Hawaiian Haystacks

This dinner is so easy to make and is a big hit at our house. It's definitely one we keep as a staple.

Rice (I used 2 cups uncooked and it was perfect for the 4 of us)
Chicken, shredded (I used about 3 breasts)
Chicken gravy (I used a mix and made about 3 cups worth)
Shredded cheese
Canned pineapple or pineapple bits
Canned mandarin oranges
Raisins
Crunchy chow mein or rice noodles (I like the rice noodles better because they're smaller and I love the texture)
Green onions, chopped (I didn't use these this time but Ryan said he would have loved these on top)

Cook the rice. Put the chicken in a pan of shallow water, cover, and boil until cooked. Put the cooked chicken on a plate and break apart (or shred) using two forks. Salt and pepper chicken to taste. Make the gravy. Serve everything buffet style so people can pick and choose what toppings to add to their haystacks.

My parents used to serve this with broccoli as a topping as well. I love this dish because you can be so creative and use whatever toppings you like. Yum!

Grilled Chicken Salad on Toasted Pita

First let me just say, man, I need a better camera. My pictures are not great, I know.

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be Avocado Chicken Pita from a "Simple and Delicious" magazine. But me being the novice cook that I am, I picked out a very underripe avocado that I couldn't use for the guacamole spread. So I improvised a little bit and this was what I came up with.

1 to 2 chicken breasts
4 whole wheat pitas
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning
Chopped lettuce and tomatoes
Grated cheese of your choice (I used a Mexican blend)
1 lemon
Hot sauce of your choice
Sour cream
Ranch dressing (optional)

Cook chicken, seasoning with salt pepper and Cajun. I cooked mine in a grill pan on the stove. Brush olive oil on one side of the pitas and put them on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes or until toasted. Once pitas are done layer them with lettuce, tomato, and the cooked chicken (either sliced into strips or cubed). Squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice and hot sauce on, sprinkle with cheese, top with sour cream and/or ranch dressing.

I still want to try the avocado pita, but thought these were really yummy and I'm sure I'll make these again!