I remember having Hawaiian Haystacks growing up, but I never topped it with anything Hawaiian. I still don’t want pineapple or mandarin oranges on top of a mound of rice covered with chicken gravy. Some other toppings I saw while looking up Hawaiian Haystacks were tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, coconut, and almonds. I prefer to stick to the toppings I liked as a kid, green onions, cheese, and crunchy things.

Recipe:

Ingredients

2 lb. Chicken Breast (can use leftover cooked chicken, or meat pulled from a rotisserie chicken)
2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth (if using precooked chicken you’ll only need about 1 cup)
1-2 cups Milk (you’ll need closer to 1 if blending up the onions and maybe closer to 2 if you aren’t)
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2  Yellow Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped or grated
16 oz Cauliflower Rice (you may need more for leftovers, it will all depend on how much chicken gravy you like on your haystack)
Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Green Onions, Crunchy Chow Mein or Chickpea Crumbs (These are what I topped ours with)
Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Pour broth into a medium sized sauce pot and place raw chicken into the broth

2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until chicken is cooked through. Your broth will reduce and be fortified with even more chickeny flavor while doing this. (If you wanted to use precooked chicken, like leftovers or a rotisserie chicken skip this step)

3. While the chicken is cooking, add butter and oil to a saute or wide and shallow saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Once heated, add onions and cook for a few minutes, until starting to soften. Then add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Season with a pinch of salt.

4. This is when I blend my onions and garlic smooth with a bit of the broth to make sure there aren’t any chunks for Brandon’s severe hatred of onion texture. Doing this can allow you to use a bit less milk because it makes the sauce seem creamy. This is obviously optional, and if I was making it for other people I’d skip this step.

5. When chicken is cooked through, let cool. Use this time to make the gravy. Add your flour to your pan where the onions and garlic were cooked. Stir for a couple of minutes to make sure the flour won’t taste raw. Slowly pour in your broth from cooking your chicken and whisk. Do the same with 1 cup of milk. Bring to a boil, and down to a simmer to allow the gravy to thicken. If the gravy seems to become too thick, add more milk. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste. Keep warm on a low setting.

6. Shred your chicken. Season with a bit of Salt and Pepper and add to the gravy mixture.

7. Leave this on low while you cook your cauliflower rice. Once that is done you are ready to serve.

8. Add the cauliflower rice to your bowl or plate, top with the chicken gravy, and then top that with the toppings of your choice.

I served our Hawaiian Haystacks with a salad and some leftover braised red cabbage.