Hawaiian Haystacks

Sauce:

1/4 cup poultry gravy

1 1/4 cups water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups chicken broth

2 Tblsp. soy sauce; the first time I tried this it was way too salty for my taste, so next time I'll only use 1

4 Tblsp. cornstarch

chicken

Topping Choices:

shredded cheese of choice

pineapple

chow mein noodles

slivered almonds

celery

coconut

mandarin oranges

tomatoes

broccoli

other toppings of choice

Mix first two ingredients over low-medium heat.  Add next three. Then slowly stir in cornstarch.  *If your cornstarch looks too lumpy & looks like it isn't mixing in very well, don't panic like I did.  If you keep stirring, it will all work out.  :)  After you've added the cornstarch, turn up the heat and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat back down and simmer for a few minutes & then it'll be ready to serve.  * The sauce will be really watery until it boils & until the cornstarch kicks in, so again, don't freak out the way I did.  :)  I added the chicken right in with the sauce, but this is entirely optional.  Serve over rice & then assemble your haystack to your liking.  

I found this recipe on a blog called My Girl's Kitchen.  One of the best things about this dinner is that it has the potential of being an entire, food storage-based meal if you use canned chicken.  After having this sauce I don't think I can ever go back to using just plain cream of chicken soup again.  My whole family loved this & it both my kids LOVED putting their very own haystacks together.  :)

Mexican Torte

1/2 lb. - 1 lb. ground beef

dash of minced onion

2 cloves minced garlic or garlic salt

1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained

6 tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend

1 16-oz. can refried beans, heated up

salsa, sour cream, guacamole; opt.

Brown ground beef with minced onion, garlic salt & pepper.  If you use fresh garlic then use plain salt instead of garlic salt.  Stir in chilies with meat.  Spray round casserole dish with Pam.  Put in 2 tortillas.  Spread 1/2 of meat mixture on the tortillas.  Sprinkle with one cup of the cheese.  Put 2 more tortillas on top of the cheese layer.  Spread the can of heated refried beans on top of the tortillas.  Place 2 tortillas on top of beans.  Add the rest of the meat mixture and top with the rest of the cheese.  Cover & bake 40 minutes, uncover & bake additional 15 minutes if center isn't hot enough.  * When it's time to serve, remove torte from the bowl completely, place on a cutting board & cut into wedges like a pie.  Serve with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole on top if you'd like.

My sister Elena gave me a cookbook as a present the Christmas before Tyler & I were married.  Not only was it full of great recipes, but it also had some great tips on how much certain types of meals cost when you go grocery shopping.  It's been extremely helpful, especially during the first year that I was a newlywed.  I made this for Tyler for the first time 8 1/2 years ago & he's loved it ever since.  This is such an easy meal & even both of our kids love this.  :)

Pistachio Pineapple Salad

2 20 oz. cans crushed pineapple, in juice, not drained

2 3.4 oz. pkgs. pistachio instant pudding

2 cups mini multi-colored marshmallows

1 16 oz. container Cool Whip

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't add these)

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  Easy-peasy!  :)

I had this salad at Tyler's Grandma Andersen's funeral luncheon.  Funerals aren't usually the most opportune times to find a great-tasting recipe that you love, but this salad tasted SO GOOD to me that day that I just had to have the recipe for it.  I emailed Tyler's aunt about it to see if she could get it for me somehow, but I really wanted to make this for Memorial Day.  I knew that it had to have pistachio pudding in it because I could taste the little bits of pistachio as I was eating it.  So when I went grocery shopping I put two boxes in, along w/ the multi-colored marshmallows, the pineapple & the Cool Whip.  When I got everything out to make the salad the night before, I found the actual recipe, staring me right in the face on the side of the pudding box!!!  Clearly it was meant to be.  :)  The original name for this salad is "Watergate Salad", but I decided to change it because that way I'll always be able to find this when I'm looking for it.  This salad will be GREAT when it gets really hot outside because it's so refreshing!  :)