Toast Hawaii (Baked Ham and Pineapple Sandwich)

toast Hawaii on a white plate, garnished with green onions.

5 from 5 votes

Toast Hawaii (Baked Ham and Pineapple Sandwich)

Toast Hawaii is a super simple German nostalgia food at its best, invented in the 50's by bringing pineapple, ham and cheese together on toast. As a kids favorite food, we made it all the time growing up in Germany.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: German

Keyword: Baked sandwich recipe, German kids meal, German toast hawaii recipe, ham and pineapple recipe, Quick dinner recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 493kcal

Equipment

2 Baking Sheets
1 Garlic Press I love this one and use it almost every day!
1 Pineapple corer Optional, but a great tool for when using fresh pineapple a lot!

Ingredients

8 slices white sandwich bread
8 slices cooked, smoked ham
8 slices American cheese
8 pineapple rings I use fresh pineapple because it tastes so much better, but traditionally you use canned pineapple.
2 cloves garlic minced
50 grams butter room temperature
peruvian pickled peppers optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit / 180° Celsius.
Prep two baking sheets with parchment paper and place 8 slices of bread on them, next to each other.
Mince the garlic (or use my favorite garlic press), and using a fork, mix in with the butter. Add a pinch of sea salt.
Now proceed in this order: Spread garlic butter on the top of each bread slice, add one slice of ham to each bread slice, add a pineapple ring each, add the cheese on top and the Peruvian pickled peppers (optional) in the middle (they will sink down as they bake).
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and starts to brown.
Serve immediately with a green salad or on its own.

Video

Notes

Maraschino cherries are traditionally used as a pop of color when making Toast Hawaii, although my mom never used them. Instead I use pickled Peruvian peppers as I love the sweet taste with a hint of spice. You can also use nothing in the middle of your Toast Hawaii and I promise it will taste just as great.

Using canned pineapple is just fine for making Toast Hawaii, however I love using fresh for mine and I think it really adds to the overall taste of this dish.

Nutrition