Sushi Bake

Recipes only go viral when they’re incredibly good or laughably bad, and this sushi bake falls firmly at the top of the “incredibly good” list. This easy casserole (because, let's be honest, that’s what this is) is the perfect entry point for trying your hand at making sushi at home or introducing sushi to picky kiddos. Not only is it a perfect introduction to sushi, but this bake is endlessly versatile—keep reading on to discover all of my top tips for how to make it exactly your own:

What People Are Saying:
“Delicious!!! Was craving sushi for dinner and this satisfied my cravings.” - mrs8647

“Our family enjoyed this! Similar to a dish we love at one of our fave restaurants.” - Zarbaras

How To Make A Sushi Bake

INGREDIENTS

• Sushi Rice: To mimic a roll, I’m using sushi rice. You can use fresh or leftover, but if you’re using leftovers, we’re going to warm it up before seasoning.
• Rice Vinegar: Adding this to our rice will not only season it with a nice tang, but will help hold the mixture together when we pack it into our pan.
• Sugar & Salt: A little bit of granulated sugar doesn’t make the rice overly sweet, but creates a flavorful base along with a bit of kosher salt.
• Cream Cheese: I’ll say it—I love cream cheese in a roll. Adding it to our mixture not only makes it oh so creamy, but also helps to hold everything together.
• Mayo: There’s something special about kewpie mayo. It’s got a bit of extra tang that brings much-needed balance to the richness of the spicy seafood topping. But it's not the end of the world if you can’t find it. If you only have regular mayo, use that with an extra splash of rice vinegar to mimic the taste of kewpie.
• Sriracha: Sriracha adds a kick of heat not only to our crab mixture, but also tops the sushi bake. It’s my favorite way to add some heat to a dish like this, but if you’re not a fan of that, feel free to cut down the amount, or skip drizzling it on top.
• Soy Sauce & Wasabi: Instead of dipping your favorite roll into mixed together soy sauce and wasabi, we’re adding it into our crab mixture so all of the flavors come together. I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce to avoid the mixture becoming overly salty, and if you’re not a fan, you can cut down on the wasabi.
• Scallions: Sliced scallions add some freshness to our crab mixture, and serve as a garnish as well.
• Imitation Crab: Imitation crab is a popular, delicious, and budget-friendly choice, but if you’re craving a spicy salmon or tuna roll vibe, you can swap the crab with chopped raw salmon or tuna.
• Furikake: This Japanese seaweed seasoning blend is not to be missed. It adds so much salty, savory flavor and a welcome crunch—I highly recommend picking it up.
• Toppings: I love topping this bake with sliced avocado, sliced cucumber, and toasted sesame seeds, but you can get creative here. Drizzle on some spicy mayo, eel sauce, sriracha, tempura flakes, or sliced jalapeño.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Grab a baking dish, and spray it with cooking spray to prevent any sticking. If you’re using fresh rice that you just cooked, you can move onto seasoning it. But, if you’re using leftover rice, microwave it (covered with a damp paper towel) until it is warmed through. Once your rice is warm, add in the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Toss to combine until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then spread the rice into your baking dish. Press it down firmly so that it creates a solid, even layer. Then, refrigerate until cold—around 30 minutes. Once cold, drizzle with canola oil, and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, we can create our crab mixture. In a medium bowl, mix together all of the sauce elements first: the mayo, cream cheese, soy sauce, sriracha, wasabi, and around 2/3 of the scallions. Then, add in the crab, and fold in until everything is well combined and coated.

Sprinkle the rice mixture with 2 tablespoons of furikake, then spread the mixture into an even layer on top of the rice. Drizzle with as much mayo and sriracha as your heart desires (keeping in mind it is included in our mixture as well), then bake until the rice is slightly toasted and the crab is warmed through. Let it cool slightly for around 10 minutes.

Once cooled, add your favorite toppings. I love avocado slices, sliced cucumber, sesame seeds, and the remaining scallions and furikake, but feel free to get creative based on your favorite roll.

Cut the bake into small rectangles, and serve with small sheets of nori to get the full sushi vibe.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

How To Serve A Sushi Bake

I prefer to serve this sushi bake with nori sheets to scoop our mixture into, but that isn't your only option. Alternatively, you can eat this bake on its own, or inside lettuce wraps. Pro tip: While I’m serving it warm here, it’s also delicious served cold.

Storage

If you have any leftovers, I recommend storing them covered tightly or in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3 days. If you added avocado on top, I would remove before storing to prevent browning, and add fresh toppings once you’re ready to serve.