Ramen noodles, AKA Top Ramen, are pretty frugal. And tasty. The fried noodle and spice packets aren't exactly health foods, but they can be the base of many kinds of quick, easy and cheap meals for anyone - even for people without kitchens. All you really need is a source of hot water.

For people living in dorms, studio efficiencies, shelters or in cars, ramen is a very versatile food.

For people who do have kitchens but are in a hurry or on a severe budget, ramen can be a lifesaver.

I found this amazing resource for 100 Ramen Recipes to get people started.

What ways have you discovered to cook ramen as the basis for a meal or a snack? How have you prepared it?

Some of those recipes look good to me.

I eat ramen noodles now and then to stretch my dollar, and I eat them pretty simply at that. I make the noodles as directed and add the flavor packet at the end. I let the noodles sit in the broth for a few minutes. The noodles become a little wider as they absorb some liquid. Then I drain the broth off. This way I get some flavor and not all the sodium.

I eat the noodles as is, or sometimes with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

mmm, parmesan cheese...

I've done that, and it does cut down the sodium. That's a good trick for people with high blood pressure. They can also make their own herbal mixes, leaning more towards black pepper and ground garlic and italian herbs than salt.

One thing I love to do is dump a can of tuna (with some mayo) into the noodles. Adding frozen veggies (warmed up of course) is a nice addition and bulks things out into a meal.

I love ramen noodles but the packaged variety is so high in sodium that I now avoid eating them. There are endless brands with a variety of flavors from different Asian countries but the brand most known and available on American shelves is Top Ramen.

There are so many ways to "soup" up a bowl with veggies and protein. Won tons, seafood, grilled sliced meats. Spinach, green onions, snow peas, waterchestnuts.

And you can "candy" the dry noodles, along with some nuts, by crunching up the noodles and mixing with butter and brown sugar in a skillet. Cook until the sugar is cooked into a caramel then spread this mixture on waxed paper to cool. Use this as a crunchy sweet and nutty topping for salads.

After boiling the noodles in the broth, drain well then stir fry sliced veggies in a bit of oil and add the noodles. Add seasonings like the packet, soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.

You can make Thai peanut noodles with Top Ramen, too, by boiling and draining the noodles. Then, mix with Thai peanut sauce and top it with sliced green onions. You can find easy recipes online.

There's also a chilled noodle salad called Hiyashi chuka. Boil and drain noodles. Place on a serving platter, cover with plastic wrap and chill. Top with bean sprouts, green onion, shredded carrot, and other sliced veggies. Make a dressing using the seasoning packet, rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, lemon juice, fresh ginger, vegetable oil, a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce. So good!

I would so eat it all the time if not for diabetes!

Lori, you are amazing! I had to run and make myself dinner because you made me really hungry!

You are a fantastic resource.

In the past I've cooked up a packet in a large soup bowl in the microwave and stirred in a hand full of peanuts, uncooked frozen vegies, and reheated through.

Susan, nuts sounds like a great addition. I love nuts and they add good proteins and healthy fats. Thanks for the suggestion.

I've eaten ramen noodles dry (they come pre-cooked) as snacks. It makes a mess, but they are decent for a little pick me up.

Pizza noodles! A little bit of spaghetti sauce and some pepperoni with cheese.

My son loves it when cooked cocktail shrimp hit 3-4 dollars a lb, a 1/4 lb for a dollar flavors a few bowls of ramen. During the winter he keeps frozen veggie mixes in the freezer to add to it, in the summer,he'll just go outside and grab some chickweed and dandelion leaves to put in it.

When people are sick in my family, I make a garlic soup, using dry or fresh garlic, lots of it, in chicken ramen with carrots sliced thin with a vegetable peeler (I don't actually peel veggies usually, it's just for thin slices of things), peas, green onions. While it's cooking, stir up a couple of eggs, take the soup off the heat and pour in the egg slowly so it cooks on contact forming pretty egg flowers.

I chop celery, onion, peppers, and carrots and cook them with the noodles. The veggies are crunchy. Drain the noodles. Then, I add half of the seasoning mix and a slice of cheese or 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Sometimes instead of cheese, I add scrambled egg or small seafood bits. I enjoy about half as many veggies as I have noodles.

You can brown the noodles in butter, cool them and use them on salads. Decadent!

You know what's funny? When I read some of these very creative ramen dishes, I think, "Ew." LOL. I can't imagine putting nuts or spaghetti sauce on ramen noodles since I'm so used to eating it with Japanese ingredients.

Then, I realized that the rest of the world must think the Japanese are weird for putting octopus on just about everything!!! Octopus is one of the country's favorite pizza toppings, for example! LOL. To each his own!