This pineapple casserole is a traditional Southern aspect dish that mixes juicy pineapple, sharp cheddar cheese, and a buttery Ritz cracker topping in a single sweet-and-savory bake. If you’ve by no means tried it earlier than, this recipe is a superb introduction to a vacation favourite that’s straightforward to make and surprisingly crowd-pleasing.
Why This Recipe Works
- Two varieties of pineapple for one of the best texture – Crushed pineapple brings juicy sweetness to each chew, whereas pineapple chunks give the casserole that traditional chunky texture.
- Sharp cheddar retains it from tasting one-note candy – The salty tang of cheddar balances the sugar and pineapple so the casserole tastes sweet-savory, not dessert-like.
- Ritz cracker topping provides buttery crunch – That crispy, salty topping is what makes pineapple casserole unmistakably pineapple casserole.
- Simple components, traditional taste – No fussy extras, simply the old style Southern mixture folks count on.
What is Pineapple Casserole?
Pineapple casserole is a traditional Southern aspect dish that mixes canned pineapple, cheddar cheese, sugar and a buttery cracker topping. Everything will get baked till sizzling and bubbly.
This dish is very common round Easter, Christmas, and ham dinners as a result of it suits that sweet-savory vacation aspect dish custom.
What Makes This Recipe Different
Unlike some variations that lean overly candy or flip watery after baking, this recipe makes use of drained pineapple chunks for texture, crushed pineapple with juice for moisture, and sharp cheddar for stability. The result’s a traditional Southern pineapple casserole that tastes wealthy and buttery with out changing into cloying.
Pineapple Casserole Ingredients
You solely want a brief record of components to make this traditional pineapple casserole recipe. A full record of components with measurements for this recipe is on the market within the printable recipe card beneath.
- Pineapple – Bet you didn’t see that one coming! We use each pineapple chunks and crushed pineapple with the juice to actually get that pineapple taste and texture all through.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Freshly shredded melts higher and tastes bolder than bagged shredded cheese.
- Crushed pineapple in juice – The juice helps create the saucy base.
- Pineapple chunks, drained – Gives the casserole construction with out making it watery.
- Ritz crackers – Classic buttery cracker taste; don’t swap for plain saltines except you completely need to.
- Maraschino cherries – Optional garnish for the retro Southern look
How to Make Pineapple Casserole (Step-by-Step)
Making this southern traditional doesn’t get a lot simpler! Just observe these easy steps.
- Prepare oven and casserole dish. Preheat the oven and grease a casserole dish with chilly butter, put aside.
- Combine pineapple, cheese, sugar and flour. In a big mixing bowl, stir collectively the drained pineapple chunks, crushed pineapple with juice, shredded cheddar cheese, sugar and flour till evenly mixed. Transfer the combination to the casserole dish.
- Top pineapple combination with crushed crackers. Top the combination with chopped Ritz crackers. Melt the unsalted butter within the microwave and drizzle over cracker topping.
- Bake, uncovered, for half-hour or till bubbly. Allow to relaxation for a couple of minutes earlier than serving.
- Top with a cherry. If desired, prime every slice with a stemmed maraschino cherry.
Make it A Meal
Because this pineapple casserole is normally served across the holidays- particularly Easter, it’s usually served with issues like ham, pork roast or roast turkey. But in fact, you may serve it with any most important dish your coronary heart needs.
In sticking with the vacation theme, I usually prefer to serve this aspect alongside different vacation aspect dishes like Classic Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole or Mashed Potatoes.
Chef Tips for the Best Pineapple Casserole
Whipping up this candy and savory aspect is straightforward as pie, however I do have a number of tricks to level you in the precise route.
- Use freshly shredded cheese – Freshly shredded cheese melts extra evenly and normally tastes higher than pre-shredded cheese.
- Let it relaxation earlier than serving – A brief relaxation helps the filling settle and makes it simpler to spoon and serve.
- Drain the chunks, not the crushed – Keeping the crushed pineapple juice helps create the precise filling consistency, whereas draining the chunks prevents the casserole from changing into too moist.
Commonly Asked Questions
Sharp cheddar provides saltiness and tang, which balances the sweetness of the pineapple and sugar. It sounds odd till you style it, then out of the blue it makes every kind of sense.
Traditionally, it’s served as a aspect dish, particularly with ham or different vacation mains. That stated, it positively walks the sweet-savory line.
Drain the pineapple chunks nicely, maintain solely the crushed pineapple juice referred to as for, and keep away from overloading the dish with further fruit.
Yes, and truthfully that’s the traditional transfer right here. Canned pineapple provides essentially the most constant sweetness and texture. You received’t get the identical outcomes with contemporary and sure, this is without doubt one of the few occasions that I’ll inform you this!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing
Storage: Store leftover pineapple casserole in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Because it comprises fruit, cheese, and butter, it needs to be refrigerated promptly after serving.
Freezing: Pineapple casserole will be frozen, although the topping could lose some crispness after thawing. For greatest outcomes, freeze the casserole earlier than baking or freeze the filling and add a contemporary cracker topping earlier than baking later.
If freezing after baking, cool fully, wrap tightly, and freeze for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. Because the cracker topping is essentially the most texture-sensitive half, a contemporary topping normally provides one of the best remaining consequence.
More Cheesy Side Dishes
Once you’ve acquired the principle dish deliberate, you want one or two equally scrumptious aspect dishes to go along with it!
Pineapple Casserole Recipe
Classic Southern pineapple casserole made with pineapple, sharp cheddar cheese, sugar, and a buttery Ritz cracker topping.
Prevent your display from going darkish
Servings:
- 20 ounces canned pineapple chunks , drained
- 20 ounces canned crushed pineapple , with juice
- 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese , freshly shredded
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (32 crackers) , coarsely chopped
- Stemmed maraschino cherries , for garnish, non-compulsory
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8X8 or 1 ½ quart casserole dish with chilly butter, put aside.
In a big mixing bowl, stir collectively the drained 20 ounces canned pineapple chunks, 20 ounces canned crushed pineapple with juice, shredded 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup flour till evenly mixed. Transfer the combination to the casserole dish.
Top the combination with chopped 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (32 crackers). Melt the ¼ cup unsalted butter within the microwave and drizzle over cracker topping.
Bake, uncovered, for half-hour or till bubbly.
Allow to relaxation for five minutes earlier than serving.
If desired, prime every slice with a stemmed maraschino cherry.
If you have tried this recipe, come again and tell us the way it was within the feedback or star scores.
Freezing: Pineapple casserole will be frozen, although the topping could lose some crispness after thawing. For greatest outcomes, freeze the casserole earlier than baking or freeze the filling and add a contemporary cracker topping earlier than baking later.
If freezing after baking, cool fully, wrap tightly, and freeze for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. Because the cracker topping is essentially the most texture-sensitive half, a contemporary topping normally provides one of the best remaining consequence.
Calories: 329 kcal, Carbohydrates: 46 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0.4 g, Cholesterol: 33 mg, Sodium: 224 mg, Potassium: 210 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 34 g, Vitamin A: 425 IU, Vitamin C: 13 mg, Calcium: 168 mg, Iron: 1 mg
