A quintessential Easter side dish in the South, Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole is the epitome of a quick and easy recipe! You will be saying yes, please, to a serving of this popular pineapple cheese casserole full of sweet pineapple chunks, and blanketed with a crisp, buttery Ritz cracker topping.
For those of you that have never tasted this delightfully different pineapple casserole, please do me a favor and make it this week. You will wonder how you could have ever done without this delicious dish. Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole pairs beautifully with ham, which is one reason it is so popular around Easter.
This pineapple casserole is scrumptious whether you eat it hot right out of the oven, or cold as leftovers straight out of the refrigerator. My husband loves it cold for breakfast. Oh, and this easy casserole is almost always the first dish scraped clean at potlucks and neighborhood barbecues! And, while I mentioned Easter, baked pineapple casserole is also a great addition to any holiday table. It’s also perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. It just might be the perfect side dish!
More casserole recipes:
We like casseroles in the South, and we have them for every occasion. If you like them too, you will want to check out some of my favorites: Southern Sweet Onion Casserole, Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole, and Easy Spicy Southern Corn Casserole. I’ve even put together an entire post, Easy Dinner Casseroles, that features thirteen of the most popular casserole recipes on my blog.
Now, I know I probably still have a few skeptics, I mean, pineapple, cheddar cheese, and Ritz crackers? How exactly do those ingredients come together to make this old-fashioned pineapple casserole? Well, you will just have to trust me on this one. It does, and they do! So, let’s get started!
How to make Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the sugar, flour and three tablespoons of pineapple juice in a medium-size bowl until it is smooth and creamy.
Add the drained pineapple chunks and mix well to ensure the pineapple chunks are covered with the liquid.
Grease a small baking dish with butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the pineapple mixture in the dish and spread out evenly.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the pineapple mixture.
Place the crackers in a small plastic storage bag and crush them with your hands. Add the butter and squish around until the butter and cracker crumbs are well mixed.
Sprinkle the cracker/butter topping evenly over the top of the cheese.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the pineapple mixture is bubbly.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
- To make this casserole ahead, cover the dish containing the pineapple mixture and cheese with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Before baking, top with the cracker/butter mixture and bake as directed.
- This recipe for Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole calls for 1/4 cup of sugar, which is how I usually make it. But, feel free to reduce the amount or leave it out altogether. Taste your pineapple first; if it’s really sweet, you don’t need as much sugar.
- Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole is very versatile. Not only is it a great side dish, but it’s sweet enough for dessert too! Try topping leftovers with a dollop of whipped cream. Or, serve leftovers over vanilla ice cream or a piece of pound cake.
- This recipe serves four. If you need to feed more folks, simply double or triple the recipe.
If you make this recipe:
Please rate it and let me know what you think in the comments section. I love hearing from you and seeing what you have made!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones! Come back soon!
Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice drained (reserve 3 Tbsp of the juice)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 15 buttery round crackers I used Ritz
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the sugar, flour and three tablespoons of pineapple juice in a medium-size bowl until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the drained pineapple chunks and mix well to ensure the pineapple chunks are covered with the liquid.
- Grease a small baking dish with butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the pineapple mixture in the dish and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the pineapple mixture.
- Place the crackers in a small plastic storage bag and crush them with your hands. Add the butter and squish around until the butter and cracker crumbs are well mixed.
- Sprinkle the cracker/butter topping evenly over the top of the cheese.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the pineapple mixture is bubbly.
Notes
- To make this casserole ahead, cover the dish containing the pineapple mixture and cheese with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Before baking, top with the cracker/butter mixture and bake as directed.
- This recipe for Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole calls for 1/4 cup of sugar, which is how I usually make it. But, feel free to reduce the amount or leave it out altogether. Taste your pineapple first; if it's really sweet, you don't need as much sugar.
- Southern Baked Pineapple Casserole is very versatile. Not only is it a great side dish, but it's sweet enough for dessert too! Try topping leftovers with a dollop of whipped cream or serve it over vanilla ice cream or a piece of pound cake.
- This recipe serves four. If you need to feed more folks, simply double or triple the recipe.
Wow! I’ve never heard of pineapple casserole and now I’m so intrigued by your recipe. Just as you said, what a wonderful idea for a side dish for ham. Thanks so much for sharing.
Great recipe, I tried it and loved it.
Hi James, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you too for taking the time to leave a comment!
All my best,
Sharon