Pineapple Casserole

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Pineapple Casserole might sound odd but it is delicious! This is a classic Southern dish that’s great as a side or dessert paired with ham.

This Southern side is perfect for all of your favorite holidays- Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter! Serve up with some Slow Cooker Ham and any of your favorite holiday side dishes.

Southern Pineapple Casserole in a white dish

Pineapple Casserole

This may seem like one of those weird recipes that just shouldn’t work. Cheese, pineapples, and crackers- shouldn’t those be seperate on something like a cheese board? It looks and sounds weird… but you have to trust me on this one: the flavors in this baked pineapple dish are amazing! Whether you need a side dish to go with your ham this Easter or you’re looking for a new southern recipe to try, this recipe for Pineapple Casserole is worth a look.

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Pineapple Cheese Casserole in a dish

Let’s get some of the easy stuff out of the way: this is a very simple recipe to make. The ingredients list is nice and short and the prep is way easy- it’s a casserole, after all. You just gotta throw your filling together, add your topping, and let everything bake. I love that- easy prep for a delicious dish! I wish I could fully describe the taste to you- but it’s something you really have to try to understand. It’s sweet, with a bit of saltiness, and a little bit of a creamy texture to it.

Text on image Pineapple Casserole

Like we said, this would make for an excellent Easter side dish or maybe even a dessert. Pineapple dishes pair really well with ham and this recipe is no exception. It looks weird but, seriously, this is a special recipe that you just have to try! We know you’re going to love it!

Text on image Pineapple Casserole

Loved this recipe? Try these cheesy casserole recipes next!

  • Our Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole is perfect for breakfasts or as a dinner side! Loaded up with cheese and all sorts of creamy ingredients, it’s great if you’re needing some delicious comfort food. A must-make dish for potlucks or serving large crowds.
  • Funeral Potatoes are another delicious cheesy potato dish you’re going to love. It’s got a similar delicious filling to our hash brown casserole- with a few added spices- with a crispy cornflake topping! Despite the grim name, this tasty recipe might be your new favorite.
  • Even veggie haters are going to love this recipe for Asparagus Casserole. Eating your greens can be a bit of a chore… but not when you serve them up in a delicious cheese sauce! We could’ve stopped the recipe right there but we decided to top it all off with a crispy parmesan and bread crumb topping. Let that all crisp up under a broiler- delish!

Text on image Pineapple Casserole

Ingredients for our Pineapple Bake

  • Pineapple Tidbits – Make sure to save about 1/3 cup of the juice before draining off the rest.
  • Crushed Pineapple
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Flour
  • Sharp Cheddar CheeseIdeally, you’d want to use freshly-grated cheese for this recipe.
  • Ritz Crackers – Or your favorite brand of butter crackers.
  • Butter

Ingredients for Pineapple Bake

How to make Pineapple Casserole with Cheese

This is a nice and easy casserole recipe. Prep is very easy- here’s what you need to do:
  1. Combine your pineapple and sugar in a large bowl before adding the flour then folding in the cheese.
  2. Top your casserole with a crushed butter cracker topping before putting in a preheated oven.
  3. Allow to bake for about 40 minutes, optionally topping with aluminum foil if the crackers brown too quickly.

Pineapple and sugar in bowl

We’ll start this recipe off by first getting our filling mixed up. In a large mixing bowl, combine your crushed pineapple and tidbits, your sugar, and some reserved pineapple juice. Give those a quick mix until the sugar has dissolved before adding in the flour and mixing until no dry clumps remain.

Flour added to pineapple mixture

After that, we’re going to add in our shredded cheese. No need to do a super-fine shred here. Once that’s added to the bowl, fold to combine.

Folding in the cheese with pineapple

That’s our filling all dealt with! Now, we can transfer it over to a heavily-greased baking dish or pie plate.

Baked Pineapple Casserole in a dish

The next thing we have to deal with is our cracker topping. To a mixing bowl, add your Ritz crackers. Give them a quick crushing until you have a consistency you prefer- try not to go too fine or your cracker topping may burn real quick. Melt your butter and pour it over your crackers before giving a quick mix to ensure even coverage.

Crushed Ritz Crackers with butter in a bowl

Top your casserole with the crushed crackers, trying to get that coating as even as possible.

Pineapple Baked Casserole topped with cracker mixture

All that’s left now is to bake! Transfer your casserole to an awaiting 350 degree oven and allow to bake for about 35-40 minutes. Keep an eye on it- if you find the cracker topping is browning too quickly, pull the casserole from the oven and cover it with some aluminum foil. Put it back in and let it finish baking- the foil should keep the crackers from burning or browning too much.

Baked pineapple side dish

Once your casserole is heated through and the top has browned to your liking, pull it from the oven. Scoop out a generous portion, plate it up, and enjoy!

Pineapple bake in casserole dish

How to store leftover casserole

You can keep your leftovers in the fridge or in the freezer. Kept in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge, this dish should be good for about 3-4 days. You can also cover and keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, just toss in the oven and let bake until heated back through.

Southern pineapple side dish on a spoon

Can you make Pineapple Casserole ahead of time?

If you’d like to make this casserole ahead of time, we’d recommend prepping the filling in your casserole dish and placing in the fridge. Covered with plastic wrap, it should be able to sit in the fridge for a day or two before you decide to bake it. When it comes time to bake your casserole, simply prep the cracker topping, sprinkle it over your dish, and then let bake. You may want to add an additional 5 minutes to the cook time just to make sure everything gets heated through.

Closeup on pineapple casserole

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Pineapple Casserole

Pineapple Casserole might sound odd but it is delicious! This is a classic Southern dish that's great as a side or dessert paired with ham.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 40 oz Pineapple Tidbits, (2 cans)
  • 20 oz Crushed Pineapple
  • 1/3 Cup Reserved Pineapple Juice
  • 1/2 Cup Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 8 oz Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 2 sleeves Ritz Crackers, (approx. 60 Crackers)
  • 3/4 cup Butter, melted

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Heavily grease an 8x8" casserole dish or deep-dish pie plate.
  • Drain pineapple and crushed pineapple, reserving 1/3 cup of the juice.
  • In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, crushed pineapple, juice, and sugar.
  • Add flour and stir to combine
  • Fold in shredded cheese.
  • Add crushed crackers to a medium-sized bowl.
  • Pour melted butter over crackers and stir to coat.
  • Add cracker mixture to the top of the pineapple mixture.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Notes

If the cracker topping gets dark too early in the baking process, top it with aluminum foil to avoid a burning.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 333mg, Potassium: 318mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 923IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 246mg, Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Long pin collage text banner Pineapple Casserole A Classic Southern Dish

Long pin collage text banner Pineapple Casserole A Classic Southern Dish

Long pin collage text banner Pineapple Casserole A Classic Southern Dish

About Jen Lunsford

A lover of food and frugal living. A wife to a wonderful hubby, momma to 5 fun kiddos. Welcome to my blog. You will find REAL TASTY RECIPES. Be sure to subscribe to my email list and follow me on social media, to never miss a recipe.

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3 Comments

  1. Oh my gosh, this brings back memories. I used to make this a lot when we were first married. (47 years ago). Thank you so much for reintroducing it to my recipe collection. I know he will be very excited when I make it for him.

    1. Hi Claudia! Thank you for catching that the step was missing. I have updated the recipe to include the crushed cracker and butter mixture.