If you are a fan of Hawaiian pizza, you are going to love this dish! The combination of so many yummy things like ham, pineapple, rice, pepper, onions, and swiss cheese is what makes this bake unique. I often make this when I have leftover rice from ordering in Chinese food, or leftover spiral ham from a holiday. It all comes together quick and then bakes to gooey, cheesy perfection. This is one of my husbands favorite dinners!
Ham and Pineapple Bake
Serves 6
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple tidbits
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups fully cooked ham, cubed
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
Drain the pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice; set pineapple aside. To the juice, add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper; whisk to combine. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, ham, pineapple, green pepper, onion, and 1 cup Swiss cheese. Pour the pineapple juice mixture over the top and stir to coat. Pour all into a 9x13" greased baking dish. Cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Continue to bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need a 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits, 2 cups cubed ham, 3 cups cooked rice, 3/4 cup chopped green pepper, 1/3 cup chopped onion, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and Swiss cheese.
To start, drain 1/2 cup of the juice from the pineapple into a glass measuring cup. Drain the remaining pineapple in a colander and set aside.
To the pineapple juice, add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. This may sound like a strange combo, but TRUST ME.... it makes a delicious sauce for this dish. Whisk well to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3 cups cooked rice, 2 cups cubed ham, the drained pineapple, 3/4 cup chopped green pepper, 1/3 cup chopped onion, .......
...... and 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese. This dish is so great to use up leftover rice (do you always have white rice leftover when you order take-out Chinese food? Here's a solution for using it!). It's also great with leftover ham if you make a big ham dinner for any occasion. Otherwise, you can find cubed ham in the grocery stores.
Pour the pineapple juice mixture over all and stir to coat. (You may notice I had to switch mixing bowls because my other one wasn't quite big enough! Ha!)
Spread the mixture into a greased 9x13" baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. (I actually forgot to cover it this time, and it still was delicious....so I think either way works). Isn't it so pretty and colorful?
After 30 minutes of baking, uncover and top with remaining 1 cup Swiss cheese.
Bake an additional 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Doesn't this look so delicious?! Ok people, my mouth is watering just thinking about how much I love this bake.
Cheesy, gooey, sweet and savory.....this dish has it all! A meal all in itself!
Leftovers are amazing too..... we all try to be the first to claim them!
When I'm in a good mood, I'll even make a special batch for my son who picks around green peppers.
I hope you love this as much as we do!
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from and old magazine recipe from 2003 Taste of Home.