Foodie Fridays: Ramen Grilled Cheese

Last year I posted a comment about the Ramen Burger, which had become quite a fad in New York.  I thought it looked delicious, but since I cannot eat red meat I could never actually taste one.  Recently I found a recipe for Ramen Grilled Cheese, which looks just as tasty, and I love grilled cheese sandwiches!  I gave this recipe a try, and was not disappointed.  I modified the flavors slightly from the original recipe, adding sherry to the mushrooms instead of soy sauce, and putting the soy sauce on the arugula as part of my favorite Asian-inspired dressing for vegetables.  The process for this recipe is a bit time-consuming, but I would certainly make this "sandwich" again.  Just remember to use a fork, as you cannot pick this up with your hands!

Ramen Grilled Cheese

1 handful of arugula (about 1 C.)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 package ramen (any flavor)
1 large egg, beaten
2-3 slices Cheddar cheese
4 white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1-2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. sherry
1/2 tsp. butter

Toss the arugula with the sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds until coated.  Set aside.

Prepare the ramen noodles according to package directions, discarding the seasoning packet. Drain the noodles and cool slightly.  Mix with the beaten egg until the noodles are thoroughly coated. Divide the noodles in half and place each half into an individual ramekin. Cover each ramekin with cling wrap and press the noodles down, ensuring they are packed tightly into the ramekin. Place the covered ramekins into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool (this will ensure that they hold their shape). Hold the cooled ramekins upside down over a frying pan, coated with vegetable oil and heated over medium heat, until the noodles loosen and fall, then cook them until golden brown, approximately two minutes on each side.  Place the noodles on a plate, top one portion with cheese, and set aside.

Sauté the mushrooms in the same frying pan, adding more oil if needed, until the mushrooms are tender.  Stir in the sherry and cook until the liquid evaporates.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter to coat.  Put the mushrooms on top of the cheese, add the arugula, and place the other noodle portion on top.  Serves 1-2, depending upon your appetite.

Notes: I used Sargento Colby-Jack reduced fat cheese.  Instead of ramekins, I placed the noodles into plastic sandwich containers (similar to these), which made the noodle layers larger and thinner than the ones shown above.  You could probably also fry the noodles as one large, thin disk and then just slide it onto a plate, add the toppings, and fold it over like an omelet.  Or if you want to try a slightly simpler version, check out this recipe.