Cheeseburger Mochi Rice Cake Skillet

I make no apologies for this monstrosity, since in the words of my husband, “It’s glorious.” East meets West in this dish, which is a re-imagining of a meal my sister and I would make during middle and high school when we got home after classes—cheeseburger rice. Nostalgia alert: Skip the rest if you’re not interested in how we came up with it.

Many days we’d come home and look in the fridge (which was always open without restrictions) for things to make and eat while we waited for dinner, or, if my parents were traveling for work, to make for dinner, and leftover white rice, cheese, and ground beef were always readily available. We eventually concocted this creation (and were quite heavy handed on the cheese.) Maybe it would have been more aptly named cheeseburger risotto as the grains of rice softened and soaked up the grease from the beef and butter, and the cheese bound it all together. A hot bowl of this was something to look forward to, made even better from knowledge we made it ourselves.

Here, I simply replaced the rice with chewy rice cakes, or mochi—you don’t need to use this particular shape, although I do since it’s what I have on hand. I really need to get myself an electronic mochi maker, as I have no doubt fresh mochi would make this even better (or… stuff it with this for a savory mochi filling.) You can top it with bacon bits, squeezes of Kewpie Mayo, barbecue sauce, or sliced Jalapeño for tasty garnishes. Serve it with a side salad, or some pickles maybe to assuage your guilt.

Perhaps this would also be delicious using Hamburger Helper, but I wouldn’t know because I’ve never actually had Hamburger Helper (so someone should do it and report back… for science.)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 cups mochi rice cake
• Water (for boiling the mochi if using pre-made)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onions, chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella/cheddar (or more, I’m not judging)
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Mirin (Japanese cooking wine, or sake with a pinch of sugar)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: Jalapeño, bacon bits, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, scallions, sautéed mushrooms etc.

1. If you’re using pre-made mochi, boil it first to soften while you prepare the skillet. Once softened, it’s ready.
2. In your skillet/pan, sauté garlic and onions in butter on medium heat until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and mirin and mix.
3. Strain the rice cakes from the pot and add it to the pan and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add shredded cheese and cover the pan, allow cheese to melt (or you can broil it in the oven for 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with optional garnishes.