Ok ladies, I need some help. Got a pot luck on Thursday for the playgroup since weather won't support our other plans. They want the theme to be tropical. So any recipes that are yummy and tropical please respond with! I would prefer not a drink, too many others are doing drinks. I do really well with desserts, but a cheap yummy side dish or main dish would work as well.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Ok when I think of tropical I think of pineapple here is an idea I got this from the foodnetwork website but I have made them before and they are super good!

12 jumbo shrimp, deveined
1/4 fresh pineapple cut into bite sized chunks or 1 (14-ounce) can pineapple chunks in natural juice, drained
6 slices center-cut bacon, cut in 1/2 crosswise
12 wooden toothpicks


Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Holding a shrimp, nest a chunk of pineapple in the natural curve of the shrimp then wrap bacon around the shrimp and pineapple and secure with a wooden toothpick. Wrap and secure all 12 shrimp then add to the hot pan and cook 3 minutes on each side or until bacon is crisp and shrimp are opaque and firm.

ooh that sounds yummy!!!! :drool i may snag that from ya!

I have a book called Hawaii's best local desserts... want me to look in that for something? There is something in there called Haupia which I love (DH hates it though lol) which has a coconut type flavor. :) Also there is a pineapple upside-down cake.

I'll put the recipes down just incase you want one of those. If not I still have the book with a bunch more that I can go through. :)

Haupia

1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cans frozen coconut milk (12-oz each), thawed

Combine cornstarch, sugar and salt. Stir in 1/2 cup of the coconut milk; blend to form smooth paste. Heat remaining coconut milk and add cornstartch mixture. Cook, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes or until thickened. Pour into 8x8-inch pan. Cool and refrigerate. Cut into 1-1/2 inch squares.


Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1/2 cup butter (1 block)
1 cup brown sugar
1 can crushed pineapple, drained (30-oz)
1 box yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly in pan. Drain fruit. Arrange on sugar mixture.

In large bowl, place cake mix with 1-1/3 cups water and 2 eggs. Do not substitute fruite juice for water. Blend until moistened and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter over pineapple in pan and bake immediately for about 50 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes to set. Invert on rectangle platter.

I second the pineapple upside down cake. They are SOOOOOO good! What we also do to ours is put pecans and pineapple rings on the top (the bottom while it cooks but the top when you flip it over) and they turn out really sweet and glazed from cooking. YUMMMMMMY!

Paula Deen has an awesome recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits. they are super super simple and one of my dad's favorite. You can research it on foodnetwork.com for the recipe.