Pineapple Au Gratin!

If you are new to Southern cooking and recipes, I will warn you that we love to use pineapple in our recipes, especially our holiday recipes.  If you are a Southerner, you already knew this! 

 The pineapple and the use of it, was once a sign of wealth and position, because of how expensive and hard they were to come by.  In colonial times, they were served only on special occasion for company and during the holidays.  The pineapple came to be known as a symbol of hospitality and was incorporated into decorations and even architecture.  

The pineapple's natural sweetness does lend itself to so many southern recipes.  We use it mainly in desserts and salads, but also to sweeten and marinate meats. 

 This recipe takes pineapple and turns it into a side dish.  As I have told you, we will make anything into a casserole in the South and this proves it!   If you have never had this, it might sound odd, but it's the perfect accompaniment to main courses like ham or turkey, especially during the holidays. 

Here is what you will need for this:

1  (20 oz.) can of pineapple tidbits (drained)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1  1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 Tbs. butter, melted

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

Pour the drained pineapple in a 1  1/2 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Mix the sugar and flour and sprinkle evenly over pineapple  Sprinkle the cheddar cheese overall.

Mix the crushed Ritz crackers with the butter and sprinkle over the top.  Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.

If you are hosting a crowd, double this recipe, because it will go fast!