Hawaiian Haystacks
Hawaiian Haystacks are a fun, customizable meal with creamy chicken, rice, sauce, and colorful toppings like pineapple, cheese, and chow mein noodles!
A UNIQUE DINNER RECIPE
I know some of y’all are gonna see this recipe and think I have lost me ever-lovin’ mind! If your Mom ever did Tupperware parties, this recipe for Hawaiian Haystacks was one of the recipes in their little deck of recipe cards they sold. It’s definitely a unique dinner. As for why they are called Hawaiian? I have no idea. I think some folks think if you add pineapple to anything, it is automatically Hawaiian (I am sure that makes native Hawaiians roll their eyes – ha!) It may seem odd to have all these ingredients thrown together, but it just kinda works. Our church used to sell these as part of a fundraiser. You could go down the line and they would add exactly what you liked and you could take it home. It’s a little bit of sweet along with the savory flavors that really make this unique dish work!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I believe these are called Haystacks because everything is stacked on a plate similar to how a hay stack can be stacked. And then someone threw pineapple in there and assumed it should be called Hawaiian. FYI – just because pineapple is added to any meal, doesn’t make it Hawaiian, but there are just some meals that aren’t supposed to make sense and housewives could be a funny bunch back in the day- ha!
Yes, I do believe you can make this with beef. I’d also suggesting making it with beef gravy and crumbled ground beef rather than the chicken. I’m not quite sure how the pineapple would work with the ground beef, but this is one of those unexpected recipes that seems to work when you think it wouldn’t, lol. To me, this recipe is more about the idea rather than the actual recipe ingredients anyway.
You can make plates up for everyone if you know what they want. But, I find it’s easiest to serve this buffet style. Just set everything out and then your guests can walk down the line and add whatever they like. As I said above, I’ve even had this at our church fundraiser where they set it up buffet style, then you paid a set amount, got a container and went down the aisle getting whatever toppings you wanted and church members were there to serve it up to you. It was a simple and effective fundraiser and always sold out.
Literally throw anything you like on top, peas, corn, green beans, you name it. There are some more optional topping ideas in the ingredient section below, that I chose to use, if that’s helpful.
Keep leftovers in the fridge separate, along with the toppings, rice, chicken, and gravy. They will all keep for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chicken gravy mix – I use this to make it quick to whip up. You can also use a jarred gravy and just skip the added water.
- water
- shredded cooked chicken – you can use leftover chicken from another meal or do I like I do and use a rotisserie chicken to make this super easy
- hot cooked rice – you could use brown rice or even a flavored rice that you enjoy like a Garlic Butter Rice.
- pineapple chunks– you can use the chunks or the tidbits or even die up some fresh pineapple.
- chow mein noodles – chow mein noodles are sometimes found in a bag or a can. You will find them near the other asian ingredients in your grocery store.
- green onions– this is an optional topping ingredient
- shredded carrots -I know these ingredients just seem irrational together but at least you’re getting some veggies in, right?
- shredded cheddar cheese
- tomato–
- sliced black olives– I absolutely adore black olives. The saltiness of the olives with the other sweet ingredients, just somehow works. But if you don’t like any of these ingredients, just don’t use them.
HOW TO MAKE HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS:
Prepare the gravy mix per the directions on the package with the water in a large skillet. Place the shredded chicken into the gravy and simmer for 5 minutes to warm everything.
To serve, place hot rice on a plate. Top with hot chicken with gravy. Add your toppings such as pineapple, chow mein noodles, green onions, shredded carrots, cheddar cheese, diced tomato, and black olives. Serve immediately.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Hawaiian Haystacks
Ingredients
- 2 packets chicken gravy mix
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
- 4 cups hot cooked white rice
Optional toppings:
- pineapple chunks, drained (or tidbits)
- chow mein noodles
- thinly sliced green onions
- shredded carrots
- shredded cheddar cheese
- diced tomato
- sliced black olives
Instructions
- Prepare 2 packets chicken gravy mix per the directions on the package with 2 cups water in a large skillet.
- Place3 cups shredded cooked chicken into the prepared gravy and simmer for 5 minutes to warm everything.
- To serve, place hot cooked white rice on a plate.
- Top with hot chicken with gravy.
- Add your preferred toppings such as pineapple chunks, drained, chow mein noodles, thinly sliced green onions, shredded carrots, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomato and sliced black olives. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Very delicious, the pineapple gives a nice little sweetness to it.