Elevate Your Holiday Dishes with These Pineapple Recipes
(StatePoint) If holiday cooking is stressing you out, try using more pre-prepped pineapple to cut down on prep time and create stress-free holiday dishes.
Executive chef at Dole, James Bickmore-Hutt has ideas for how to elevate your holiday dishes in preparation for the festivities. “The holiday season is such a busy time of year. It’s also a moment when people are expecting to be ‘wowed’ at mealtime.”
Here are Chef James’ top tips for incorporating pineapple into your seasonal fare:
• Add extra garnishes of pineapple to any holiday dish for a naturally sweet, tropical taste – no need to add extra sugar.
• Pineapples are very juicy, and you can pre-cook dessert filling on the stovetop to thicken the juices. Simply drain the liquid from the can, pour the fruit in a pan, reduce remaining liquid and then combine it with a thickener of your choice before adding back in.
• Let fruit-filled desserts cool for at least two to four hours after baking to allow the filling to fully set.
• For added oomph and flavor in cocktail or mocktail batches, reserve pineapple juice from the same cans used in your food dishes, like a family-favorite pie.
This holiday season, Chef James’ guaranteed crowd-pleaser, Caramelized Pineapple Baked Brie, adds a tropical twist to a traditional spread. Ready in 40 minutes and with just six ingredients, this stress-free appetizer will make your festivities all the more memorable
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 can (20 ounces) Dole Tropical Gold Pineapple Chunks in 100% Pineapple Juice, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon honey, divided
• 1 package (13 ounces) round brie cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted salted pistachios
Instructions:
Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add pineapple, rosemary and 1 tablespoon honey, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes or until the pineapple is golden brown.
Line a baking sheet or small baking dish with parchment. Cut the top rind off the brie and discard, placing the remaining portion on the parchment paper.
Spoon pineapple mixture over the brie. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of honey before garnishing with pistachios.
