Pineapple Casserole

5 from 4 votes

Homemade pineapple casserole is sweet, salty, buttery, cheesy, and ridiculously easy to make. This Southern classic is always on the potluck dinner table. And why shouldn’t it be? Nothing says Southern comfort food better than a casserole – especially a sweet and salty one!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 450kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

2 20-ounce cans pineapple chunks in juice
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup pineapple juice, reserved from the can
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Ritz or butter crackers, crushed
4 tablespoons (½ a stick) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉/177℃, spray an 8x8 baking dish with baking spray, and set aside.
Open the can of pineapple chunks and pour through a sieve to drain with a bowl underneath to catch the juice. Gently blot any excess liquid on pineapple chunks using a paper towel. And reserve ¼ cup of pineapple juice.
Transfer pineapple chunks to a medium mixing bowl. Add sugar, flour, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and pineapple juice. Toss well using a spatula until thoroughly combined.
Pour pineapple mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with shredded cheese.
In a small bowl, add crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Mix until butter is fully incorporated. Spread the buttery cracker crumbs evenly on top of the shredded cheese.
Place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown, hot, and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Not only can you serve this casserole as a side or a dessert, but you can also serve it at whatever temperature suits your fancy. Warm out of the oven, room temp, or chilled – anything goes with pineapple casserole! 🙌
Make sure to use the correct size baking dish. If your dish is too small, the pineapple juice could overflow, making a mess of your oven.
You might be tempted to cover this dish because it’s a casserole, but you’ll want to skip that with this recipe for a buttery topping crisp with a hint of pineapple caramelization. However, if you notice the casserole getting too browned before cook time is up, you can totally tent a little foil over it.
You can also use sweet fresh pineapple for this recipe. Clean pineapple and cut it into chunks for 4-5 cups of fresh pineapple.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition