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Your Kids Will Love It! The Complete Guide to Prepping Bento for Children's Day

🎏 Children's Day Bento Special

Kids will love it!
The complete guide to Children's Day bento prep

Helmet-shaped rice balls, star-shaped carrots, mini hamburg steaks, tamagoyaki | Shorten prep time the day before with CH-208

May 5th is Children's Day. Do you want to make helmet-shaped rice balls, star-shaped vegetables, and character bentos that children will love, but find it too time-consuming? Happilaff CH-208 solves that problem. By preparing mini hamburg steak mix, tamagoyaki ingredients, and decorative vegetable cuts with CH-208 the day before, you can simply pack them into the bento box on the morning of the day.

🍙 Recipe 1 | Helmet-shaped rice ball filling / mixed rice seasoning

Evenly mince and mix ingredients in a small bowl

Uses small bowlRefrigerate for 3 daysCan be prepped the day before
Ingredients (for 8 rice balls)
  • Salmon flakes 80g
  • Edamame (frozen, thawed) 60g
  • Corn 40g
  • Perilla leaves 8
  • White sesame seeds 2 tbsp, salt pinch, sesame oil 1 tsp
  1. Mince perilla leaves in CH-208 bowl (2 pulses)
  2. Add edamame and corn, pulse once
  3. Add salmon flakes, white sesame seeds, salt, and sesame oil and mix for 5 seconds
  4. Mix with warm rice and form into helmet shapes
💡 Time-saving tip: From mincing perilla leaves to mixing, everything is done in one bowl. Make the mixed rice seasoning the day before and refrigerate, then simply mix with rice on the morning of. Kids will love it if you make helmet decorations out of nori (seaweed).

⭐ Recipe 2 | Star-shaped / flower-shaped vegetable prep

Slice carrots and cucumbers and cut out shapes

Slicing discColorful vegetablesRefrigerate for 2 days
Ingredients (for 4 servings)
  • Carrot 1
  • Cucumber 1
  • Daikon radish 1/4
  • Salt a pinch, sugar 1 tsp, vinegar 1 tbsp (for namasu)
  1. Slice carrots, cucumbers, and daikon radish with CH-208 (using slicing disc)
  2. Cut out star and flower shapes for colorful vegetables
  3. Microwave carrots for 1 minute to soften
  4. Marinate daikon radish in sweet vinegar for a kohaku namasu style
💡 Time-saving tip: Slicing with the CH-208's slicing disc to a uniform thickness makes cutting out shapes easy. It results in a more uniform thickness than hand-cutting, reducing failed cutouts. If you cut out the shapes the day before and refrigerate, you just need to pack them on the day.

🍔 Recipe 3 | Mini hamburg steak mix (large batch prep)

Mince onions and mix meat in one bowl

Uses small bowlFreeze for 2 weeksKids' favorite
Ingredients (for 16 mini hamburg steaks)
  • Ground mixed meat 300g
  • Onion 1/2
  • Panko breadcrumbs 3 tbsp, milk 2 tbsp
  • Egg 1, salt and pepper, nutmeg a pinch each
  • Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce (for sauce)
  1. Mince onion in CH-208 bowl (3 pulses)
  2. Add ground mixed meat, panko, milk, egg, salt and pepper, nutmeg and mix for 10 seconds
  3. Form into bite-sized oval shapes and pan-fry
  4. Can be frozen for 2 weeks. On the day, simply thaw and add sauce
💡 Time-saving tip: From mincing onions to mixing the meat, everything is done in one bowl. Preparing a large batch and freezing it before Golden Week will significantly ease bento preparation not only for Children's Day but also throughout Golden Week.

🥚 Recipe 4 | Colorful vegetable tamagoyaki

Mince ingredients and mix egg liquid in one bowl

Uses small bowlCan be prepped the day beforeNutritious
Ingredients (for 2 tamagoyaki rolls)
  • Eggs 4
  • Carrot 1/4
  • Spinach 1 handful
  • Corn 2 tbsp
  • Dashi 2 tbsp, sugar 2 tsp, soy sauce 1 tsp, salt a pinch
  1. Mince carrots and spinach in CH-208 bowl (2 pulses)
  2. Add eggs, dashi, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and corn and mix for 10 seconds
  3. Cook in a tamagoyaki pan, let cool, then cut
  4. Cook the day before and refrigerate; simply pack on the day
💡 Time-saving tip: Mince vegetables and mix egg liquid continuously in the same bowl. Colorful vegetables make it nutritious and visually appealing. Cooking it the day before makes the morning easier.

🐟 Recipe 5 | Koinobori-shaped chikuwa iso-age

Evenly mix batter in a bowl, a Children's Day touch

Uses small bowlCook on the dayChildren's Day themed
Ingredients (for 8 pieces)
  • Chikuwa fish cakes 4 (cut diagonally in half)
  • All-purpose flour 4 tbsp
  • Aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) 1 tbsp
  • Water 3 tbsp, salt a pinch
  • Frying oil appropriate amount
  1. Add all-purpose flour, aonori, water, and salt to CH-208 bowl and mix for 10 seconds
  2. Coat chikuwa with batter and fry in 170℃ oil for 2 minutes
  3. Draw koinobori eyes with a toothpick to finish
💡 Time-saving tip: Using CH-208 to mix the batter results in a lump-free and even batter. The aonori is evenly mixed, giving a beautiful green batter. The chikuwa, resembling koinobori, is a fun touch that kids will love.

🎏 Children's Day Bento Decoration Ideas

⛑️ Helmet-shaped rice balls
Wrap triangular rice balls with nori, cut the nori into helmet shapes and attach. Kids will love it if you make a face out of cheese.
🐟 Koinobori picks
Simply stick store-bought koinobori picks into mini hamburg steaks and tamagoyaki for an instant Children's Day atmosphere.
⭐ Star-shaped / flower-shaped vegetables
Simply cut out shapes from CH-208 sliced carrots and cucumbers for colorful decorative vegetables. The three colors of green, orange, and red will make your bento vibrant.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. What are the tips for making chikuwa batter with CH-208?
Put all-purpose flour, water, and aonori in the CH-208 bowl and use the pulse function 2-3 times briefly to get a lump-free, even batter. Overmixing can develop gluten and make the batter tough, so stop when the flour is incorporated. Using cold water results in a crispy batter.
Q2. How do I store dishes prepped the day before?
Mini hamburg steaks and tamagoyaki should be completely cooled before wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating. On the morning of, reheat them in the microwave, and always let them cool down before packing them into the bento box. Packing them hot can cause spoilage due to steam.
Q3. What if my child dislikes vegetables?
By mincing vegetables with CH-208 and mixing them into hamburg steak mix or tamagoyaki, you can provide nutrients while disguising the vegetables. Using colorful vegetables like carrots, spinach, and corn makes the appearance more enjoyable and easier for children to eat.

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