Is there anything cuter than watching little kids in dance class? It’s my favorite thing! I look forward to taking my girls to dance every Wednesday to watch whatever wacko, or lack of, dance moves they come up with.
Last week both my girls practiced a little bit of hula dancing, and let me tell you it was adorable. And that is an understatement indeed. They even got a chance to do the limbo. I was dying.
So it was only fitting that we stuck with the Hawaiian theme, right? I hadn’t yet converted one of Braelyn’s favorite meals into a gluten free version. So, I figured what better time than to create gluten free Hawaiian Haystacks?
On top of these Everything Hawaiian Haystacks being healthier in the fact that there is no preservative filled canned soup in the sauce base, I did it all in the crockpot which always makes for easy cooking. But, if you don’t have the few hours it takes in the crockpot, you can always do it stove top just as easy. It takes less than 30 minutes.
I love being able to add my own blend of seasonings to meals like this instead of relying of the flavoring in the canned soups. You can adapt it to the taste preferences of my family.
I tend to prefer things very flavorful. Hello, I’m a food blogger. That shouldn’t be surprising. I also like a little bit of a kick to my dishes, which is why I added some cayenne pepper to the sauce. You can definitely omit that if you are sensitive to spice.
The thyme and basil really emit a lovely aroma throughout the house while it is cooking. It may even be one of those few instances where the smell is even better than the taste, not to diminish how magnificent the taste is.
And my favorite most favorite part of the meal?! I can put whatever the heck I want on top of these Everything Hawaiian Haystacks. I like a bit of everything. Hence the everything in the title: blueberries, toasted coconut, craisins, celery, pistachios, pineapple, apples, cucumbers, you name it! The list goes on.
It’s the perfect family friendly meal since with the array of toppings, each member of your family is bound to find something that they like. It really makes for a tear free, whine free dinner. And those are the kinds of dinners that I really enjoy!
What are your family favorite meals?
- 2 cups milk (I used 1%)
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on taste)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 large or 4 regular sized chicken breasts
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 4 cups cooked rice
- Choice of Toppings:
- blueberries, pineapple tidbits, toasted coconut, chopped nuts, apples, cucumbers, celery, Mushrooms, avocados, shredded cheese, craisins, raisins, water chestnuts, etc.
- In a crockpot add cold milk and water. Dissolve ¼ cup cornstarch into liquid by stirring. Add chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, ground mustard, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Trim fat off raw chicken breasts. Place in crockpot with liquid. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (high for 1½-2 hours) or until chicken can be shredded with a fork.*
- Remove chicken breasts and shred with a fork. Add 3 ounces of cream cheese to crockpot. Stir until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is warmed through.** Return shredded chicken to crockpot and set on keep warm setting for additional 30 minutes.
- Serve mixture on top of cooked rice with desired toppings.
**If sauce is too thin, transfer to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boil and cook for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Return to crockpot and add shredded chicken.
