Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

I got a little weird with wonton wrappers recently. And I swear, I wasn't even high when it happened.

I'm one of those people with a lot of ideas all the time. And oh, the ADD (no, not officially, but I think to a degree we all have it; we were, after all, hunters and gatherers at some point in our lineage). I walk through the grocery and bright colors catch my eye. I'm a woman of marketer's dreams.

I see something and he gears start turning. "Oh, I could make egg rolls! I will definitely be doing that." But alas, I also lead a hectic lifestyle and let my schedule get out of control, leaving me with little to no time to see my plan through. I'm getting better about this, but sometimes, I find myself scrambling to finish it up. And that leads me to cheeseburger egg rolls.

I apparently created my own version of "Cutthroat Kitchen" by leaving myself random ingredients. Traditional Egg Rolls are a delight, and I made them many moons ago. But they are also aren't a simple dish. I needed to pare down the complexity and not chop cabbage.

After reviewing my options, I decided to try to make a mash up of hamburger and egg rolls. It's kind of like Hamburger Helper. In an egg roll.

I cooked some ground beef with chopped onion to get started on the filling, then considered what I'd expect in a tiny hamburger. After sprinkling in some salt and pepper, I added some diced pickles, ketchup, and garlic, next to keep that hamburger feel. I spooned some of the filling onto one of the wrappers.

I topped the filling with shredded cheese, then folded in the sides over it, then began to roll up from one side. I laid the seam side down so it would stay closed, which was fine since I was baking these.

I kept it up until I'd plowed through the wrappers and wound up with a whole tray of egg rolls.

I let 'em bake for about 20 minutes, rolling them over part way through. I opted not to brush them with egg wash, which resulted in some of the floured look visible on the sides, in case you were wondering about the photo. A bit of egg wash will make them brown evenly when they bake.

They made for a nice handheld treat, and it was overall quite easy.

I appreciate a good use of wontons ad this made the cut. I don't think everything can or should be recreated in egg roll form, but these worked out great. Baking them made the outside slightly crispy, and the filling hit the spot. I like the idea of these little guys for an appetizer or grab and go snack, for sure.

Cheeseburger Egg Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pack wonton wrappers
1 pound ground beef (I used bison)

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons garlic

2 pickles, chopped (or 1-2 teaspoons relish)

1/4 cup ketchup

Instructions:

Cook ground beef in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and continue cooking for  2-3 more minutes. Add pickles. Stir in ketchup. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out wonton wrapper. Add 1 tablespoon of the filling. Fold in the edges and roll up. Place on a parchment or silicon-lined pan. Brush lightly with butter if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through.