Pineapple Casserole — The Easter Side Dish Nobody Sees Coming

Sweet, Savory, and Gone Before the Main Course

I know what you are thinking. Pineapple casserole with cheese? Trust me — this pineapple casserole is one of those recipes that sounds absolutely wrong and tastes absolutely right. It has been on our Easter table for as long as I can remember, and every single year someone at the table takes a bite and says the same thing: “Wait — what IS this and why have I never had it before?” Sweet, savory, buttery, with a Ritz cracker crust that is just everything — this dish is a Southern classic and a total crowd-pleaser. (Stephanie’s video is embedded in the recipe card and her story continues after the recipe.)

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Pineapple Casserole

A Southern classic that sounds strange and tastes amazing — sweet crushed pineapple, sharp cheddar cheese, and a buttery Ritz cracker crust baked together in one dish. Perfect for Easter, holidays, and feeding a crowd!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Southern American

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 20 oz cans crushed pineapple, drained (save the juice!)
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed
• 1 stick ½ cup butter, melted

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In an 8×8 baking dish, combine drained pineapple, cheddar cheese, sugar, flour, and pineapple juice. Mix well.
3. Top evenly with crushed Ritz crackers.
4. Pour melted butter over the cracker topping.
5. Cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
6. Serve warm alongside ham or your favorite holiday main dish.

Video

Notes

Don’t skip saving the pineapple juice — it’s key to the filling! This dish is very rich, so a little goes a long way. Plan to make multiple pans if feeding a large crowd.

This casserole pairs beautifully with ham, making it a perfect Easter side dish. It can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated — just add the cracker topping and butter right before baking.

I make this every time we have Ham and it makes it feel like a holiday. Also, I got this recipe from one of those great Kentucky church ladies. The combination of pineapple and sharp cheddar sounds like it should not work — but the sweetness of the pineapple against the savory cheese, bound together with a little sugar and flour and finished with that buttery crushed Ritz crust, is genuinely one of the most addictive things you will ever put in your mouth.

It serves beautifully alongside ham, which is why it is such a perfect Easter side dish. But honestly it works next to just about anything. We are making it tomorrow for a crowd of 30 people across three families — and even though it bakes in an 8×8 dish, it is so rich that a little goes a long way. Plan to make multiple pans if you are feeding a real crowd!

One important tip from the video: save the pineapple juice when you drain the cans. You need 6 tablespoons of it for the recipe and it adds a brightness to the filling that you just cannot replicate with anything else. Do not pour it down the drain! According to Southern Living, pineapple casserole is a true Southern Easter tradition — and once you try it you will completely understand why.

Find the Pyrex baking dish and all the tools I use in my kitchen on my Shop My Kitchen page!

More Crowd-Pleasing Easter and Holiday Sides

Looking for more dishes to round out your holiday table? These are some of my favorites for feeding a crowd!

• Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes — the make-ahead side dish that goes with absolutely everything. Perfect for Easter dinner when oven space is at a premium.
• Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots — sweet, tender, and so easy. A beautiful Easter side that practically makes itself.
• Sunday Pot Roast — if you are feeding a crowd beyond Easter, this is the one. Potatoes, carrots, and the world’s best green beans all in one pot.

Pineapple Casserole — About Stephanie’s Recipes

Stephanie’s recipes are a little bit of everything — treasured old family recipes passed down through generations, dishes she has developed and made her own over the years, great finds from church ladies (because if you want a good recipe, ask a church lady!), and inspiration from food bloggers and corners of the internet. Sometimes she flexes her culinary muscles and creates something spectacular. But most of the time? Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. Because at the end of the day, Stephanie cooks for her family and her people — and the best recipe is the one that brings everyone to the table, keeps them there a little longer, and leaves them happy and full.

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