Food Fun: Pineapple Ham Haystacks
Cooking is a great exercise for children to participate in. They can utilize math skills, reading skills, science principles, practice following directions, etc. … all with a tasty reward at the end for their all their work. This is a real favorite around our house.
Ingredients:
1 can (8.25 oz.) slice pineapple
4 slices of dark wheat or rye bread
2 T. butter or margarine, softened
1/2 t. dry mustard
4 slices of cooked ham, 1/4 inch thick, with fat trimmed
4 slices of cheese (American, cheddar, etc.)
paprika
about 1 cup shoe string potato chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Drain the can of pineapple, reserving the juice for another recipe or for a juice drink. Lay the pineapple slices on a sheet of paper toweling to blot any excess juice.
3. Toast the slices of bread.
4. Mix two tablespoons of the softened butter or margarine with the dry mustard. Mix thoroughly. Spread the seasoned butter on one side of each slice of toast. Place the toast, buttered side up, on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Place one slice of ham, one slice of cheese, and 1 slice of pineapple on each slice of toast, then lightly sprinkle with paprika.
6. Place several shoestring potato chips in the center of each pineapple slice to resemble a haystack.
7. Bake in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
Note: Shoestring potato chips usually come in a can. Sometimes you find them in the chip aisle of the grocery store and sometimes you find them in the same area you would find fried and dried onion rings … usually on the vegetable aisle. If you can’t find the shoestring potato chips, you can use left over shredded hash browns or the fried and dried onion rings that I mentioned. The onion rings are the same kind that you often find as a topping for green bean casserole.
