This sweet southern pineapple casserole could be a side dish…or a dessert! This unique recipe with pineapple, cheddar cheese and butter crackers is always a hit.
Pineapple Casserole Recipe
Full honesty here. The first time my grandma made this recipe for a family picnic I thought she was crazy. Pineapple, cheese…and crackers? I didn’t know whether to be grossed out or intrigued. My curiosity got the best of me and I ended up trying easy pineapple casserole that day. I should have just stayed away because now I can’t stop eating it. It’s strange, I’ll admit, but it’s also addicting.
Whether you call it scalloped pineapple, pineapple casserole or baked pineapple, let’s just agree that it is a delicious southern side dish that goes perfect with a ham dinner. Ideal for Easter!
Pineapple Cheese Casserole
The first strange thing about this recipe is that it calls for shredded cheddar cheese. I have no idea why this works but it totally does. I recommend shredding a block of sharp cheddar cheese yourself. This will allow the cheese to melt smoothly and give you the best texture.
Pineapple Casserole with Ritz Crackers
The buttery Ritz crackers on the top are so, so perfect.The salty crackers cut back on the sweet of the pineapple in a perfect way. Crush the crackers, toss them with butter and sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the pineapple mixture.
I like to use a deep dish 9″ pie plate to serve this casserole. You can use an 8×8 pan or a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake the casserole at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes. The top will get nicely golden brown.
Easy Side Dishes for Ham
- Easy Baked Ham
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Italian Green Beans
- Green Bean Casserole
- Sweet Potato Puffs
- Sweet Potato Casserole
Other Pineapple Recipes
Pineapple Casserole
Ingredients
- 20 ounces pineapple tidbits (reserve 1/4 cup juice) (drained)
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple (drained)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 40 Ritz butter crackers
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Drain the cans of pineapple but reserve 1/4 cup juice. Set the juice aside.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cheese, pineapple juice, tidbits, and crushed pineapple.
- Pour the mixture into a deep dish 9" pie plate or 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, mix the cracker crumbs and the butter.
- Sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the pineapple mixture.
- Bake for 35 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I made it today and something went wrong! It’s extremely bitter tasting. I followed the recipe, except I baked it in a pie crust. Any ideas as to what happened to make it bitter??
It’s an amazing recipe! I can’t wait to make it for family dinners or to feed a crowd!
This is one of our Easter go to’s. We love Pineapple Casserole!
Never made that kind of casserole. Keeping for Easter! Thank you !
I’m fixing this for Easter this year. It just sounds so yummy!
Well, I fixed it for Easter today and there isn’t a speck left over! Delicious!!
I used to make a pineapple casserole years ago. My recipe was all tidbits. I thought the same thing about the strange combination. It really is a good casserole.
Made this for a side dish for Easter and it was awesome. I was afraid it would be too sweet but it was perfect ! This recipe is a keeper.
Can this be made a day in advance, stored in refrigerator and baked the next day?
I have made this recipe numerous times and it is as good leftover (smiley)if you have any for left overs ,it is a wonderful recipe.We love it any time of the year.
Wow, is this good! Made it exactly as written. Can’t wait to make this again with Christmas ham!
Just made this for the first time ever and it was a hit! My husband isn’t a fan of pineapple but he said he would like it if it had two cans of crushed pineapple instead of one crushed and one tidbit. It was amazing, though! I can’t wait to make it again.
There is a potluck at work that I want to make this for, but was thinking for transport I should do it in the crock pot. Ever done that? Any suggestions?
Can this be doubled and put in a 9-1/2 x 13 casserole dish?
We had this for Christmas dinner with Lamb and it was fantastic. It cut through the richness of the lamb.
This recipe is my favorite I have found so far. I love love love the mix of chunky and crushed pineapple. Highly recommend this recipe!
Can you cut the amount of sugar in half?
What do you do with the reserved juice from pineapple? Very confusing!
Be sure to use a brand-name cans of pineapples.. off brands in the tidbits are sometimes hard to chew.. it ruins your pie…. I usually just use the crushed because of this.. Nothing like having to spit your pineapples in a napkin !! I had to do this last Sunday at a party… the tidbits were tough. I have used the sliced pineapples in my casserole, but around the center hole and the outside of the sliced pineapple is also hard… it’s all the edges that are tough… I have cut all of that off… if that was all I… Read more »