Mac & Cheeseburger Egg Rolls with Firecracker Ketchup

It’s coming up on the 4th of July and although you could make hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salad, why not make something delicious that looks like a firecracker and explodes with flavor?! That’s when I thought of making Mac and cheese stuffed egg rolls then went one better by adding burgers! It’s basically like the best vegan hamburger helper stuffed into egg rolls and then fried to a deep golden brown. They’re chewy, cheesy and spicy when you add the firecracker ketchup. Perfect for the fourth or any summer celebration as they’re finger food and easy to transport and eat!

I used Annie’s organic boxes vegan Mac but you can use any kind you like including making your own from scratch but why would you want to take the time? I then used Beyond burgers and Nasoya brand vegan egg roll wrappers. Pretty easy. Then you just have to stuff and shallow fry. Make sure the filling comes to room temp before stuffing the egg rolls.

This recipe makes about a dozen egg rolls. You could also make mini ones by cutting the wrappers in half. Once filled, fry right away or leave at room temp. Don’t make the mistake I did one summer when working at the drive in movie theater. I worked at a seated cinema but the owner also ran a drive in and made me work there one night. They threw me on the fryer and I had to make egg rolls. I threw them in frozen and they looked done on the outside but were still frozen on the inside. Oops. No one told me. Needless to say I was never asked back to work the drive in which was fine with me.

Don’t crowd the rolls when shallow frying. You don’t need 3 inches of oil, just enough to cover them halfway up the sides. There’s always a wrapper that rips so save that one to test the oil. Oil heat is a fine line. If too hot, they will burn and not cook in the inside. If not hot enough, they will absorb the oil and be greasy. When dropping in the test piece, it should bubble rapidly and brown evenly in a minute or so. You could use a thermometer but I don’t fry very often and I just know when the oil is right but if you don’t have experience, use a thermometer.

Mac & Cheeseburger Egg Rolls with Firecracker Ketchup

Recipe by Kreg

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Vegan, appetizer

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Vegan Mac and cheese with burgers stuffed into an egg roll with a banging ketchup!

Ingredients

• Mac & Cheeseburger Filling

• 1 box of vegan Mac and cheese prepared according to the directions

• 1 small or 1/2 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 vegan burgers thawed (see notes)

• 1/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese

• 3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese

• Egg Rolls

• 1 package vegan egg roll wrappers

• Plain oil for frying (see notes)

• Firecracker Ketchup

• 1/3 cup ketchup

• 1 tablespoon sriracha

• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

• Chives to garnish

Directions

• Filling
• Make the Mac and cheese according to the package directions.
• Heat the vegan butter in a shallow fry pan. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until translucent about 3-4 minutes. Add the burgers and onion powder and break up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned.
• Add the Mac and cheese to the burgers and onions then add the additional cheese and cream cheese and mix well until melted. Let cool completely.
• Egg Rolls
• When the mixture is cooled, assemble the egg rolls as shown in the example above. You should have enough for 12.
• Heat the oil in a shallow fry pan until shimmering. Oil only needs to be about an inch deep to come up half the side of an egg roll. Test a piece of egg roll wrapper to make sure oil is hot enough. Too hot and the egg rolls will burn. Too cool and the egg rolls will absorb the oil and be greasy. It’s a Goldilocks situation. Fry until golden brown about 2-3 minutes per side turning with tongs as needed.
• Remove to paper towels to drain the oil off. Pro tip: use a paper grocery bag or piece of cardboard under the paper towels to absorb more oil to save your counters from getting greasy. Serve immediately or keep warm in a low temp oven (150°) until serving. Always dispose of your oil properly and not down your drains. I soak the excess up with the paper towels I used for draining then place it all in a bag and dispose in the garbage. It clogs drains and sewer systems and is a real problem. Please be responsible.
• Firecracker Ketchup
• Mix all ingredients together and serve with egg rolls. Garnish with chives if desired.

Notes

• I used Beyond burgers. You need a fatty burger, but use your favorite brand or even ground beef crumbles if you prefer.
  
• Use a plain vegetable oil for frying like grape seed or canola. Nothing heavy like olive oil.
  
• Use your favorite vegan Mac and cheese. A super creamy variety would be great or you can even make your own!

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