We all love sushi. There really is no need to go to lengths to explain how popular or mainstream it is. But what if your sushi was deconstructed and layered, smoothly baked, and served in a casserole? Did someone say “glocalization”? Because this sushi bake recipe is a textbook example of that.
Yes, our sushi bake recipe uses a whole lot of ingredients, and you will have to put some work into it. Just set an hour of your day, and in no time, you’ll have a creamy, classy, and delicious sushi bake.
Sushi Bake Recipe Ingredients
1. Sushi rice
- White rice — 4 cups, cooked.
- Rice vinegar — 2 ½ tbsp.
- Granulated sugar — 2 tbsp.
- Salt — 1 tbsp.
2. Toppings
- Furikake — 4 ½ tbsp.
- Mayonnaise — 4 ½ tbsp.
- Sriracha — 1 tbsp.
- Cream cheese — 1 cup.
- Cucumber — 1 pc., medium and diced.
- Mango — 1 pc., big and diced.
- Imitation crab meat — 5 ounces, cut into pieces.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix the rice vinegar, salt, and granulated sugar in a bowl.
- Using a saucepan, warm the mixture on low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Once it has cooled, pour the vinegar mixture over the cooked rice. Make sure that it’s evenly distributed.
- In a different bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sriracha, imitation crab, and cream cheese until smooth.
- Then, add the diced mango and cucumber pieces.
- Layer your casserole by placing the sushi rice on the bottom.
- Spread the creamy mixture on top of the rice.
- Top with the furikake.
- Bake for between 15-20 minutes.
Substitutions
- Vinegar — When it comes to making sushi rice, rice vinegar is the best. If you’re short on rice vinegar, there are lots of options to go with. White wine vinegar comes to mind, followed by apple cider vinegar.
- Avocado and cucumber — This one comes down to personal preference. While you could substitute these two for each other freely, there is no doubt that avocado comes first when nutritional value is concerned. Just make sure that you use one of these, as they improve this sushi bake recipe immensely.
- Cottage cheese — If you do not have cream cheese, you could splash a bit of lemon juice on top of cottage cheese to substitute for it.
Sushi Bake Recipe Variations
- Salmon — Not a fan of imitation crab meat? Try your luck with salmon! It’s better when it comes to nutritional value, especially the omega-3 fat.
- Seaweed sheets — Cut yourself a slice of sushi bake and serve it on top of seaweed sheets.
- Wasabi — No sushi is complete without wasabi. The same goes for this sushi bake recipe too.
Equipment
- 9 x 9 casserole dish.
- Measuring spoons and cups.
- 2 medium-sized mixing bowls.
- Saucepan.
- Oven.
Storage
- You can store this creamy, delightful sushi bake in an airtight container, in your fridge for up to 4 days.
Pro Tips
- Go with short grain — If you didn’t know, sushi rice is not a type of rice. It’s just your standard rice cooked and seasoned with a special sauce. In that case, short-grain rice is more than ideal, as its higher starch content results in a sticky texture. Keep in mind that store-bought sushi rice is almost always made from short grain.
- Take care of the rice — Before cooking the rice, make sure that you rinse it to get rid of the excess starch. It makes a big difference.
- Use baking spray — If your baking dish is not nonstick, make sure to grease it with baking spray before starting.
