My brain exploded with ideas when Sister Erin handed me an obscure post suggesting a fun ‘fist-food’ upgrade: Swap your burger bun for an Egg Roll Wrapper and ‘bake’ the result in your air fryer. And imagine all the other grab-and-go ‘classics’ you can elevate!
Let me first apologise for not having brought this great idea to you sooner. I’m not an air fryer addict like some cooks I know. I use mine sparingly, for certain dishes I used to deep fry. New, pioneering air frying applications are not top of my mind…
A natural…
Yes. When you do place this nifty notion top-of-mind, it makes perfect sense. And it triggers so many other possibilities! I love the concept of egg rolls and spring rolls, not just their classic Asian forms and fillings. And I have been having a lot of fun exploring the ‘alternative’ egg roll scene…
The video, embedded above, is a great reference both for prepping the ingredients and constructing a proper Cheeseburger Egg Roll. And it is particularly valuable for its insights on how to air fry any egg roll.
The wrapper fold-and-roll procedure illustrated is key to successfull, crispy, stay-sealed rolls.
The ‘original’…
The Cheeseburger Egg Roll used as our basic example in the video should be familiar to burger fans everywhere. It’s really a thinly-veiled Big Mac in a Won Ton! Complete with a cloned Big Mac Sauce for dipping. The only thing missing is the lettuce. Which would fare pretty miserably under air frying conditions.
Expand your horizons…
Now… Think about what other classics can you elevate using the Egg Roll treatment:
- I want to try a breakfast Scrambled Egg, Bacon and Cheese version right off he bat.
- And I have a suspicion that whole family of Burrito and Fajita variants could be created using classic Tex-Mex ingredients, just making sure they’re all cut or slivered optimally to fit the roll…
- Then you could naturally segue to a string of ‘Nacho’ themed versions. Just visualize the usual top-pings inside the wrapper, rather than on top of corn chips. With the guacamole and sour cream on the side for dipping.
- Pulled Pork with some finely-chopped Cole Slaw would be absolutely fabulous.
- Layer onto the wrapper a strip of cheese, top with a layer of Chili, then add another strip of cheese. Wrap, roll and air fry.
- I have this vision of a French Onion Egg Roll, too. No broth; just the onions, the cheese and some sautéed mushrooms.
- How about bouncing a Croque Monsieur (Ham & Cheese) sandwich off a Won Ton for a Continental bite?
- It would just take a minute to make up a Vermacelli Alfredo – with or without finely shreadded, pre-cooked chicken – for a super-surprise Egg Roll filling.
- Got leftover Paella? Chop or cut any large pieces of protein or veg small-dice or smaller and go for it.
- Bring 3-4 lenghts of leftover asparagus back to life with a grate of fresh nutmeg and a little cheese… Serve with a fresh garlic aioli on the side.
My take
A few handy tips…
Egg Roll wrappers come in several Sizes in the refrigerated-pastry case at your Supermarket. You shouldn’t have to go to a specialty store. Get the largest size you can!
Make plenty of these! Each hungry adult will want at least 2 or 3; so allow 4 or 5 per person. You can re-heat them later for just a few seconds in the microwave, if need be.
Keep your eyes – and mind – wide open for further filling opportunities!
~ Maggie J.