Easy Fried Rice Recipe Using Ham and Pineapple

If you’re not on the leftover train yet, you should definitely join in. I know the hesitation though, leftovers can sound so drab. So instead you just stare at the heaping containers lining your refrigerator shelves for weeks until you ultimately just toss them. So let me ask you, is it okay to change your mind about leftovers?

I can assure you this easy fried rice recipe using ham and pineapple may forever make you a leftover believer. In fact you may start to plan around having leftovers.

Not possible? Think again!

rock your world

There are a lot of perks to leftovers. Many which never get talked about so today my goal is to change your mind and welcome you to the good side – I mean simple side.

But in order for leftovers to rock your world we have to understand the importance in how to use leftovers. For so many of us, leftovers just turn into the same exact meal, re-heated day in and day out. No one is going to argue that in this case, leftovers surely will get boring.

the tips

So how do you successfully enter the world of leftovers? Here are a few tips:

• Have a plan to use them. I know, plan…plan…plan… I say these words all the time. If you know me they generally are quite foreign in many other areas of my life. I wouldn’t say my skill set involves planning, but I can assure you, it’s just the simple initial thought of how can I take this meal and turn it into two or three that gets the creative junkie like me whirling with ideas. What it really boils down to is having a plan.
• Cook staples in bulk. This means things like meat and simple sides like quinoa or rice. We just have to change our focus of leftovers. We all know that casseroles most likely will never be able to merge into too many different ideas, when you think leftovers think staples. Foods that can be transformed in multiple ways, like ham.
• Take what you know and love and just change out the ingredients with what you have. For instance this fried rice is a perfect example. While it’s not traditional, it is a great way to take something we love {insert easy fried rice recipes} and just mix and match ingredients with what you have on hand. Other examples are changing up tacos to different meats and toppings, pizza, lasagna or even adding basic staples to casseroles.

This is the value of having a go-to meal list, of recipes you know you love and can easily make and just tweak the ingredients to what you have on hand. It excites the taste buds, prevents boredom and makes you feel like the real Martha Stewart.

my go-to list

My go to list often involves just these five things:

• breakfast hash
• tacos {or taco bowls}
• soup
• stuffed sweet potatoes
• fried rice / stir-fry

While it appears we eat tacos every single week {because we do} this is where the power of leftovers comes in. We change-up the insides. For instance, use leftover shredded beef or chicken or veggies. The same goes with stuffed sweet potatoes, we just stuff it with whatever we have on hand.

Do you see where I am going with this?

We don’t necessarily change what we know, we just change the ingredients to keep it exciting.

Now enter this easy fried rice recipe.

the fried rice

It’s quick and easy because the rice was already made ahead of time {did you know rice is healthier cooked, cooled and reheated? It’s called resistant starch and you can learn more here}. The ham was cooked, pineapple chopped and the veggies were pulled straight from the freezer.

Basically this fried rice turned into a 20 minute meal because it’s full of leftovers.

Can we insert all the praise hands?

It’s also a clean and healthy meal because it’s homemade but also because I cut the rice in half and double the veggie mixture! You could add cauliflower rice if you’re opposed to brown rice as well. You choose, but regardless, it’s hearty, filling and so flavorful.

You won’t regret this easy fried rice recipe with ham and pineapple I promise!

need help

If you need help with the planning piece, don’t worry I got your back! Just click here and grab yourself a FREE printable meal planning / life planning page that will take the thinking out and make it clean and simple. You can’t go wrong and who knows, it could just be the tool that changes meal planning forever. I know it has me!

Easy Fried Rice Recipe Using Ham and Pineapple

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Alexa Schirm

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup peas {frozen}
• 2 cups cooked brown rice, day old
• 2 cups pineapple, diced
• 2 cups cooked ham, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos {tamari sauce}
• 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 eggs {optional}
• green onions
• cilantro
• sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a wok or large saute pan, add olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add in diced onion, carrot and garlic, cook until softened.
3. Add in peas, pineapple, ham and rice.
4. Stir and add in sesame oil, rice vinegar, coconut aminos, pineapple juice and honey.
5. Stir until combined and cook 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens on rice.
6. In a separate pan, add egg and scramble until partially cooked. Add to rice mixture and finish cooking.
7. Remove and top with sliced green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds

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