Ramen Noodles Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers - Ramen Noodle Upgrades

Continuing my Year of Ramen Noodle Upgrades!, this is a simple idea... Replacing cooked rice with cooked Ramen Noodles in a stuffed Pepper.

One of the disadvantages of cooking Ramen Noodles is the sodium content in the flavor packets included in each package.  This recipe does not use those packages.  Instead you use chicken stock (filled with flavor), actual chicken meat (I used 1/2 of a store bought pre-cooked, pre-seasoned Rotisserie Chicken, deboned and meat diced).  Add a TBS of Taco Seasoning for that Tex-Mex taste and you have plenty of flavor without the extra salt content.

And finally I had a bit of store bought cheese sauce I had used for some taco chip dip left over.  made a perfect topping for these.

These came out wonderful.  By only par cooking the ramen before they are baked, the noodles absorb the broth of the stock but retain their shape and texture despite the extra cooking time.  Not too mushy.  If you fully cooked the noodles, by the time they were baked again there would be no distinctive noodle shape.  In other words, very happy with the texture.

And loaded with flavor.  Spices, Hot Cheese Sauce and savory onion and chicken added...

A terrific unusual mid week meal the kids will love!  Like nothing you had in college ;)

OK... Here's what I did...

Ramen Noodles
Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 Medium Poblano Peppers, sliced lengthwise, seeds and white membrane removed
• Drizzles of Olive Oil
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• 2 Packages Chicken Ramen Noodles
• 2 Cups Cooked Chicken Meat (I chopped up a deboned breast, thigh and leg from a store bought Rotisserie Chicken)
• 4 Green Onions Sliced thin, Green and White parts)
• 1 Small Can Chopped Tomatoes, drained
• 1 TBS Taco Seasoning
• 1/2 Cup Taco Bell Brand Salsa Con Queso Cheese Dip

Cooking Directions

1. Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Coat the outside of each of the Pepper halves with Olive Oil. Arrange the Pepper halves in a 9X13 Baking Dish and bake for 20 minutes until the peppers have started to soften.
2. Meanwhile, Break up the Ramen noodles to dime size pieces.
3. In a large Sauce pan, heat 2 Cup Chicken Stock to boiling. Add the Ramen noodles only (discard the flavor packages).
4. Remove from heat and stir. Noodles will soften and separate a little.
5. Add the Chicken, Onions, Tomatoes and Taco Seasonings. Stir to mix. Allow to rest for 10 minutes covered with a lid. By that time almost all of the liquid will have been absorbed.
6. Remove casserole dish with the Pepper halves from the oven and fill each with the Ramen/Chicken mix.
7. Return casserole dish with filled peppers back to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Drop small dollops of the cheese sauce on top of each pepper. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
9. Serve HOT from the oven and ENJOY!!!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken"  (Now close to 100!)...I am so confused... $5.49 for a fully cooked, fully seasoned Oven Roasted, Rotisserie Chicken. Yet shop in the raw meat department and most raw chickens are at best $8 each and usually far closer to $10. Anyone have an answer??? Me either. So, I can either rail against the machine, or learn to embrace the beauty that is the $5 chicken! In this pin are recipes I have made, and recommend. MORE than 52 (I just can't stop)..
You get the idea.  From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking).  More than enough ideas for that store nought bird to shine with just a little extra work

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