A Warm Kitchen

Subconsciously I think I'm choosing oven meals to prepare these cold, winter days. Doesn't hurt one bit to have the oven adding a little warmth to the kitchen. So different than in the good ol' summertime when lighting the oven is avoided like the plague.

This oven baked casserole is fairly unusual, but one we really like. Simple name: Pineapple Casserole.

If you don't care for pineapple, you might as well stop reading now. But if you have nothing against this funny looking Hawaiian import, I'm almost positive you'll feel the same way I do about this side dish which, by the way, goes really well with ham.

The first time I made it (November 14, 1988 . . . I'm sure you wanted to know), I wrote on the recipe, "AB-solutely DELICIOUS! Very unique flavor - you want more and more and more."

Okay, now that I've got you all sufficiently primed, here's the recipe.

PINEAPPLE CASSEROLE

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 beaten eggs
1 - 20 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple
4 slices white bread, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup melted butter

In a mixing bowl combine sugar, flour and beaten eggs. Stir in pineapple along with the juice and mix well.

Pour into a buttered casserole dish, about 9" square. Top with the cubed bread.

Drizzle melted butter over the bread cubes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for one hour. Serves 6-8.

This is the casserole right out of the oven.

Pineapple Casserole is at the very top of the plate. (Not to be confused with neighboring scalloped potatoes on the right.)

Gotta tell ya, folks, this oven meal -- Scalloped Potatoes, Baked Ham and Pineapple Casserole -- not only added a nice touch of warmth to the kitchen, but smelled and tasted really good, too.