Chocolate Chili

I'm not a chili person.
I've never really cared for it.
I'll eat it on Mormon Enchiladas but that's about it.
At chili cook-offs I don't taste test all the kinds.
Sometimes I'll try a couple
but for the most part
I just stick to my Dad's Chocolate Chili!
This stuff is amazing (:
He doesn't like to take measurements,
so Justin & I created this recipe using the essentials from my Dad's ingredient list.

Two things you must remember about this chili:
1. Don't try it expecting it to taste like regular chili. It won't.
2. Don't make chili dogs or Mormon Enchiladas with it. I haven't personally ventured into those uncharted waters, but it's not that kind of chili.

I haven't tried it with sour cream, cheese, or crackers either, but again...
It's not your typical chili.
I HAVE tried it with a tiny spoonful of peanut butter in my own bowl & it was delicious,
but I think that I prefer it just the way it is.

Really this recipe should be called
"Chunky Chocolate Chicken Mole Soup w/ Beans & Spices"
so people don't assume that it tastes like normal chili. (;

2 cans white beans (don't drain)
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (don't drain)
1 lb Hershey's chocolate bars
2 lbs cooked chicken, diced
1/2 lg sweet onion, chopped
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
chili powder (to taste)
mole (to taste)

Pour cans of white beans & cans of tomatoes w/ green chiles into crockpot. Break up chocolate bars, add to crockpot & stir in. Place lid & heat on high until chocolate is melted (usually about 30-45 min, stirring halfway through). I like to cook & dice my chicken during this time. Add diced chicken, chopped onion, ketchup, & water. Stir. Add garlic powder, sage, paprika, white pepper, & cumin. Stir. Add chili powder & mole to taste. Stir. Switch to low heat approx 2 hours after turning crockpot on.

Total cook time 5-8 hrs: (2 hours on high, then 3-6 on low)

Note: Sometimes I use chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor

xoxo

Pulled Pork Hawaiian Haystacks

I grew up eating Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner all the time.
You know...
A bed of rice,
chow mein noodles,
almond slivers,
pineapple,
cheese,
coconut,
diced chicken with some sort of gravy sauce that I never wanted to put on mine,
whatever you see fit really.
I've seen plenty of variations online lately
with all sorts of different toppings...

When we lived in California,
we were feeding some LDS missionaries for dinner
& decided to have Hawaiian Haystacks.
One of the elders was from the islands.
He informed us that although the meal was tasty,
the only things Hawaiian about it
were the pineapple, coconut, & the bed of rice.
That has bothered me ever since.

When I was planning Little Princess' Lilo & Stitch party
I instantly thought of Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner.

I started thinking of ways to make it slightly more authentic...
Spam?
Pork?
Fish?
Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes?
Teriyaki?
Poi?

Here's what we decided:

Ignore the blue jello with Swedish fish in the picture.
We didn't eat that on the Haystacks...

Pulled Pork Hawaiian Haystacks
Bed of rice
Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork (recipe below)
Chow Mein noodles
Monterey Jack cheese
Almond slivers
Pineapple tidbits
Shredded coconut
Banana Poi (recipe below)

We tried it both with & without the poi on top.
I liked it both ways.
With the poi it is definitely sweeter,
but you don't need to add that much or it may overpower the other flavors.
A light drizzle should do (:

We served King's Sweet Hawaiian Rolls on the side of the Haystacks.
Hubby tried the pulled pork on those & said it was good too.

I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork over at East 9th Street,
but ended up doing a few things differently...

Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork

3 lbs pork loin, cut into 3-4" pieces (next time I might try 2-3" pieces if using it for Haystacks)

1 cup onion, chopped into small pieces but not quite minced

2/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp salt

1 can crushed pineapple, drained (I only used 1/2 can since I needed the rest for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Balls, but next time I'm going to try the whole can)

Cut the pork & place in crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients & cover. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the pork can be easily shredded with two forks. Shred all the meat in the crockpot & turn off heat.

As for the Banana Poi...

I found the recipe at food.com,

but could not find coconut cream anywhere

so I decided to try it with cream of coconut instead.

I just used whatever was left after making the piña coladas.

(approx 1/2 can)

Because I used cream of coconut instead of coconut cream,

my poi was probably a little sweeter than it would be if I had stuck to the original recipe.

Banana Poi

2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup coconut cream (I used roughly 1/2 can cream of coconut instead)

Mash bananas until a smooth paste is formed. Add the lemon juice. Gradually add the coconut cream, stirring constantly. Chill & serve.

If you try this version of Hawaiian Haystacks
let me know what you think...

Do you like it better with or without the poi?

Don't forget to check out the Lilo & Stitch luau!

xoxo

Crockpot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

I was so excited when I stumbled across this easy recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff on Pinterest a while back. I love that it's only 3 ingredients and it requires practically no prep (or cleanup for that matter if you use those wonderful Reynolds Crockpot liners).

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I use frozen ones)

1 bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian-Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)

1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot and cover with sauce. Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks while still in crockpot so chicken will be well coated with sauce. Serve over rice and enjoy.

Crockpot Italian Chicken

I got this wonderful recipe from my friend's blog... It is way delish & super easy! She has plenty of other delicious recipes you should check out sometime. Head on over to Kaye's Cupboard to see what she's got cookin!

3 or 4 chicken breasts, thawed

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup Italian dressing (She uses creamy, but I've only tried it with regular)

10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a crockpot on high for an hour or two. Switch to low heat for another 2-3 hours. When the chicken is cooked, shred with a fork.

Tastes great served over rice.

{Kudos to the Kaye family!}