Paula Deen Pineapple Casserole is the Southern side dish that surprises everyone the first time: juicy pineapple chunks baked with sharp cheddar in a sweet, bubbling sauce under a golden, buttery cracker crust. It is sweet and savory at the same time, and it belongs next to a holiday ham or on a potluck table.
How to make Paula Deen pineapple casserole: Stir sugar and flour together, fold in shredded cheddar and drained pineapple chunks, and spread it in a greased dish. Top with cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter and a little pineapple juice, then bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
Why You’ll Love It
- Six ingredients: sugar, flour, cheddar, canned pineapple, crackers and butter.
- Sweet and savory: tangy pineapple and sharp cheddar in every spoonful.
- Crunchy top: a buttery, golden cracker crust over a soft, saucy filling.
- Serves 8: ten minutes of prep and about half an hour in the oven.
Ingredient Notes
Pineapple chunks: Two 20-ounce cans. Drain them well, but save 6 tablespoons of the juice for the topping before you pour the rest away. I set the measured juice aside first, so I do not drain it all out of habit.
Sharp cheddar: Two cups, grated. Sharp cheddar is the one to use here. Grate it yourself from a block if you can.
Sugar and flour: One cup of sugar and 6 tablespoons of flour, stirred together first. The cheese goes into this dry mix so every shred gets coated.
Butter crackers: One cup of crumbs from buttery round crackers such as Ritz. Crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, or pulse them briefly in a food processor.
Butter: Eight tablespoons (one stick), melted, plus a little extra for greasing the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 cans (20 ounces each) pineapple chunks, drained, 6 tablespoons juice reserved
- 1 cup butter cracker crumbs, such as Ritz
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for greasing the dish
How to Make Paula Deen Pineapple Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a medium casserole dish (about 8×12 inches) with butter.
2. Mix the sugar, flour and cheese. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Gradually stir in the cheese so it is coated in the dry mixture.
3. Add the pineapple. Add the drained pineapple chunks and stir gently until everything is evenly combined. Spread the mixture in the prepared dish.
4. Make the topping. In another bowl, stir the cracker crumbs, melted butter and reserved pineapple juice with a rubber spatula until the crumbs are fully moistened and clumping slightly.
5. Top. Spread the crumb mixture evenly over the pineapple, covering the whole surface.
6. Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbly. Let it cool slightly before serving.
The Buttery Cracker Topping
The topping is what people go back for, so give it a minute of attention. Stir the crumbs with the melted butter and the reserved pineapple juice until there are no dry crumbs left. It should look damp and hold together in small clumps when you press it with the spatula.
Spread the crumbs all the way to the edges of the dish, not just in the middle. You want a full lid of crust, with the sauce bubbling up around the sides. When the top is deep golden and the edges are bubbling, it is ready.
I use the full stick of butter and the full cup of crumbs, because a thin topping leaves bare patches where the pineapple shows through.
A Sweet and Savory Holiday Side
Cheese and pineapple sound like an odd pair until you taste them together. The pineapple is sweet and tangy, the sharp cheddar is salty and rich, and the sauce that forms in the oven is somewhere between a fruit filling and a cheese sauce. The buttery crackers on top make it feel like a casserole rather than a dessert.
That balance is why it shows up at Southern holiday dinners and potlucks, and why it is so good next to baked ham. The sweetness plays against the salty meat the same way a glaze does.
Tips for Success
Why is my pineapple casserole watery?
The pineapple was not drained well. Let the chunks sit in a colander for a few minutes and shake it once or twice, after you have measured out the 6 tablespoons of juice for the topping.
Why is the cheese in clumps?
It went into the sugar and flour all at once. Add it a handful at a time and stir after each one, so the shreds stay separate.
Variations
- Square-pan pineapple casserole: for a 9-inch square dish, drain 2 (20-ounce) cans of pineapple tidbits and keep 1/4 cup of the juice. Whisk the juice with 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour, fold in the pineapple and 2 cups sharp cheddar, then sprinkle on 1 1/2 cups crushed butter crackers (about 1 sleeve) and drizzle 4 tablespoons of melted butter over the top. Bake at 350°F until golden and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes, and let it sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- Spiced topping: mix 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg into the cracker crumbs and melted butter. Brown sugar can stand in for the white sugar in the filling.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions in the oven or microwave to 165°F; the cracker topping will be softer than when it was fresh.
What to Serve With It
Set it next to baked ham or slow cooker ham steaks, with green beans and rolls. For a full Southern holiday table, add Paula Deen’s Southern cornbread dressing. If you love pineapple, try the custard-style pineapple bake, Hawaiian pineapple coconut fluff or Southern pineapple cake, and for another buttery cracker topping, Ritz cracker chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pineapple casserole a side dish or a dessert?
It is served as a side dish, most often next to baked ham at holidays and potlucks. The sharp cheddar and buttery crackers keep it on the savory side of sweet.
Can I serve it cold?
Yes. It is good warm, at room temperature or chilled, which makes it easy to set out on a buffet.
Can I make it less sweet?
Yes. Cut the sugar to 1/2 cup. For a crunchier top at the same time, use 1 1/2 cups of cracker crumbs with 3 to 4 tablespoons of melted butter and about 1 tablespoon of the reserved juice.
Is this the pineapple casserole made with eggs?
No. The baked pineapple casserole with eggs is a separate dish with the same name: undrained crushed pineapple, sugar, beaten eggs, butter and vanilla, baked until a knife in the center comes out clean, with no cheese, flour or cracker topping. This one is the cheddar version, with drained pineapple chunks under a buttery cracker crust.
What are the ingredients in pineapple casserole?
Six: canned pineapple chunks, sugar, all-purpose flour, sharp cheddar, crushed butter crackers and butter. The drained pineapple is stirred into the sugar, flour and cheddar, and a little of the pineapple juice goes into the buttered cracker topping.
Final Notes
Give the casserole a few minutes on the counter before you scoop the first serving. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Paula Deen Pineapple Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 2 cans pineapple chunks 20 ounces each, drained, 6 tablespoons juice reserved
- 1 cup butter cracker crumbs such as Ritz
- 8 tablespoons butter melted, plus more for greasing the dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a medium casserole dish (about 8x12 inches) with butter.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Gradually stir in the cheese so it is coated in the dry mixture.
- Add the drained pineapple chunks and stir gently until everything is evenly combined. Spread the mixture in the prepared dish.
- In another bowl, stir the cracker crumbs, melted butter and reserved pineapple juice with a rubber spatula until the crumbs are fully moistened and clumping slightly.
- Spread the crumb mixture evenly over the pineapple, covering the whole surface.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbly. Let it cool slightly before serving.
