Slow Cooker Beef Ramen Noodles

Sometimes I am focused on recipes that surprise - something unique. Other times I am looking for gourmet or fusion. Then there are the days the recipe needs to be practical and/or inexpensive.  Unless you are serious foodie 24/7, meals need to fit a wide range of needs. especially if you have children or a busy schedule. 

When I saw this recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Ramen on a site called Dish 'n' the Kitchen I was intrigued. The amount of brown sugar and soy was more than I usually like to use, but the ease of prep for a busy day made it well work trying.  Yesterday I was going out for quite a few hours. Supper either needed to be bought, or something my husband could help with.  I thought of this recipe instantly. 

To make the day work, I put the carrots, pepper (I had to sub orange), scallions, garlic, soy sauce and brown sugar in the crockpot before I headed out at 9:30 a.m. My husband only had to brown the meat, add it to the pot, and turn it on low at 1 p.m.  The last 2 items are added just 30 minutes before serving. No problem. I did make 2 additions. I added a 1 inch piece of peeled ginger root (removed before serving) and I added some baby bok choy to up the amount of vegetables.  I could have added more. 

The dish was tasty and filling. Okay, it was not the most amazing, unique, gourmet dish I ever tried, but it was an easy to make, all-in-one meal to serve on a busy day.  Note - there are tons of recipes for slow cooker beef ramen, so take some time to look through the options and see what appeals to you. Never be shy to make it your own.  

Enjoy! 

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Slow Cooker Beef Ramen Noodles
Serve 3-4 depending on serving size and if you serve anything with it. 

Ingredients -

1 lb.             Extra lean ground beef
1 C              Matchstick carrots

1                  Red bell pepper, sliced 

3 - 6            Scallions, roughly chopped
3                  Garlic cloves, minced

1                  1 inch piece of peeled gingerroot. 
1/2 C            Low sodium soy sauce
1/2 C            Brown sugar
1-3/4            Chicken stock
2                   Ramen noodle cakes (throw away flavor package)

6 oz.             Baby bok cross sliced into bite slice pieces

Garnish -  Sesame seeds, additional scallions, 

Instructions -

Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain excess fat. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.  Add in  the carrots, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, gingerroot, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken stock. Mix well. Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours (original recipe says 4-6 hours).

I broke the ramen cakes into 4 equal squares to make mixing and eating easier. Our family likes it better this way, but you can leave the noodle cakes whole if you like longer noodles.  Add the ramen noodles to the crockpot and push them down into the broth as much as possible so they cook evenly.  Scatter the baby bok choy on top, put the lid back on, and cook for another 30 minutes until noodles are soft and greens have wilted.  Before serving remove the 1 inch piece of gingerroot.

You will need to toss everything gently until all the ingredients are evenly combined with the noodles.  Serve on individual plates as is, or for a nicer presentation, garnish with sesame sees and/or scallions.