Hawaiian Fried Rice with ham and pineapple is an easy side dish to make when you’re in the mood for Chinese takeout but need to keep an eye on your spending. Great way to use up leftover ham!


Hawaiian Fried Rice with ham and pineapple is an easy side dish to make when you're in the mood for Chinese takeout but need to keep an eye on your spending. Great way to use up leftover ham!

Is it too early to talk about Easter leftovers when it’s still two weeks away?

Surely by now you have the whole meal planned – ham steak dinner, lamb chop dinner, au gratin potatoes for two, hot cross buns, small carrot cake recipe.

But what about the Monday after? Who else finds themselves with leftover ham? There’s usually enough ham to make one, possibly even two, extra meals.

The good news is you’re halfway finished with menu planning! The bad news is what do you make besides ham and cheese soup, baked eggs with ham and cheese, and ham and cheese waffles?

I know there’s this big debate on ham and pineapple together, especially on pizza.

I personally love the sweet, salty, and savory combination, like with my Hawaiian Pizza Pasta.

How about you? If you said yes, then you’ll be excited over this Hawaiian Fried Rice recipe! If you said no, I suppose you can leave out the pineapple ;)

It’s an easy side dish you can throw together when you’re in the mood for Chinese takeout but need to keep your wallet on lockdown.

It reminds me of a challenge on Food Network where amateur cooks had to make Chinese food in the same amount of time it took to order delivery.

Even though that was television with their editing, I give you my word you can certainly beat the delivery driver with this one.


Hawaiian Fried Rice with ham and pineapple is an easy side dish to make when you're in the mood for Chinese takeout but need to keep an eye on your spending. Great way to use up leftover ham!

This dish cooks quickly, so make sure you have all of your mise en place (fancy term for prepping your ingredients, including chopping) ready to go before you turn on your skillet. You won’t have time to stop and chop anything once you start.


Hawaiian Fried Rice with ham and pineapple is an easy side dish to make when you're in the mood for Chinese takeout but need to keep an eye on your spending. Great way to use up leftover ham!

The key to making fried rice is using leftover cooked rice. However, I rarely have leftover rice on hand. That’s where Veetee Rice comes in handy. Usually you microwave a tray in 2 minutes, but you can also cook it directly in the skillet without precooking. Crumble it up into the pan, let it cook for a few minutes, and you’re on your way to dinner. I used their white long grain rice, which you can find near you via their store locator.


Hawaiian Fried Rice with ham and pineapple is an easy side dish to make when you're in the mood for Chinese takeout but need to keep an eye on your spending. Great way to use up leftover ham!

I like to eat several big helpings of fried rice as my main course. However, you can pair it up with General Tso’s Chicken Baked Wontons to make it a more substantial meal.

No leftover holiday ham? No problem! Nowadays you can buy small slices of ham to chop up or even buy pre-chopped ham.

And if you find yourself with leftover lamb, you’re one step closer to making Gyro Rice Bowls.

Hawaiian Fried Rice

Hawaiian Fried Rice

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter (add pinch of salt if unsalted)
  • 1 green onion, chopped white part only (reserve green for garnish)
  • 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup diced ham
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste or minced ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 cup shelled peas (frozen or fresh)
  • 1/2 cup canned pineapple tidbits, juice drained
  • 1 tray Veetee Dine-In Long Grain White Rice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add the white part of the green onion and carrots. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until softened.
  2. Add the ham, ginger, garlic, peas, and pineapple. Cook 1 minute.
  3. Crumble the rice into the pan. Stir to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the soy sauce.
  4. Push the rice mixture to one side of the skillet. Add the egg to the gap and scramble it into the rice. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the egg is cooked.
  5. Stir in the green part of the onion and serve.

Did you make this recipe?

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Veetee Rice. Thank you for supporting me and the companies I work with as sponsored posts help pay for the costs of running Chocolate Moosey, including website hosting and groceries for recipe development.