I don’t make these egg rolls very often because they are a bit of work to assemble, but every time I do make them I vow to make them more often because they’re delicious. It’s one of those foods that, whenever I bring them to a party, people always ask me for the recipe.

One especially nice thing about these is that it’s easy to double or triple the recipe and flash-freeze the extras, which can then be put in a zip-lock bag and stored in the freezer till you need a quick dinner or appetizer some night. The sesame-ginger dipping sauce should be made fresh, but it mixes up really quick.

I adapted these from a recipe in Great-Tasting Wraps, a Publications International, Ltd., cookbook that I bought at—of all places—Winners (the Canadian equivalent of Marshalls or Ross) in Ottawa, Ontario, in January 2000. I actually bought two of my all-time favorite cookbooks at Winners when we lived in Ottawa. Go figure.

Baked Egg Rolls with Sesame-Ginger Dipping Sauce

Notes: I’ve made these with ground chicken and ground turkey breast; both work equally well. I’ve never tried ground pork but I bet it would be delicious. I generally use peanut oil when I’m stir-frying, so I use it for egg rolls too. I’ve skipped the sesame seeds out of laziness every time but one that I’ve made these; they’re good either way.

• 4 ounces fresh mushrooms
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 8 green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 12 ounces ground chicken (or ground turkey or pork)
• a little peanut or vegetable oil for frying
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons water
• 1 package egg roll wrappers (about 20)
• 2 Tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 2 Teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)

Sesame-Ginger Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot

1. Prepare Sesame-Ginger Dipping Sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Finely chop mushrooms; combine with carrot, water chestnuts, green onions and cilantro in a LARGE bowl.
3. Pour a little peanut or vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat over high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir till no longer pink. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir a couple more minutes. Add to mushroom mixture in bowl. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce and mix well.
4. Preheat oven to 425F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray or lightly brush with peanut or vegetable oil; set aside.*
5. To assemble egg rolls:
   • Blend cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
   • On a clean surface, lay one egg roll wrapper out like a diamond. Spread about 1/3 cup filling across center of wrapper in a rectangle about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, and brush a small amount of the cornstarch mixture on the top corner of the egg roll wrapper.
   • Fold bottom of wrapper over filling and sort of tuck the corner underneath. Fold sides in. Roll up to the top corner and press lightly to seal.
   • Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers.
6. Brush egg rolls with peanut or vegetable oil. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 425F for about 18 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve with dipping sauce.

*To freeze egg rolls, skip preheating the oven and greasing the baking sheet. Instead, line a baking pan that will fit inside your freezer with parchment paper and as you assemble the rolls lay them seam-side down on that, leaving a bit of space in between each one. When you’ve assembled all the egg rolls you want to freeze, don’t brush them with oil and sprinkle them with sesame seeds. Just stick the baking pan in the freezer for a couple of hours—long enough for the egg rolls to freeze, but not long enough for them to get freezer burn. Once they’re good and solid, transfer them to a zip-lock freezer bag (pressing as much air out as you can before closing it) and place them back in the freezer.

When you’re ready to bake them, preheat the oven to 425F, lay the rolls seam-side down on a greased baking sheet, and continue with step 6, baking an additional 5-10 minutes as necessary.