Crab and Cream Cheese Pan Sushi (No Rolling!)

PSU Lioness's Note:

My little sister had an Asian themed 14th birthday party and really wanted sushi. I had a nightmare of a time trying to roll it so I found a recipe to make pan sushi and changed the filling ingredients to make the sushi that I thought 14 year old girls would eat. It's very simple and saves a ton of money from what you would pay to buy a platter of sushi in stores. The hardest part is flipping the pan and you want to make sure you have a VERY sharp knife to cut through the vegetables in the sushi. I hope you like it as much as we did! (Serving amount is approximate. I didn't count the number of pieces but it was A LOT).

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 40

• 5 cups white rice, cooked according to package directions (DO NOT use instant rice)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• salt, to taste (I didn't use any)
• nonstick cooking spray
• 4 sheets nori (seaweed sheets. I found them in the Asian food section of my grocery store)
• 1 (8 ounce) box neufchatel cheese, microwaved until almost liquid (or you can use regular cream cheese)
• 1 large cucumber, julienned (sliced into very thin strips)
• 2 lbs imitation crabmeat
• toasted sesame seeds (for topping)
• soy sauce (for serving)
• pickled ginger (for serving)
• wasabi (for serving)

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions and while it is still hot, stir in rice vinegar, sugar and salt (if using) to make your sticky rice.
2. Spray a 9x13 pan VERY WELL with non-stick cooking spray or line it with wax paper (I used cooking spray and it worked well). Try to use a pan that has straight edges on the bottom.
3. When the rice is cool enough to handle, measure out 2 1/2 cups and press it evenly in the bottom of the pan.
4. Layer 2 sheets of nori over the rice and press to make it stick. Cut the nori so it fits, if necessary.
5. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the nori.
6. Layer to julienned cucumber evenly over the cream cheese. You may need more than one cucumber to cover all the cream cheese.
7. Chop the crab meat and sprinkle it over the cucumber.
8. Top the crab meat with 2 more nori sheets and press lightly to compact everything.
9. Take the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sticky rice and carefully spread it out over the nori.
10. Cover with wax paper and press everything firmly into the pan. I actually used a brick to make sure the edges were pressed, too. A pancake turner would work as long as you really press with all your might.
11. Keeping the wax paper over the top of the sushi, place a cutting board on top of the pan.
12. Quickly but carefully flip the pan onto the cutting board. If the sushi sticks, tap lightly with a wooden spoon until it releases. If you lined the pan with wax paper, remove the paper now.
13. Sprinkle rice with sesame seeds, to taste.
14. Cut the sushi into squares with a very sharp knife. If it is still sticking, try wetting the knife in between cuts.
15. Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.