I always make this as a bento box filler. It's a quick and delicious recipe.These are tasty when you stir fry them until browned in Step 2.After you add the ketchup, they might burn easily, so be careful. Recipe by Manmarukokoro

I wanted to make cute and easy charaben!Even just one piggy makes a cute addition to your lunchbox! Recipe by Meronpannachan

I found it too much work to try to stuff cheese into the holes of chikuwa, so I started rolling them instead, and progressed to this stage. I've been making this for my family for 5 years - it's a long-running hit!The key is to adjust the way the cheese and shiso leaf are layered so that they don't get stacked up at the end of the roll. Although it's a bit extra work, score the chikuwa since those scores are really important in making the chikuwa easier to roll. Recipe by Karumichan

I had spaces to fill in between the side dishes packed in my bento box.None in particular! For 2 pieces. Recipe by HEWA

I came up with this recipe to make something nice with boiled eggs when I didn't have enough time to make an omelet for a bento lunch box.If you make hard boiled eggs at night, you can save a lot of time in the morning. Recipe by Mori

I created this recipe because I wanted to come up with an easy way to make a cute Pikachu charaben.Leave a little bit of space in between the eyes, and place the mouth and nose close together. It will look more like Pikachu that way. Recipe by Meronpannachan

I made a chicken and chick pair using both the whites and the yolk of a boiled egg.If the egg is half-boiled, it will be difficult to cut and the yolk would ooze out, and if the egg is over-boiled, the yolk could crumble into pieces, so I think that boiling it for about 10-12 minutes is best. Recipe by AyakoOOOOO

I wondered what I could insert in chikuwa to make them fun. Broccoli makes them cute, easy, and useful for character bentos. After making these, I added mayonnaise and they tasted like a yummy salad.These are convenient in bento as they sit upright. Make sure the broccoli is not too big or it will look unruly. Recipe by Kagocha-

I just love the distinct richness and fragrance of hatcho miso! We use hatcho miso for Japanese dishes of course, but for us it's also an indispensable ingredient for demiglace sauce. I devised this bento to feature meatballs made using Aichi Prefecture locally-produced foods. The meatballs are made with Okazaki hatcho miso and quail eggs produced in Toyohashi. I included side dishes made with locally produced vegetables and seafood in the bento.In step 2, if you mix the sugar, hatcho miso and ketchup into a paste beforehand, the miso won't stiffen and the paste will be easier to knead.By both grating and mincing the lotus root, you can enjoy two different textures.The meatballs are well flavored, so they're delicious without sauce or other additions. Recipe by Marshan

I came up with this when thinking of what I could use in a bento.Just boil the okra, let cool, and stuff into chikura. The okra is rather short, so there's not much leftover. If you boil the okra the day before, it's even easier. Recipe by Yuuyuu0221

In Kansai, the sauces for okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and takoyaki are different. They are all tasty, but I always end up with leftover sauce.Add the sauce after turning off the heat. If you add it while the heat is still on, it will spatter and form dark lumps. Recipe by Marrietty

There are usually 8 to 10 eggs in a can of boiled quail eggs, so you won't be able to use it all up if you make 1-2 rolls for a regular bento. So why not make a big batch of these for a Sports Day festival bento!Do your kids get excited about quail eggs as mine do?Add the sauce in over low heat, and make sure to shake the pan back and forth.If you roll the quail eggs the day before (e.g. a big event like Sports Festival), you will be done in 5 minutes the day of.If you wrap these up with the yellow side of the chikuwa facing outward, then the rolls will not look very pleasant. Make sure to roll the browned side outwards! Lol. For 8 rolls. Recipe by Shijimi24