Amp Up Your Basic Mashed Potato Gravy With A Packet Of Ramen Seasoning

Instant ramen has seemingly endless uses; there are dozens of ramen recipe hacks out there to spice up everything from salads to pizza with those addictive noodles. And while the instant noodles themselves are useful for a variety of recipes, ramen seasoning packets have a place in the kitchen on their own. Filled with umami flavor, they're very much akin to bouillon and can be used in similar applications. Case in point: They can be used to make mashed potato gravy.

A ramen seasoning packet makes flavorful gravy as easy as can be. Just combine one with flour, butter, and water, and simmer until you're left with a topping that'll make mashed potatoes shine with the same deeply savory taste as your favorite instant ramen broth. The water rehydrates the flavoring packet, and the flour and butter add body and thickness just as they would in a more traditional gravy recipe. The results make for a unique and delicious side dish.

From packets to cup noodles, instant ramen isn't just convenient. So you might ask, what's in those little packages of seasoning that makes them so irresistible?

Open up a ramen flavor pouch, and usually, you're met with a puff of pungent seasoning powder and possibly freeze-dried vegetables. Ramen seasoning is packed with concentrated flavor, as the packets are meant to be diluted with liquid — much like you would with an instant gravy.

Some ramen flavor pouches contain MSG, a food additive that enhances flavor and imparts a strong umami taste. MSG stems from glutamic acid, a compound that registers as meaty or savory on our taste buds. Though not all ramen packets contain MSG specifically, they often do contain other sources of glutamic acid, such as dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, dehydrated soy sauce, and more.

These strong umami flavors translate well to gravy — another dish built on deeply savory notes. Gravy is often made from meat drippings or other umami-forward ingredients like mushrooms; the flavors in a ramen seasoning packet fill in for these ingredients perfectly.

With hundreds of instant ramen varieties out there, choosing the perfect one for your mashed potato gravy may prove daunting. Don't be overwhelmed by the possibilities, though: Start by considering what flavor profile you'd like to impart to your potatoes, and work from there. In this case, simple is often better. Standard flavors, like beef or chicken, work best if you're aiming for a more traditional-style gravy. Creamy-style chicken ramen packets or other thicker varieties like tonkatsu will also work for added texture.

Looking for something a little more intense? Try a ramen with ramped-up flavor, like a spicy variety of a standard meat-flavored ramen. Depending on what dishes you're serving your potatoes with, a bit of heat can add a welcome kick to the dinner table.

Some ramen varieties provide a packet of dry seasoning and a container of flavored oil; you can either incorporate that oil into the gravy alongside the butter as fat or drizzle it on top at the end for a garnish of extra umami. Or you can stash it away and save it for incorporating into other future meals. The culinary potential for ramen packets certainly goes beyond gravy — and is only limited by your imagination.