Can we skip to the part where we all take a bite of our bao and sit in complete silence (the ever-accurate indicator of a good meal) while we chow? Please? No? OK fine, we’ll keep it movin’ as fast as we can then. These buns originated in China thousands of years ago and there are OODLES of variations. Bao are made with yeast-leavened dough and are often filled with pork and served steamed. Our inspired version has some sweet potato (and pork if you ordered it!) to pack into your buns. Bao literally translates to bun, so when you say “bao bun” it translates to, “bun bun”. Hehe.

And if you haven’t seen the Pixar short film titled Bao it’s definitely worth a watch. It may just make you love bao even more than you already do (or will, after you taste these!).

What’s in your bag:

• Steamed buns (bao)
• Sweet potato
• Spicy mayo
• Pickled veggies
• Shredded hoisin pork (if you ordered it!)

What you’ll need from home:

• Aluminum foil lined sheet tray
• 2 damp paper towels
• Microwave -safe plate
• Saute pan (if you ordered the pork!)

Total prep time: 10-15 minutes  

The Sweet Potato

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. 
2. Lightly drizzle some olive oil on your aluminum foil lined sheet tray and arrange your sweet potato evenly on there.
3. Toss in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.

The Steamed Buns

1. Grab your 2 damp paper towels and lay one flat on a microwave safe-plate. 
2. Place your bao on the paper towel-lined plate and lay the other damp paper towel on top. 
3. Toss in the microwave for 15 seconds. Yes! That’s it. After 15 seconds, use the back of your hand to test if your bao are ready— they should be hot, fluffy and soft!
4. If they need more time, toss them back in the microwave for 10 more seconds. Repeat the process until you’re happy with how they look!
5. Let your hot bao sit for a minute or two to reduce tearing when you open them.

The Shredded Hoisin Pork (if you ordered it!)

1. Heat the pork in a saute pan with a teaspoon of oil over medium for about 4-5 minutes or until warmed through. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pan. 
2. Add your pork to the bao! 

Assembly time! Spread some of your spicy mayo in each bao. Next, wedge a bit of sweet potato in each bao, and if you ordered the pork, add that on top of your sweet potato. Pickled veggies go on last, and the only next step is you taking a bite. Enjoy! 🙂

That’s it! #Dinnersolved, dinner served. 

Show us how you WECO!