KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Sushi Bake Casserole
adapted by Jes Thomas
INSTAGRAM @jessoulfood
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked sushi rice
2 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/3 C rice vinegar
3-4 T furikake
1 pound imitation crab meat, separated and coarsely chopped
1–2 T Sriracha
3–4 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup Kewpie mayo, plus about another ½ Cup
3–4 packages seasoned, roasted Korean seaweed snack
1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 avocado, sliced thin
Directions:
Rinse the rice, then pour rice into pot with 2 cups cold water; let sit 30 minutes. Bring rice to a boil over medium-high heat; immediately turn heat to low, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes and then remove from stove. (You can also cook this in a rice cooker.) Keep it covered for 15 minutes.
In a separate pot, add the sugar, salt, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil over a low heat. When the salt and sugar have melted, pour evenly over rice and fold gently with a wooden spoon to mix.
Spread the rice mixture in a 13X9-glass casserole dish evenly. Sprinkle lightly with a thin layer of furikake. Keep covered with foil or a towel.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, gently combine crab neat, sriracha, scallions, and 1 cup of Kewpie. Evenly distribute this in the casserole dish.
Make a diagonal, zigzag pattern over the sushi bake, first with the Kewpie and then the Sriracha.
Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5–10 minutes. To serve, place slices of avocado and cucumber on a roasted seaweed sheet. Spoon some warm sushi bake on vegetables. Eat like a mini tacos. Enjoy the sushi buffet.