Pineapple Casserole
The Southern side dish of sweet pineapple chunks and sharp cheddar, baked under a golden layer of buttered cracker crumbs. A holiday ham essential.
Making Pineapple Casserole Ahead
Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 160°C / 325°F (140°C fan) oven for 15 minutes so the topping crisps again. Do not freeze it, because the cheese and fruit separate.
How to Make Pineapple Casserole
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C / 320°F fan) and grease a 2 litre baking dish.
-
Drain the pineapple, keeping 6 tablespoons of the juice. Whisk the sugar and flour together in a large bowl, then stir in the reserved juice until smooth.
-
Fold in the pineapple chunks and the cheddar and spoon the mixture into the dish, spreading it level.
-
Mix the crushed crackers with the melted butter and scatter them evenly over the top.
-
Bake for 30 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm.
Worth Knowing
- Drain the pineapple well and keep only the juice that the recipe asks for. Too much liquid makes the casserole watery and the topping soggy.
- Grate your own cheddar. Pre-grated cheese is coated in starch to stop it clumping in the bag, and the coating keeps it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
- Scatter the buttered crumbs right to the edges of the dish. The crust protects the pineapple from drying out and adds crunch to every spoonful.
Some Background
Pineapple casserole sounds like a mistake to anyone who has not eaten it, and then it disappears from the table faster than anything else. It is a Southern side dish of pineapple chunks mixed with sharp cheddar cheese, sugar and a little flour, topped with buttery cracker crumbs and baked until the top is golden and the middle is bubbling. It is served alongside baked ham at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it turns up at church suppers, family reunions and covered-dish lunches across the South, where it has been a staple for generations. The taste is the point. The pineapple is sweet and sharp, the cheddar is salty and tangy, and the cracker crust is rich and crisp. The sweet and salty balance is the same one that makes ham and pineapple work together, only here it is all in a single dish. It is neither a pudding nor a vegetable, and it is best thought of as a side that goes with the sort of salty roast meat that likes some fruit next to it. Use pineapple canned in juice rather than syrup, because it is less sweet and the juice goes into the sauce, and use a good sharp cheddar, so that the cheese does not disappear behind the fruit.
Serving Ideas
Baked ham · Green beans · Sweet tea
Quick Answers
How long does Pineapple Casserole take to make?
About 40 minutes in total — 10 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 8.
What are the key tips for making Pineapple Casserole?
Drain the pineapple well and keep only the juice that the recipe asks for. Too much liquid makes the casserole watery and the topping soggy. Grate your own cheddar. Pre-grated cheese is coated in starch to stop it clumping in the bag, and the coating keeps it from melting smoothly into the sauce. Scatter the buttered crumbs right to the edges of the dish. The crust protects the pineapple from drying out and adds crunch to every spoonful.
What should I serve with Pineapple Casserole?
Baked ham; Green beans; Sweet tea.
Can Pineapple Casserole be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 160°C / 325°F (140°C fan) oven for 15 minutes so the topping crisps again. Do not freeze it, because the cheese and fruit separate.
Is Pineapple Casserole suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Pineapple Casserole?
About 334 kcal per serving, with 8 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate and 18 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Pineapple Casserole Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
Cooked this? Leave a review
Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
Related Recipes
More American cooking and dinner ideas from Weekly Delight.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown butter, a 24-hour rest and two sizes of chocolate produce cookies with crisp edges, a chewy middle and pools…
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Tall, tender pancakes with a tangy edge and a golden, even surface. The lumps in the batter are not a mistake — they…
Classic Smash Cheeseburger
A smash burger with lace-edged, deeply browned patties, American cheese melted to the edges and a soft toasted bun…
Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
Cocoa-based brownies with a paper-thin crackly top and a dense, fudgy middle. No chocolate to melt, no mixer needed…