Cheesy Southern Pineapple Casserole

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When it comes to holiday baking, tasty and EASY is the way to go.  I find myself scouring Pinterest for those very criteria during the holidays, but everything either looks a little too strange to try on my family for the first time, or takes more than the 30 minutes I have between a crying baby and a rambunctious pre-schooler. This Southern Pineapple Casserole recipe is one that I discovered by the hands of my husband, and is now a family favorite over the last seven years.  The unexpected sweetness of pineapple touched by the savoriness of Kraft Natural Shredded Cheddar Cheese will be a quick favorite on your holiday dinner plate. 

Making this casserole is super easy and can be done step by step (slowly if need be!) while you’re chasing the little ones around the den of your home. 😉 I know, because I’ve done it several times!  First, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grab two mixing bowls.  My husband says he always needs bigger bowls than he thinks, so grab your two largest ones before you start cooking.  Measuring out all the ingredients is an easy way to prep the dish early so you can literally toss it together at the last second.  After all, measuring is the hardest part, right? 

While both my mom and grandmother crushed their crackers with rolling pins, I’ve found that using a meat mallet speeds up the process a ton and doesn’t leave tiny holes in your plastic baggie.  Pound away until the 1.5 sleeves of crackers are fine and crumbly.  

After greasing your baking dish, stir together your flour, sugar and Kraft Natural Cheese Shredded Cheddar.  It will be nice and dry.   

When it’s well combined, you can throw in all that drained pineapple. It will look like this.  Lay the pineapple mix into your greased baking dish.  In another medium bowl, combine the crackers, melted butter, and 6 Tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice (NOT ALL THE JUICE! Chase almost put in two cans worth the first time he made it!).  Stir really well with a rubber spatula to keep it from sticking the sides of the bowl.

 It will be really mooshy and soft, like delicious buttery crackers.  (Butter is an essential ingredient in any Southern casserole, so don’t be afraid to smell all the buttery goodness as you mix!)  Spread this cracker mix on top of your pineapple.

Bake until it’s done, which will be a little under a half an hour.  I love packing the just-baked casserole into a warmed covered-dish carrier so it stays nice and piping hot until it’s time to serve.  While it’s absolutely yummy the day you make it, leftovers are even better! This casserole reheats divinely, so don’t worry about having extra to share with your family members (or to keep for yourself!).  Chase and I make sure we have our own individual leftover portions so we can taste all the goodness for ourselves the next day!

If you’d like to try this traditional Southern casserole for yourself, save $1.00 when you buy two 8oz. Natural Shreds and Chunks at Walmart with this coupon.  I found my Kraft Natural Cheese Shredded Cheddar at Walmart in the cooled deli section.  It was easy to grab a 16 oz. bag so I can make a few of these traditional Southern Pineapple Casseroles to share with friends and family.  

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You can find more creative and yummy holiday recipes using Kraft products here! Also look for other great savings on Kraft Heinz products. You can save up to $13 on your meals this Christmas and New Year!