No Cream of Soup Hawaiian Haystacks

2 cups of cooked and cubed chicken (or shredded chicken)
3 tablespoons butter
½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp flour, optional
2 Tbsp water, optional

Rice

Optional Toppings:
Pineapple
Cheese
Tomatoes
Chow Mein noodles
Mandarin Oranges
Diced green onion
Olives
Coconut

In a large sauce pan, saute the onion in the butter until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine. Stir until bubbly. Add the salt and paper. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. If the sauce isn't as thick as you like, in a small bowl whisk together the 2 Tbsp flour and 2 Tbsp water until smooth, you don’t want lumps. It should look like a paste. Drizzle a little of the flour mixture at a time while whisking into to sauce mixture until desired thickness is reached. Serve the sauce over steamed rice with desired toppings. (I often just put shredded cheese on top b/c that's all I have and it's still good! So go as simple or as fancy as your pantry allows!) Serves 4-6.

Price Guesstimate: $3-4-ish (without toppings)

Steph's Comments: I love Hawaiian Haystacks. I always make the sauce with Cream of Chicken soup - and it's yummy, but it was fun to find a from-scratch version. I got this version off of Real Mom Kitchen (www.realmomkitchen.com), although I changed the cooking instructions slightly. It's yummy! I asked my husband which version he likes better and he said he likes them both -they're different from each other. I agree - I like the onions and garlic in this one - it was a real yummy sauce, but I also just love Cream of Chicken Soup. I will definitely make it again! Also, you could EASILY leave the chicken out and make a meatless version. It would be very yummy and cheaper too!