Name: Sushi Bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cup sushi rice (short-grain, uncooked); 2 ¼ cup water; ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar; 2 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pound imitation crab sticks (shredded); 4 ounce cream cheese (softened); ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie); 1 tablespoon sriracha; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 3 tablespoon furikake (divided); 2 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise (for drizzling); 1 tablespoon sriracha (for drizzling); 1 tablespoon unagi (eel) sauce (optional); 2 scallions (thinly sliced); 20 roasted seaweed snack sheets (about 4 packs); 1 ripe avocado (thinly sliced); ½ English cucumber (cut into matchsticks)

Instructions

Cook the rice
Cook the rice:
Rinse 2 cups sushi rice in cold water 3 or 4 times, until the water runs mostly clear. Add the rice and 2¼ cups water to a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes.
Season the rice
Season the rice:
While the rice cooks, microwave ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt for 30 seconds and stir until dissolved. Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl, drizzle with the vinegar mixture, and gently fold it in with a rice paddle.
Crab mixture
Crab mixture:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, mix 1 pound shredded imitation crab, 4 ounces softened cream cheese, ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sriracha, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil until evenly combined.
Layer
Layer:
Press the seasoned rice into an even layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons furikake. Spread the crab mixture evenly over the rice and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon furikake.
Bake
Bake:
Bake the sushi bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through. Switch the oven to broil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the top is golden in spots.
Top and serve
Top and serve:
Drizzle with 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sriracha, and 1 tablespoon unagi sauce, then sprinkle with 2 thinly sliced scallions. To eat, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the warm sushi bake onto a seaweed snack sheet, add a slice of avocado and a few cucumber matchsticks, and fold it like a mini taco.

Tips

Use short-grain sushi rice; long-grain rice won't turn sticky enough to hold together. For a salmon sushi bake, fold 8 ounces cooked, flaked salmon into the crab mixture. Imitation crab usually contains wheat, so check the label if you need a gluten-free sushi bake.

Storage

Sushi bake is best served fresh and warm. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat covered at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or microwave single portions for 1 to 2 minutes, since the rice hardens when cold. Don't freeze.

Serving suggestions

Set out the sushi bake as a party appetizer with the seaweed sheets, avocado, and cucumber so guests can build their own hand rolls, or serve it for dinner with miso soup, edamame, and a quick cucumber salad.