The weekend is here.  Life is crazy. Seriously, our weekends are more hectic than the weekdays. Admit it, so are yours, right? And, of course, just when you’re in the middle of a project, the kids start screamin’, “We’re hungry!” Before you cave in and rush to McDonalds, stop! Open the cupbard and whip out some Ramen.  But, take it a step farther than soup and fry it up in the wok.

This recipe is so easy and the kids will love it. Don’t be afraid to modify either. If you don’t have fresh veggies (I happened to have leftovers), just use frozen or can. It’s still a fast and fun meal that really does taste great and is about as easy on the budget as you can get. Oh, and if you don’t like spam, don’t worry, leave it out. It’s still yummy! Promise.

Fried Ramen Noodles:

2 packages Ramen Noodles (Chicken or Oriental Flavor) – $.40
1 can Spam, cubed – $2.79
1-2 Tbsp Soy Sauce – pantry
3 Eggs, beaten – $.66
3 Carrots, blanched and sliced (you can use can or frozen) – $.50
2 ears Fresh Corn, Steamed or boiled (frozen is fine) – $.30
4 tsps Canola Oil – pantry
1 tsp pepper – pantry
1 tsp parsley – pantry

COST: $4.65

Boil the ramen till al dente, not fully cooked. Save the seasoning, do NOT add to boiled noodles. Once noodles are cooked, rinse and set aside.

In a wok or fry pan, add 1 tsp oil and bring to medium high heat. Add eggs, season with a little salt and pepper and scramble. Once cooked, set aside. Add 2 tsps more oil to hot pan and toss in Spam and veggies. Fry for a few minutes, just until items are hot and slightly browned. Add soy sauce and toss.

Last, add the last tsp oil and toss in ramen. Sprinkle the Ramen seasoning and toss well while frying. After a few minutes, toss scrambled egg back in and sprinkle with pepper and parsley. You can add a little more soy at this point or even some chili pepper flakes too.

If your kids don’t eat this, I’ll buy them a case of ramen myself and they can go back to eating soup.

GRAND TOTAL: $4.65