Yummy Chicken Ramen Noodles : Food Jar Recipe

DIY Chicken Ramen Jars (The Lunchbox Noodles Kids Beg For)

If your kids are noodle obsessed (whose aren't?), this one is about to make you the hero of the school pickup line. Think of it as a homemade cup noodle, but packed with real chicken and veggies instead of mystery bits. You build the jar the night before, add boiling water in the morning, and your food jar does the rest. By lunchtime it's warm, slurpy noodles that taste like you fussed, when really you didn't.

You'll need (per food jar):

• 1 heaped teaspoon chicken stock paste or concentrate (the good stuff makes all the difference here)
• ½ cup cooked shredded chicken (leftover roast or a BBQ chook from the shops works a treat)
• ¼ cup frozen peas or corn
• A small handful of grated carrot
• 1 nest of cooked noodles (see my noodle notes below)
• A little sliced spring onion, if your kids will tolerate the green bits
• Optional for the grown-up jars: a teaspoon of miso paste and a sprinkle of sesame seeds

Here's how:

1. The night before, spoon the stock paste into the bottom of your food jar.
2. Layer in the chicken, then the peas or corn and grated carrot. Wet and heavy things go at the bottom, always.
3. Pop the noodles on top last so they don't go soggy sitting against the wet ingredients overnight.
4. Seal the jar and keep it in the fridge.
5. In the morning, warm the jar first (boiling water in, sit for 5 minutes, tip it out), then pour fresh boiling water over the noodles until everything is covered.
6. Give it a good stir from the bottom to mix that stock paste through, seal the lid, and pop it in the lunch bag. Done. By lunchtime it's a warm, slurpy bowl of noodles waiting to happen.

My noodle notes:

• Rice vermicelli is the easiest option because it softens beautifully in the hot water straight from the packet. No pre-cooking needed.
• If your crew prefers proper ramen or egg noodles, cook them the night before until a good touch underdone, rinse under cold water, and toss with a tiny bit of oil so they don't clump. They'll keep softening in the jar through the morning, so under is better than over.
• Skip dried pasta and uncooked instant noodle cakes. They won't cook through properly and you'll end up with sad, chewy noodles.

A few little notes from me:

• Only use cooked meat or veggies that are happy to be eaten as they are, because the hot water warms everything through but doesn't actually cook it. Shredded chicken, cooked prawns and tinned tuna are all winners.
• Built jars (before the water goes in) will keep happily in the fridge for a few days, so Sunday night you can line up jars for the whole week. Future you will be very grateful.
• Once you've got the hang of it, let the kids build their own the night before. They're far more likely to eat something they've packed themselves (funny how that works).

Jodie's food jar tips:

• Don't skip the pre-warm. Boiling water in the empty jar for 5 minutes first is the difference between hot noodles and lukewarm disappointment.
• Fill the jar right up. The less air inside, the better it holds its heat until the lunch bell.
• Frozen peas and corn can go in straight from the freezer the night before. They'll thaw in the fridge overnight, so they won't steal heat from your boiling water in the morning.