Start With Canned Pineapple

Canned pineapple. No one ever claimed that's a gourmet ingredient. But it's incredibly useful in the kitchen. A whole fresh pineapple can be tricky to purchase ripe and takes some time, skill, and muscle to prepare.

There are several types of canned pineapple: crushed, tidbits, chunks, and rings, so keep in mind what type of recipe you're buying it for.

Start With Canned Pineapple

• Sweet and Sour Ground Beef
  Canned pineapple is used in most sweet and sour recipes. This easy recipe is a nice change of pace because you use ground beef.
• Pineapple Lamb Chops
  Like mint, the strong flavors of pineapple cut through the fatty richness of lamb in a delicious way. This recipe is one of my favorites.
• Carrot Pineapple Freeze
  On really hot summer days, this salad makes a perfect breakfast served with a bakery muffin. It's pretty too; very cooling, with its soft colors.
• Pineapple Cake
  This scratch sheet cake tastes fresh and sweet. And it's easy to make. It's topped with a cream cheese frosting that adds the perfect finishing touch.
• 24 Hour Salad
  Despite its utilitarian name, this salad is luscious. I really should rename it, but I've always called it 24 Hour Salad.
• Crab Cakes with Fruit Salsa
  Crab cakes are always welcome, of course, but when paired with this sweet and hot salsa, they will fly off the plate.
• Best Carrot Cake
  This easy recipe for carrot cake really is the best. Crushed pineapple keeps it moist and adds a sweet flavor without a ton of sugar.
• Pineapple Walnut Quick Bread
  This recipe makes two large loaves of moist and tender quick bread. It's perfect for breakfast on the run, or a coffee break.
• Sweet and Sour Scallops
  Finally, make some scallops with a delicious sweet and sour glaze. If you'd like, you can use shrimp or cubed firm fish, such as halibut, in place of the scallops.