chinese sundaes

or hawaiian haystacks. call them what you will.

i'll just call them "delicious".

this is something easy and fast and customizeable (yeah, i just made that word up, what's it to you?--i just said "word up". sooo word girl of me) and so good. i didn't do step-by-steps of this because it's just that easy. what you'll need: chicken (breasts or strips), rice, cream of chicken soup, milk, chow mein noodles, and toppings that you like. i like tomatoes, green onions, cheddar cheese, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and raisins. you could do green pepper. my mom adds hard boiled eggs, coconut...the list is endless people. seriously. you think it, you add it.

on this night, i didn't have a ton of things on hand, so i stuck with the classics: grated cheddar cheese, pineapple, and green onion. three things i always have on hand. start by boiling your chicken for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. cook your rice, and mix one can of cream of chicken soup with one can of milk and mix together. bring it to a low boil and remove from heat. now put all of your toppings into ramekins (isn't it pretty?) and serve.



let's start building (oooh, now i'm bob the builder. i must really love pbskids):


start with rice,then add your chow mein noodles,

and some diced chicken,

now your gravy goes next.

then add whatever toppings you can think of. i like to add the cheese first to the gravy because it's hot and melts the cheese and...well, is there any felicity in the world superior to melted cheese? (name that movie...before the cheese part)

next i did some green onion,
and topped it all off with my favorite part, the pineapple. i can't get enough of it. it's better with fresh, but i rarely have fresh pineapple on hand. just too tricky to cut up. so this time, it's just straight out of a can.
couldn't be easier people.

this is perfect for a party because it's easy, inexpensive, and very easy to make a lot of, and people can pick and choose their toppings. feeding 20 people? just make more chicken and rice. on the other hand, on this night dave was at class and my boys don't eat, so it was just me. i used 2 chicken strips and a tiny amount of toppings and it worked out great for one. the crunch of the noodles and the sweetness of the pineapple makes for a delectable, delightful dinner. try it, you won't be disappointed.

chinese sundaes

1 package of chicken strips
1 can of cream of chicken soup
milk
cooked rice
chow mein noodles
toppings (grated cheese, pineapple, green onions, mandarin oranges, diced tomatoes, raisins, etc.)

boil the chicken for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. cut into cubes. cook your rice. mix the cream of chicken soup with a can of milk with a wire whisk and bring to a boil. remove from heat. place toppings in ramekins and serve.