1cancrushed pineapple in 100% juice,drained (20 ounce can)
1canpineapple tidbits in 100% juice,drained, reserve ⅓ cup juice, (20 ounce can)
½cupgranulated sugar
⅓cupall-purpose flour
1cupshredded sharp Cheddar cheese,or a cheddar cheese blend
4tablespoonssalted or unsalted butter,melted
30Ritz crackers,crushed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Drain the canned pineapple and reserve a third of a cup of juice.
Whisk the sugar, flour, and reserved pineapple juice in a medium-sized bowl until it is smooth and creamy. Add the drained pineapple and mix well.
Grease an 8" x 8" inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Pour the pineapple mixture into the dish and spread it out evenly.
Top the pineapple mixture with the shredded cheese.
Crush the Ritz crackers and add the melted butter. Sprinkle the cracker mixture evenly over the cheese layer.
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
If you have them, leftovers will last covered in the fridge for up to four days.
While leftovers are delicious cold, they can also be reheated in the microwave for a minute or in a 350° F oven for ten minutes.
This recipe calls for half a cup of sugar, which is what I use. But feel free to reduce the amount or leave it out altogether. Taste your pineapple first; if it's really sweet, you might not need as much sugar.
Pineapple casserole is very versatile. Not only is it a great side dish, but it's sweet enough for dessert. Try topping leftovers with a dollop of whipped cream or serve it over vanilla ice cream or a piece of pound cake.
You can make this casserole ahead by following the directions to make the filling and top it with shredded cheese. Do not add the cracker topping or bake it. Also, go ahead and crush the crackers and mix them with the melted butter but do not add them to the casserole. Then, when ready to bake the casserole, add the cracker topping and bake as directed.