bok Choy cooked down more than I thought it would.  If you want you could add something that didn't shrink as much such as broccoli, green beans or diced or grated carrots. Or you can make it with just the beef and noodles like the original. Just remember, if you add too many extras, you probably need to increase the amount of sauce.

Quick, easy and filling, this dish was a welcome addition to my stockpile of meal ideas. If you make it let me know what you think. If you changed it up, I'd love to hear your version. 

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Mongolian Noodles with Ground Beef

4 Servings (3 if you offer big servings)

Ingredients - 

8 oz.                  Ramen noodles (or any thin noodles. I subbed Wun Tun)

1 lb.                  Ground beef
3 cloves            Garlic, minced

1/2 lb.               Baby bok choy (I would add more next time, maybe a 1 lb.)
1/4 C                 Soy sauce
1/4 C                 Hoisin sauce
2 T                     Brown sugar
1 tsp                  Sesame oil
1/4 tsp               Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 T                     Cornstarch mixed with 2 T water (for thickening)
2                        Green onions, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions - 

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch/water mix. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Add the minced garlic and baby bok choy to the cooked beef. Sauté for until bok choy is wilted and garlic is fragrant. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir to coat the beef. Cook gently stirring until sauce is thickened. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss well to combine, ensuring the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce.

The original recipes says to transfer to a serving plate, but when serving noodle dishes, I prefer to individually plate instead. Garnish with chopped green onions (optional). Serve hot.