How to make a Winnie the Pooh Bento filled with a Pooh egg crepe over a bed of rice, broccoli, grapes, Piglet-shaped ham, “hunny pot,” and cheese.
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Winnie the Pooh Bento
This Winnie the Pooh Bento was such a fun one to make and it came together fairly quickly (particularly if you have punches available for the nori).
I started by filling half the box with freshly steamed, cooled rice and covering it with a thin egg crepe. I cut the crepe in the shape of Winnie the Pooh’s head and decorated the face with pieces of nori (toasted seaweed). For the eyebrows, I used upside down smiles, hand-cut the nose, and used an oval punch for the eyes. The cooked crepe without the nori topping can be prepped the night before and refrigerated until needed. I like to shred the excess crepe pieces to use as a garnish in soup and noodle dishes.
For the other half of the bento, I added steamed broccoli lightly seasoned with soy sauce, grapes, and pieces of ham and cheese cut into flowers and carrots. I made a mini “hunny pot” using the end of a hot dog with a flower pick inserted into the top. I wrapped a piece of cheese around the hot dog for the “honey.” My original plan was to use a yellow cheddar for this, but the slice was just too thick and kept tearing. The Colby jack I had on had worked a little better.
The finishing touch was a small Piglet. I punched out two teardrop-shaped pieces from a thick slice of ham to make Piglet’s ears, followed by a larger oval shape for the head. Two smaller half-circles make the hands with a nori nose and two black sesame seeds for the eyes.
Winnie the Pooh Bento Products
I packed the ingredients in an adorable Winnie the Pooh Face Bento Box. This single-layer box includes a divider to create two compartments for a total capacity of 650 ml. It is made of BPA-free plastic and silicone and is microwave/dishwasher-safe without the lid. The side locks were easy for my 3 year old to manage (she has since claimed this box and the bag as hers).
I paired the box with the accompanying Winnie the Pooh Face Chopsticks and Winnie the Pooh Bento Bag (handwash only with lukewarm water and minimal detergent).
Food Safety
Be sure to follow food safety guidelines when packing your lunch, especially if it will be stored at room temperature until lunch. Nami from Just One Cookbook has some great information on bento food safety, as does Just Bento.
When handling the ingredients, use clean utensils and gloves. Wash everything well and avoid touching items with your bare hands. I personally find chopsticks and tweezers easier for placing small decorations.
For rice: Only use freshly steamed or frozen rice to pack in your bento. Make sure it has been cooled to room temperature before adding the rest of the ingredients and closing the lid.
More Ideas
Looking for more Bento ideas? Try my Hello Kitty Bento, Star Wars Bento, and Cat Bento.
Winnie the Pooh Bento Recipe
Adapted from The Just Bento Cookbook
Winnie the Pooh Bento
Ingredients
Egg Crepe:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon sake or water
- Pinch salt
Bento:
- 1/2 cup freshly cooked Japanese short grain rice cooled to room temperature
- 1/4 sheet nori
- 4 grapes
- 3 pieces steamed broccoli seasoned with a little soy sauce if desired
- 1 slice cheddar or other cheese
- 1 inch end piece of cooked hot dog
- 1 slice ham
- 2 black sesame seeds
Instructions
To make the egg crepe:
- In a small bowl, beat together the egg, sugar, cornstarch, sake, and salt with a fork (not a whisk to avoid excess air).
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Pace a small, non-stick (I use my well-seasoned cast iron) pan over low heat and lightly grease with a thin layer of oil.
- Once heated, add the strained egg mixture and lightly swirl the pan to create an even, thin layer. Cook just until set, then flip and cook the other side for another minute. Transfer to a plate.
To assemble:
- Place a divider in the bento and fill half with the freshly steamed rice.
- Cut the egg crepe to fit over the rice in the bento with one full ear to the right and half to fit against the left side of the box in the shape of the top part of Winnie the Pooh's head.
- Use a punch or hand-cut the eyes, nose, and eyebrows from the nori and arrange over the egg crepe, dotting the crepe lightly with a little water to help them stick if needed.
- Arrange the grapes and broccoli in the other half of the bento.
- Punch out flowers or favorite shapes from the slice of cheese and arrange over the grapes (or other fruit) and broccoli.
- If desired, cut out a wavy edge to from the cheese and wrap around the end piece of a hot dog to form a "hunny pot." Top with a flower pick.
- Cut or punch out two teardrop-shaped pieces from the ham to make Piglet's ears, followed by a larger oval shape for the head. Cut out two smaller half-circles for the hands.
- Arrange the oval head, teardrop ears and half circle hands over the grapes and broccoli to make the Piglet. Punch out a small oval from the nori for the nose and use two black sesame seeds for the eyes. Cut out any additional ham into flowers or desired shape to arrange around the rest of the box.
- Pack the Winnie the Pooh Bento, with an ice pack if needed, and serve within a couple of hours.
Jacque Hastert
My Winnie the Pooh loving little girl would go crazy for this lunch! Pinning for later!
Cliona Keane
I know so many little ones who would love this! I’m expecting my first and I can’t wait to make gorgeous lunches like this when he’s older!
Haley
This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I would have loved this when I was a kid.
Sandi
I wish my kids were still young. This is so creative!
Suzy
Oh this bento box is so cute! Thanks for sharing!
Pam
That is just adorable. What a lucky little one you have to have such a creative mom!
Tara
Thanks everyone!