Description
This Pineapple Casserole is a delightful sweet and savory dish that combines sharp cheddar cheese with juicy pineapple tidbits and a buttery cracker crumb topping. Baked to golden perfection, it makes a perfect side for ham dinners or a comforting dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- One 20oz can pineapple tidbits, drained and squeezed
- One 20oz can crushed pineapple, drained and squeezed
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 40 Ritz crackers, crushed (or other butter type cracker)
Fruit
Dairy
Topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square or about 1½ quart baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Mix Base Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add both drained and squeezed pineapple tidbits and crushed pineapple. Stir in the grated sharp cheddar cheese evenly until well combined.
- Prepare Cracker Topping: In a separate medium bowl, crush the Ritz crackers finely. Pour the melted butter over the crushed crackers and stir to coat all bits evenly.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour the pineapple-cheese mixture into the greased baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the buttery crushed cracker topping over the pineapple mixture.
- Bake: Place the assembled casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cracker crumbs on top turn golden brown and the casserole is heated through.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow it to set.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve warm either as a sweet-savory side dish, especially alongside ham, or as a dessert depending on your preference.
Notes
- This pineapple casserole pairs wonderfully with a ham dinner as a complementary side dish.
- The recipe can double as a dessert due to its sweet and cheesy flavor profile.
- Make sure to squeeze out all juice from the canned pineapple to avoid a soggy casserole.
- Ritz crackers provide a buttery topping that crisps nicely; substituting with another buttery cracker is possible but will alter flavor slightly.
- Allowing the casserole to rest after baking ensures better slicing and serving consistency.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 casserole (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
