Back in my college days, in one of the apartments I lived in, I had several very outgoing roommates, a couple of whom had their eyes on some boys in the next building over. And so they wanted to invite that apartment over for dinner, a very common occurrence at BYU, especially Sundays. And Diane, the roomie most experienced with such events, suggested that Hawaiian Haystacks would be perfect.
I’d never heard of such a thing. And once it was described to me, I was more than a little skeptical. Those of you who have never heard of such an entrée will understand my concern, while those raised in the culture of the Jell-O Belt (basically Utah and much of Idaho—yes, this is real and you can read it on Wikipedia) will wonder what rock the rest of us have been hiding under all our lives.
So here’s the quick description: Also called a chicken sundae in some cultures, this dish begins with a rice base that is then topped with chicken gravy, shredded cheese, Chinese noodles, diced tomatoes, chunk pineapple, diced celery, and shredded coconut. Those are the mandatory toppings. Optional toppings, which vary by family, include mandarin oranges, green onions, olives, and sliced or slivered almonds. The dish didn’t originate in Hawaii; it’s just called that because of the pineapple and coconut.
Anyhow, it’s been a family favorite forever. Each person customizes his haystack. It’s a real crowd-pleaser and works well for potlucks. I love it because the kids are always happy with it, but also because it is so quick and easy. I can return home after being gone all day and have a hot dinner on the table in 30 minutes—and that’s only because that’s how long it takes to cook the rice. If I were using instant rice, it might only take 20 minutes. And it’s mostly food storage—cheese, tomatoes, and celery are the only fresh ingredients, and freeze-dried cheese works well. No quantities are provided—you just eyeball it depending on how many people are eating. Even if you suddenly had 20 people show up for dinner, you could have this ready for all in 30 minutes. It’s that easy.
Hawaiian Haystacks
Cooked rice
Chicken gravy, see below
Tomatoes, diced
Celery, diced
Pineapple chunks
Shredded, sweetened coconut
Shredded cheese
Chinese noodles
Place a mound of cooked rice on the plate. Top with chicken gravy. After that, put the toppings on in any quantity and order desired.
Magic Mix
Chicken Gravy
1-2 cups canned chicken, drained, and broth reserved
1 cup Magic
Mix (see page ***)
1 cup reserved chicken broth (add water and bouillon, if necessary)
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the Magic Mix and broth, whisking
constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Stir in the chicken and heat through. This recipe yields enough gravy for 6
haystacks.
Note: For a gluten-free gravy or to reduce the amount of fat, you can also use SOS Mix to make the gravy.
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