If you ask my wife, no family gathering is complete without the Pineapple Cheese Casserole. It’s her absolute favorite. My mom has been making sure it was on the menu especially for her for as long as I can remember.
The unusual but delicious conglomeration of tangy, sweet pineapple pieces, sharp cheddar cheese, and buttery cracker crumbs satisfies that sweet and salty craving with perfection. And it’s the perfect complement to a Thanksgiving feast or a regular weeknight supper – regardless of whatever else is on the table.
While there are quite a few variations on the recipe out there, this one is our version with a few tweaks to get it just like we like it (that happens after you make something a couple hundred times!) I bet you’ll like it too! Y’all enjoy!
Pineapple Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained with juice reserved
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 sleeve buttery round crackers, crushed (about 1 3/4 cups crushed) I used Ritz.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and pray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Drain the pineapple very well and reserve 6 tablespoons of the juice for the recipe.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and 6 tablespoons of the juice. Add the pineapple and mix well. Pour it into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
- In a medium bowl, add the melted butter to the crushed cracker crumbs and stir to coat them in the butter. Sprinkle them evenly over the cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes and then allow the casserole to rest for about 10 minutes and thicken before serving.
We started having Thanksgiving with friends several years ago and this strange dish was on their menu. I thought they were nuts – until i tried it. Now, I look forward to this insanely delicious, but very weird casserole every year. Who knew there were other people making it too? Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m going to bring it to my office potluck!
It’s crazy sounding, but so good! I hope your coworkers will enjoy it!
This is a dish I must try. I love cheese and pineapple together. Thanks for sharing.
Yes! Such a great combo!
Wow! This strange combination sounds incredibly delicious! I bet it would be awesome with a ham dinner! Pinning!
I sure hope you’ll enjoy it!
Do you think crushed pineapple would work as a substitute for the chunks?
I haven’t made this yet although I will be! My thought is that the pineapple chunks would add a bit of a crunch in the midst of the cheese, crushed crackers, etc. More texture, if you will. 😊
🙂
My recipe of fifteen years calls for crushed pineapple, but I prefer the tidbits. Any kind will work…it is always delicious!
Yep! I’ve seen it both ways. We just prefer the chunks.
It will. I’ve seen and had it both ways. We just prefer the chunks for texture variation.
Heather is right! This is a wonderful classic side dish for holidays and all the other days of the year. We love it.
I couldn’t agree more! 🙂
Do you recommend shredding your own cheese…. or is the bags of shredded okay?? Thanks! 🙂
You are welcome to shred it yourself, but the thicker shredded bagged stuff works just fine with this one. Enjoy!
DO YOU THINK THIS WOULD WORK IN A CROCK POT? OR BAKE FIRST THEN TRANSFER IT TO A CROCK POT?
That’s a great question! I’m honestly not sure. I’ve not tested it that way, so I can’t say for sure.
My family’s favorite. Always have to triple the recipe.
I have had this recipe for years now. It’s one even my picky hubs will eat. It is just that good! I have a question though. My dil is allergic to pineapple. Do you think apples would be a good substitute, and if so, which do you suggest?
I’m not sure about apples. While I love apples and cheese together, based on texture, I would think another canned fruit like peaches or something soft would be better. That said, I’m just not sure how the flavors would work with something other than pineapple.
I used apple in a similar dish for years and it’s a hit. I use Stouffer’s frozen Harvest Apples and it’s perfect. Never thought to try pineapple, but I’ll have to now!
I’m so glad you shared that! I think using the frozen apples is a GREAT idea! Thanks for chiming in!!
Can tou make this ahead and freeze it?
You can assemble and and freeze it unbaked. I’ve not done it, though so I’m not sure about the end result. You might find this helpful. http://dish.allrecipes.com/best-make-and-freeze-casseroles/
Just had to give this a try and I’m so glad I did – It truly is delicious! Didn’t try to match it with any specific main course and still can’t think of anything in particular to serve it with, but might try grilled pork chops.
Pork always works well with sweet sides, so I think that sounds great! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I was thinking some finely chopped pecans would be good in this! Anyone ever tried it?
I think it sounds like a GREAT addition!
My Mother used to serve this. Glad to get the recipe. Thanks for posting.
Hope you’ll enjoy!!
Hi there! I’m making this for the first time. Do I bake it covered or uncovered? Thanks!
You should bake it uncovered. Enjoy!
Stacey: I made your Pineapple Cheese Casserole to go with my slice of air fried ham for TG. I made 1/2 of a batch because there’s only me, I’d never had it, didn’t know if I’d like it, and yes, it does sound weird. 8) However, it’s darn good, and as several people have said, Heather is right.
Since you said your family tweaked it, I was interested to see how others do it-some of them had WAY more butter, and I like your version. One website did say that you could make it with peaches, so Lynda could do this for her d-i-l who is allergic to pineapple. I don’t know how it’d be with those, or how much you’d use, but it might be worth trying some time. Thanks for the recipe!
Great ideas, Kathy! Thanks for the research and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving. It’s very sweet and got rave reviews.
So glad y’all enjoyed it!!
I prefer 1 can of crushed pineapple and 1 can pineapple tid bits combined. Makes more delish casserole. I also add lightly sprinkle chopped toasted pecans before baking.
Love the addition of pecans!
I decrease the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup and it is sweet enough!
I have also served this on a slice of pound cake with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream for dessert.
Yum!
I am a type 1 diabetic and am wondering if you can use the pineapple packed in pineapple juice instead of syrup to cut down on sugar?
Yep! The recipe actually calls for the pineapple packed in juice.