If you need a cheap, filling dinner that leans hard into pantry cooking, this Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie does exactly that. Beef ramen, canned chili, crushed nacho chips, jalapeño, and sliced cheese get layered into a hot, crispy-edged pie that tastes a lot bigger than the grocery bill suggests.
It is part casserole, part snack-attack logic, and honestly that is not a complaint. The noodles give it body, the chili makes it hearty, and the Doritos on top bake up with that salty crunch you actually want here.
Ingredients for Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
- 2 bags beef ramen noodles
- 1 can Hormel chili with or without beans, 25 oz
- 1/4 or so of a bag of nacho Doritos
- 1/4 cup diced jalapeno pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 throw away metal pie pan
- About 7 or 8 slices thin Velveeta cheese
- About 3 cups water
- A little butter for lightly greasing the pie pan
How to Make Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
- Boil about 3 cups of water.
- Add just the ramen noodles and let them cook about 5 minutes, stirring once.
- Drain the noodles and set them aside.
- Heat the chili in a small saucepan just until hot.
- Stir the beef seasoning packets into the drained noodles.
- Lightly butter a throw away metal pie pan.
- Crush the Doritos and add enough to the bottom of the pie pan to cover it.
- Add a layer of noodles.
- Mix the diced jalapeño and chili powder into the hot chili, then spoon on a layer of chili.
- Add a layer of sliced Velveeta and then more crushed Doritos.
- Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used, making sure cheese and then Doritos are on top.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, just until the cheese melts and the top gets hot and crisp.
Recipe submitted by:
JTorresinLou
If you like quick pantry dinners built around ramen, you might also like Cheesy Ramen Meat Pie or a bowl of Cheesy Chili Ramen for the same cheap-and-filling idea in a faster format.
Tips for the Best Ramen Meat Pie
- Do not overcook the noodles. You want them just tender before baking so they do not turn mushy in the oven.
- Crush the chips, but not into dust. Small pieces give you better texture than a pile of orange crumbs.
- Use thin cheese layers. The slices melt more evenly and help hold the layers together.
- Let it sit 5 minutes before slicing. That short rest helps the chili and cheese settle so the wedges come out cleaner.
Serving Suggestions for Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
Serve this hot, cut into wedges like a pie. It works as a main dish on its own, but it is even better with something crisp on the side to balance the rich layers. A simple salad or a bowl of Asian Lime & Chili Salad with Ramen Noodles makes a good contrast.
If you want to stretch it farther, add a spoonful of sour cream, extra jalapeño, or a little salsa at the table. No need to get fancy. This is still ramen pie.
Storage and Reheating Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. That is the conservative window for cooked casseroles and other leftovers, according to USDA leftover food safety guidance. For best texture, cool it promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours of baking.
To reheat, warm individual slices in a 350 degree F oven or toaster oven for 8 to 10 minutes so the top crisps back up. The microwave works too, but the chips will soften, which is not a tragedy, just a different dinner.
You can also freeze baked leftovers for up to 2 months for best quality. Wrap slices well, then reheat from thawed until hot all the way through.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Beef Ramen Noodle Soup, 3 oz
- Chili, 25 oz
- Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips, 9.25 oz
- Fresh Jalapeno Pepper, 1 each
- Chili Powder, 2.5 oz
- Disposable Pie Pans, 10 in 2 count
- Cheese Slices, 24 count
- Bottled Water, 16.9 fl oz 24 count
- Unsalted Butter, 16 oz
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
Absolutely. The recipe already allows chili with or without beans, so use what you have. Chili with beans makes the filling a little heartier, while chili without beans gives you a smoother layer that slices a bit cleaner.
Beef ramen is the best match because the seasoning packet adds flavor straight into the noodles, and that is built into the recipe. If you swap flavors, stick with something savory like chicken or pork so the pie does not taste oddly sweet or flat.
Yes, cook it first until just tender, which is about 5 minutes here. If you layer it in dry, it will not soften evenly in the short bake time, and you will end up with crunchy spots where you did not ask for crunch.
You can. Reduce or skip the jalapeño, and make sure you remove the seeds and membranes if you still want the pepper flavor without as much heat. The chili powder adds warmth too, so you can cut that back to 1 or 2 teaspoons if needed.
You can, but pick something that melts smoothly. American cheese slices are the easiest swap because they melt in a similar way, while shredded cheddar works better if you sprinkle it in thin layers instead of dropping in thick handfuls.
They do two jobs at once. On the bottom, they help keep the noodles from sitting directly against the pan, and on top, they toast up into a crunchy finish that makes the pie taste more like a meal than a bowl of soft leftovers.
Start with drained noodles, heat the chili only until hot, and avoid piling on too much at once in any one layer. A short bake of 10 to 15 minutes is enough to melt and set everything without steaming the chips into submission.
You can assemble it a few hours ahead and refrigerate it covered before baking. If you do, wait to add the top Doritos layer until right before it goes into the oven so the finish stays crisp instead of going soft in the fridge.
Use the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees F for about 8 to 10 minutes. That brings the center back up to temperature and helps the top chips crisp again, which the microwave simply will not do no matter how optimistic you feel.
Plan on about 4 servings from one standard pie pan. It is a hearty, chili-based pie, so one quarter of the pan works well as a main dish, especially if you serve it with a simple salad or fruit on the side.
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🖨️ Print-Friendly Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
Ramen Cheesy Meat Pie
Ingredients
- 2 bags beef ramen noodles
- 1 can Hormel chili with or without beans 25 oz
- ¼ bag nacho Doritos
- ¼ cup diced jalapeno pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 7 to 8 thin slices Velveeta cheese
- 3 cups water
- Butter for greasing the pan
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring about 3 cups water to a boil.
- Add the ramen noodles only and cook about 5 minutes, stirring once.
- Drain the noodles and set aside.
- Heat the chili in a small saucepan just until hot.
- Stir the beef seasoning packets into the drained noodles.
- Lightly butter a disposable metal pie pan.
- Crush the Doritos and spread enough in the bottom of the pie pan to cover it.
- Layer in some noodles, then some chili mixed with the diced jalapeno and chili powder.
- Add some cheese and more crushed Doritos.
- Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, making sure cheese and then Doritos are on top.
- Bake 10 to 15 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Cost estimate used: chili $3.94, Doritos portion $0.99, jalapeno $0.33, Velveeta slices $1.29, chili powder about $0.10. Ramen package pricing was not exposed clearly in the current listing, so the total is still a conservative estimate based on the other priced ingredients.
Prep and cook times are estimated from the written steps.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 to 4 days.
Freeze leftovers up to 2 months for best quality.
