Southern Pineapple Casserole
Less common than other casseroles, this pineapple casserole typically finds a place on some Southern dining tables every spring. It’s made with just 6 ingredients that don’t exactly sound like they go together, but somehow really do. Whether you make it a side dish or a dessert, this is one low effort, low cost recipe that’ll really surprise your tastebuds.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Pineapple casserole is remarkably simple, calling for just 6 pantry-staple ingredients (well, 4 and some cheese and butter). You can keep the ingredients on hand and throw the casserole together in 30-45 minutes whenever a sweet & savory craving hits.
- Depending on who you ask, this is one of those recipes that people either REALLY LOVE or have never heard of once in their lives. I don’t know any one of my friends who had this growing up, but in some Southern houses, pineapple casserole was an absolute must for Easter lunch. Of course, it’s also a solid option for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime really.
Chef’s Tips
- Go with canned pineapple in your casserole rather than fresh. Canned pineapple is typically softer and a little sweeter than fresh pineapple, which is perfect here. Plus you can find canned pineapple year-round, making this recipe great for any season.
- You can dress your casserole up a little differently each time you make it, serving it as a side dish or a dessert depending on the finishing touches. A sprinkle of crushed pecans across the top of the Ritz topping amplifies the desserty aspect of the dish, or use a mixture of sharp cheeses to play up the savory side of things.
- For a slightly different texture, use 1 can of pineapple chunks and 1 can of crushed pineapple.
More Delicious & Budget-Friendly Recipes
- Chicken and Spinach Manicotti
- Mochi Brownies
- 3-Ingredient Banana Pudding
- Meatball Casserole
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Fries
Southern Pineapple Casserole
Made with sweet canned pineapple, sharp cheddar cheese, and buttery Ritz crackers, this delicious pineapple casserole is full of flavor and super easy to make.
- oven
- large mixing bowl
- silicone spatula
- 8×8 casserole dish
- small mixing bowl
- small microwave-safe bowl
- fork
- 2 20-ounce cans pineapple chunks (juice drained & reserved)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ¼ sleeves Ritz crackers (40 crackers)
- ½ cup butter
Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Add pineapple chunks, 5 tablespoons pineapple juice, flour, and sugar to large mixing bowl. Stir until ingredients are fully incorporated.
Transfer mixture to casserole dish and spread mixture out into one even layer covering bottom of casserole dish.
Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over top of pineapple mixture and set casserole dish aside.
Crumble Ritz crackers into small-to-medium pieces and place in small mixing bowl.
Place butter in microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between each, until butter is melted but not bubbling. Carefully remove melted butter from microwave and pour into bowl of crumbled crackers.
Stir to coat cracker crumbs in melted butter, then sprinkle cracker mixture evenly over top of shredded cheese.
Place casserole dish in preheated oven. Bake 30 minutes or until cracker mixture on top of casserole is golden brown and cheese is melted. Carefully remove dish from oven and serve warm.
- Cheddar Cheese: I recommend shredding your own cheese from a block of cheddar if possible, rather than buying the prepackaged, pre-shredded cheeses. Those contain added starches to prevent clumping, but the starches keep the cheese from melting as well as it should. If you’re on a tight budget, though, the prepackaged cheese will absolutely work, so don’t be discouraged!
- Leftovers: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until just warmed through.
Delicious! I made this tonight and I just finished my bowl, ready for another “couple bites”! 😉 The only thing I changed was adding a more crushed crackers to the pineapple mixture, I like a lot of crunch. Easy to put together, easier to eat! This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you so much, Tricia! So happy you enjoyed it!