It’s fun to play with your food sometimes.
I particularly like taking some good old hearty comfort food (like mac and cheese, for instance) and dressing it up to make it seem classy or elegant. In this case, the target was Hamburger Helper, so I rolled it up to look like a fresh rolled piece of sushi! These cute little rolls would be the hit of any party.
But how can you achieve such a feat? Hamburger Helper is thick, but not THAT thick. I employed two little tricks to get it into the shape I wanted: a pinch of unflavored gelatin, and the good old freezer!
Want to impress your friends with a new twist on a classic? Try out this Hamburger Helper Sushi Roll recipe!
Start by making Hamburger Helper according to the box instructions.
Well, almost. Use half the amount of water from the package.
After it is done and off the heat, stir in a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin.
Blanch and shock some green beans and set aside for later (boil in salted water for about 5 minutes, strain, and dip in some ice water).
When the Hamburger Helper is cooled to room temperature (about an hour), lay out a rectangle on plastic wrap. Top with your green beans.
Roll into a tight cylinder.
After a few hours in the freezer it will be an almost rock hard log.
Cut off the ends, and coat in some potato chips.
Slice it up the rest of the way and lay them out on a plate. Don’t eat them frozen though! Pop the whole plate into the oven at the lowest possible setting. Cook about 15 minutes until it is just warmer than room temperature. Warning: there is a fine line where these will become too soft to pick up with chopsticks or your fingers. At room temperature they will be fine, and slightly warmer is ok too, but any hotter and they will start to fall apart.
It is sushi, after all!
More Sorta Sushi Style
Dan Whalen will always have a soft spot for Hamburger Helper. He has been blogging for over 4 years at The Food in My Beard; check Dan’s Tablespoon profile often to try his recipes with creative international spins!
Advertise on Platefull