Cooking for kids can be a serious challenge. The things I find fabulous, they tend to balk at. The things they crave I either balk at or am completely burned out on. Sometimes I just have to take a gamble, try something different and pray that it works out.
This is complicated by the fact that I am trying to go through my pantry in the next 30 days. Why? In about 30 days we will be moving to Alaska and most of what is in the pantry cannot go with us. It’s use it or lose it time. That means fewer options than usual and that creativity is key if I want the kids to eat what they consider to be “non food” items. One of those items was SPAM
At least until last night.
This dish is something I’ve been wanting to make for a while. The kids love fried rice. SPAM makes it simple to prepare and adds a lot of flavor to the dish. The addition of the nori gives a nod to SPAM Musubi, which I adore, but until I got the kids to try this, was never going to be eaten.
I know a lot of people sneer at SPAM, but when treated as a proper ingredient, it can add a lot. If you think about it, all it is is salt-cured ham, and sometimes saltiness is what you’re looking for. Give it a shot. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- 1 can SPAM, cut in cubes
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 green onions, chopped (whites and stems)
- 1 sheet Musubi Nori, crumbled.
- Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Method:
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a wok or stir fry pan over high heat. Add spam and stir until well browned. Remove spam from pan and set aside.
Drizzle a little more oil into the wok and add frozen mixed vegetables and bell peppers. Stir until vegetables are cooked through and bell peppers are crisp-tender (about 2 minutes.) Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Move all ingredients to one side of pan. Add a little oil and pour beaten eggs onto empty half of the wok. Stir briskly until half cooked, then toss all ingredients with eggs to coat evenly. Return SPAM to wok, stir to combine. Add green onions, nori and soy sauce, toss to distribute.
Remove from heat and serve immediately with soy sauce on the side. Garnish with a bit of additional nori if desired.
Share and Enjoy!
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
I think this might have been better with just peas and carrots rather than full mixed vegetables, but the kids ADORE mixed veggies, so for them it was a winner. In my book, anything they go back for seconds on is a meal well done.
Links to other recipes like this:
- Spam Fried Rice, from Jaden at SteamyKitchen
- Spam Fried Rice, from DianasaurDishes
- Spam Fried Rice, from Hawaii for visitors
- Spam Musubi, from Me, because I just love the stuff
Hi! Thanks for visiting cooking by the seat of our pants!
We're sharing hundreds of our favorite recipes, kitchen tips and favorite tools, all tested by me, Jerry Russell, and my family and friends 
My name is Jerry Russell, and I'm a blogger. Since 2007 I've been writing about food and recipes at 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Real comforting food. I love using spam in fried rice too. Next time I must add sea weed, too.
Alaska??? Wow. Never a dull moment, huh? I need to go through my pantry, too, but haven’t been in much of a cooking mood lately. I have the nori, but no spam. Hope you guys are doing well!
We eat spam fried rice all the time. The kids love it. Don’t normally put furikake in it, though.
Wahey!
I had spam fried rice a few years back when I was travelling asia.. I not normally a lover of spam but I found that if the chunks are small enough then its perfect.
Hmmmm fried rice
I am off to buy some spam now I think
Danny
I’ve been working in, or running, “fine dining” kitchens for about 2 decades now, and spam is certainly an ingredient I work with a lot-at home. It would be tough to sell it to customers, but all my restaurant friends are in the know :)
Looks pretty good, I’ll have to try it myself!
I never thought I would say this about spam, but that actually looks good…
It’s insanely good. Better than I had hoped, actually