Hawaiian Haystacks

It's entirely possible that those of you who have never lived in Utah have never heard of these before. I'm not gonna' lie, either, most of the ones (even the native Utah variety), while being "yummy" and filling, have left a lot of room for improvement. Typically they consist of cream of chicken soup with boiled chicken over rice, cheese, and some toppings. Well, some Thai-inspired tweaks and we had ourselves a party going on.



Hawaiian Haystacks

Ingredients
for the chicken

• 1.5 pounds boneless chicken pieces
• 1 small yellow onion
  
• 1 can's worth of pineapple juice (save the pineapple)
  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 - 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder

for the toppings

• 1 can pineapple tidbits
• 1 diced red pepper
• 1 bunch green onions, cut up
• 1 large can mandarin orange segments
• flaked coconut
• 1 cup blanched peas
• chopped fresh cilantro
• salted cashews

• White rice
  

Put the garlic, onion, chicken, salt, pepper, and pineapple juice in a crockpot on low for several hours (do it in the morning and forget about it until you come home). About an hour before serving, shred the chicken, then add the soup, coconut milk, and curry powder. Switch the heat to high, and let sit until ready to serve. Stir well, and add additional curry powder as needed for the desired level of kick.

Serve the gravy over a bowlful of white rice, then top with the toppings.