Unique Recipes to Quench Your Munchie Cravings

Suffering from a case of the munchies is common for many college students. The big question normally raised is, "what do I eat first?" In my experience, I've learned that the best way to fight the munchies is with unique recipe combinations that fill your stomach, while making you feel like you just created a masterpiece. The best munchie dishes I've ever made have crossed borders, blurred lines, and come straight from my heart. These are meals that you can be creative with because what's most important is satisfying that fierce craving. Here are four original recipes that put a spin on traditional cuisine while putting an end to your munchies. 

Ramen Burger Sliders

• Prep Time:40 mins
• Cook Time:20 mins
• Total Time:1 hr
• Servings:2
• Medium

Ingredients

• 2 packages ramen plain cooked noodles
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 4 small ramekins
• Vegetable oil
• 1 package ground beef
• Splash soy sauce
• Splash sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• Arugula
• Shredded green onions
• 1 sliced tomato
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper for taste

• Step 1

  Cook the ramen, let it cool, and mix with the egg

• Step 2

  Shape the ramen mixture into small ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and chill

  

• Step 3

  Make the burger patties

• Step 4

  De-mold and cook the ramen buns

  

• Step 5

  Cook the burgers and top with cheese

  

• Step 6

  Make the sriracha mayo, prep the toppings, and assemble!

  

These sliders are foolproof if you're looking for a very savory meal with an Asian fusion twist! This recipe may seem complicated at first glance, but it requires simple ingredients and is hard to mess up if you follow the simple steps. 

Ramen buns: Boil 2 packets of ramen noodles without the seasoning packets (Top Ramen is a classic choice). Once the noodles are cooked, drain, and let cool. Beat 2 eggs, add a dash of salt and pepper and add the room temperature noodles. Coat 4-8 small ramekins with vegetable oil (you'll need to do 2 batches if you only have 4). Put an even handful of the noodle and egg mixture into each bowl, covering each with plastic wrap to keep the buns uniform. Next, you may either stack the ramekins or top each with a small can or jar to flatten the buns. Chill for 10 minutes. Once chilled, pop each out into a frying pan with vegetable oil, and cook to a crispy golden brown on both sides. 

The burgers: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ground beef with a splash of soy sauce, splash of sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Then shape the meat into small patties. Add some additional sesame oil to a very hot fry pan, and cook up the burgers (grilling the patties would also work). Add sliced cheese if desired.  

Once the burger patties and ramen buns have been cooked, prepare the burger toppings. Mix the sriracha mayo, spread it onto the buns, and top each sandwich with arugula, thinly sliced green onions, and a slice of tomato.  

#Spoontip: This recipe could also apply to full-sized ramen burgers if you used larger sized ramekins. If you'd like to increase the serving size, remember to use one egg per extra pack of ramen. One pack of ground beef typically makes 6-7 slider patties or   4-5 regular sized burger patties.

Turkey and Cranberry Thanksgiving Raviolis

• Prep Time:45 mins
• Cook Time:10 mins
• Total Time:55 mins
• Servings:4
• Medium

Ingredients

• 1 pack ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 pack store-bought wonton wrappers
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 small shallots chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Salt and pepper for taste

• Step 1

  Make the ravioli filling

  

• Step 2

  Fill the wonton wrappers with the filling

  

• Step 3

  Make the shallot gravy

• Step 4

  Cook the ravioli

• Step 5

  Pour the gravy over the ravioli and serve

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite t.v. chefs, Giada DeLaurentiis. I remember making these with my mom as a little kid and have never forgotten how good this meal was. I knew I had to try making them once again. These ravioli are comfort food at its finest, taking you back to a Thanksgiving meal with every bite. They include the ideal balance of sweet and savory flavors to satisfy your munchie cravings. 

The filling: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ground turkey with a tablespoon of chopped parsley (set the other tablespoon aside), cranberry sauce (I recommend Trader Joe's fresh Orange Cranberry Relish, which is what I used), parmesan, breadcrumbs (I used panko crumbs), egg, salt and pepper. 

The ravioli: Add a small spoonful of the filling into each wonton wrapper, and seal the edges with water. Feel free to be creative with your folding techniques (like the picture above), or simply fold in half and seal the edges. Boil the ravioli for three minutes. 

The gravy: In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and cook until soft. Sprinkle with the flour, and stir for 1 minute. Then, slowly wisk in the chicken stock, avoiding any lumps. Lastly, add in the parsley, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Cook for two minutes on a low simmer.  

Saucy Breakfast Sandwich 2.o

• Prep Time:15 mins
• Cook Time:10 mins
• Total Time:25 mins
• Servings:2
• Easy

Ingredients

• 8 strips bacon
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 sweet Hawaiian rolls
• 2 fried eggs
• Shredded green onions
• Sriracha mayo
• 1 sliced tomato
• Sprinkle arugula
• Salt and pepper for taste

• Step 1

  Make the candied bacon

  

• Step 2

  Toast the Hawaiian roll buns

• Step 3

  Fry the eggs

  

• Step 4

  Prepare the arugula, green onions, & sriracha mayo

• Step 5

  Assemble the sandwich

  

This recipe was inspired by the breakfast sandwiches crafted by Chef Alvin Cailan of EggSlut in Los Angeles, CA. This recipe screams late-night munchie and comfort food, despite the fact that its a breakfast meal. It takes a new approach to the classic breakfast sandwich, using Hawaiian rolls as the bun, topped with spicy candied bacon, sriracha mayo, and zesty sliced green onions. 

Candied bacon: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the strips of bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, brown sugar, and cayenne. Spread a spoonful of the syrup mixture onto each strip, and bake for 10-15 minutes until dark brown and crispy. 

Next, prepare the rest of the sandwich components. Toast the buns (use 4 attached Hawaiian rolls, sliced through the middle), fry the eggs, thinly slice the green onions, and make the sriracha mayo (3 tablespoons of mayonnaise + 1 tablespoon sriracha). 

Assembly: Lastly, assemble the sandwich. Spread the mayonnaise on each side of the bun. Then place the fried egg, 2 slices of candied bacon, and a sprinkle of the green onions and arugula. 

Chicken Tikka Masala Tacos

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:20 mins
• Total Time:30 mins
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts cubed
• 1 jar masala simmer sauce
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 fresh diced tomato
• 1 chopped green onion
• 1/4 diced medium red onion
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pack fresh corn tortillas

• Step 1

  Cook the chicken cubes

  

• Step 2

  Add the sauce to the chicken

  

• Step 3

  Make the yogurt sauce

  

• Step 4

  Chop the parsley, tomatoes, & onions. Grill the tortillas

• Step 5

  Assemble the tacos

  

This is the ultimate munchie recipe, blending Mexican and Indian flavors in a spicy and fresh fusion taco. You can interpret this dish to make it as simple or complex as you'd like. I used Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce, which is exceptionally spiced and flavorful, but you can also make chicken tikka masala from scratch.  

Make the chicken: Cube the chicken breasts. In a medium-sized frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, add the chicken and cook until slightly golden brown. Add the masala sauce and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro (set the other tablespoon aside) and simmer for 10 minutes.

Yogurt sauce: Mix the yogurt, 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro, cumin, cayenne, garam masala, and salt. 

Grill the corn tortillas, dice the tomato and cut the green and red onions. 

Assemble: Put a portion of the tikka masala on each tortilla. Top with the yogurt sauce, fresh cilantro, tomato, green and red onions.

Next time you're struggling to find the perfect munchie to quell your cravings, try out one of these unique recipes! Munchie meals are meant to be fun to make, and even better to eat. Happy munching my friends! 

For more tasty munchie recipes, check out this Spoon article.