This is an old recipe from the 1950’s when meat and potatoes were king. I suspect it is one of the original fall-out shelter meals. You could stock the ingredients in your bomb-shelter kitchen and cook it in your Coleman oven over an alcohol stove.
It still tastes good today and is an easy family meal to make with pantry-friendly canned goods, plus it’s gluten-free and dairy-free. I don’t know where it got its name. I assume that because of the pineapple and sweet potatoes this dish was considered somewhat exotic back in the fifties. At least if you ever stock your own bomb-shelter, you’ll have a period-appropriate meal to serve to the kiddies.
To make a complete meal, serve with Italian green beans or canned spinach and a hot bread.
South Seas Supper
Ingredients
- 29 ounce can sweet potatoes, well-drained
- 20 ounce can pineapple rings or crushed pineapple, well-drained, reserve juice
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter or alternative of your choice
- 12 ounce can SPAM OR 16 ounce canned ham
- Mustard
Directions
Lightly oil an 8-inch square or round pan. Drain the pineapple juice and reserve it. Place the drained sweet potatoes in the pan and mash them with a fork. Arrange the drained pineapple attractively over the sweet potatoes, lapping as necessary. In a small saucepan combine 2 or 3 tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice, the butter and brown sugar. Heat over a low flame until bubbly. Pour this over the pineapple and sweet potatoes.
Cut the SPAM or ham into 8-thin slices. Spread a little mustard on each slice. Arrange the meat attractively over the sweet potatoes and pineapple. Bake in a hot oven, about 450° for 20 to 25 minutes. The juice should be bubbly and the meat lightly browned. Serve hot. Makes 3 to 4-servings. This one is a real family pleaser.
Note that any leftover pineapple juice may be drunk or mixed with kool-aid, lemonade or iced tea and served as your beverage with the meal.