Buttery Baked Pineapple Gratin

Warm and sweet are the two words that come to mind when you smell this classic pineapple casserole as it comes out of the oven. Serve with your holiday ham this Spring. Grandmother will be pleased.

Warm, buttery, fruity and perfect for Sunday Easter Brunch.

Years and years ago, when I was in my twenties, my darling firend Robin hosted an Easter Sunday Brunch and served this wonderful baked Pineapple casserole. I absolutely loved it and began sharing it for a simple, “bake and share dish” at parties and pot lucks.

I have not made it in years mostly because we tend to eat out on Easter Sunday now that our children are grown. But this year… we can perhaps have a few friends over for a brunch now that things are opening back up and life is just beginning to get back to normal.

This simple dish is the perfect side to serve along with a baked ham.

Here’s how I make it-

Drain the pineapple, save the juice- you’ll need it next week for my “Sunday at the Masters” Azalea cocktail. Add in three eggs, a pinch of fresh ginger, sugar and a bit of flour. Crush up Ritz crackers and stir it all together, pour into a buttered baking dish , top with addtional buttery crackers and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve alongside ham or pork. So good. So easy.

I like to drizzle a bit of the reserved juice over the baked pineapple when it is stilll warm from the oven- keeps it moist.

I hope you give this super simple but sweet and delicious dish a try this weekend.

Enjoy!

Drain the pineapple but save the juice for next week’s cocktail or to drizzle over top.

The spectacular Tabebuias in Winter Park bloom every spring.

Buttery crackers make a great filler for the casserole

Baked Pineapple Gratin- serves 4-6

One 20 oz can of pineapple tidbits in juice- drained but reserve the juice
One sleeve of Ritz crackers, divided
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 TBSP flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Make ahead- make this dish up to 2 days in advance. Cover tightly with foil and bake just 5 minutes longer or until golden.

Method- Prep time 10 minutes. Baking time- 30 minutes

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Butter a gratin dish or 1 quart casserole . Mix eggs, flour, ginger, sugar, drained pineapple, 4 TBSP of the reserved pineapple juice, salt and butter into a mediuim size bowl. Stir in crumbled crackers, reserving 4-5 crackers for the topping.
Pour the pineapple mixture into the prepared dish. Top with reserved crumbled crackers.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. While stir warm, pour a few tablespoons of additional pineapple juice over the casserole to moisten.