Holidays are a time of year for family to come together, reconnect and forget about their lives outside of the family. For me, the holidays have always brought my family together, regardless of how far away we are. Whether it be Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas, my family treats each holiday like it is the same. This being in the sense that we always have the same traditional dishes at each meal. There is one dish in particular that I look forward to having every time. This recipe is always fun to make and is something that my family has made regardless of who is attending. The meal has many points of significance to both me and my family, seeing that we make it for times of celebration. Pineapple Casserole has been a part of my life since before I can even remember, and I always look forward to it. Though it may sound like a ridiculous combination, Pineapple Casserole is a family tradition that holds a tremendous amount of meaning to my family and I.
I wake up on the morning of a major holiday, stumbling into the kitchen and immediately hear my mom asking, ” Do we have the cans of pineapple?”. For some reason, my family always has cans of diced pineapple laying around for this exact dish. I never remember buying the cans, they just magically spawn in the pantry. This being said, we only make the dish a few times per year so it very well could mean there are always leftover cans. Unlike the cans of pineapple, the casserole itself is never leftover. If there happens to be leftovers, they never last long in my household. Even the microwaved leftovers are just as good as the fresh dish, contrary to many other meals.
The morning of a holiday brings the kitchen to life as my mom sets up to begin baking. After the main dish is put in the oven, whether it be turkey or ham, it is time to make the side dishes. The pineapple is up next, struggling to get off the couch, my dad and I come into the kitchen to get it done. We get out the mixer, the eggs, the bread, and the cans of pineapple. For Christmas and Thanksgiving, it is guaranteed that we are making this dish while watching the parades, or maybe the big game on TV, another big tradition for the holidays. For example, on Christmas day the Mummers parade is always on TV and it is basically mandatory that my family watches it. It was part of the tradition when we lived in Pennsylvania, as my parents have always seen it as well. Now that I am in college, I see my family less than I ever have. Now I look forward to the bonding time I have with my dad over this dish, making it even more meaningful. While my dad cracks the eggs, I am tasked with breaking the bread apart into smaller pieces, using almost a whole loaf of white bread. The sugar is next and my dad uses it sparingly, unlike my method of piling it into the measuring cup. Once we are done this, my dad breaks out the electric mixer and beats the ingredients while I drain the pineapple. We then mix it all into the bowl, where my dad pours it into a pan to be put into the oven. The sweet aroma of melting sugar and pineapple wafts throughout my house, leaving me anticipating dinner. Now my dad and I free to watch the game, or to just relax and wait for dinner. After the painstaking wait, the casserole is finally taken out of the oven and added to the array of food on the counter.
Holiday gatherings have meant many things to my family over the years. I have moved around a lot, which has altered the location and who attends our family gatherings. The scene that fits best with the imagery I associate with pineapple casserole is my extended family over at my house in Pennsylvania. My mom’s family would usually be over, and depending on the holiday, my dad’s family would make an appearance. The Christmas vacation would see the most action, with my mom’s family attending Christmas dinner, and my dad’s family within the next week, which meant two huge dinners within one week. In my mind, that meant two pineapple casseroles. More importantly, everyone loved the dish, especially my Dad and I. For him, he said that “It is definitely one of my favorite dishes because of the tradition, the memories and the taste.” I definitely agree with him, as I cherish the memories of the whole family at my grandparent’s house, having a great time together. The nostalgia associated with all the memories always comes back to me at the holidays and it is always satisfying to be surrounded by family, eating our traditional dish. I always remember the dark colors associated with early 90’s interior decorating, mixed with the bright Christmas lights on the fresh evergreen tree at my grandmother’s house. Or the packed family room and illuminated kitchen at my house in Pennsylvania as everyone scrambles to set the table. Those gatherings led to traditions that would be carried on after my grandparent’s passing. A tradition that I now feel obligated to carry on and pass down to my children.
The recipe for the casserole originated with my Great Aunt Blanche, from dad’s side of the family. This recipe has been featured in many of the kid’s school cookbooks, including my own. To me, this recipe has more than just a traditional significance, as this dish has been passed down to multiple generations. My Dad has seen the tradition grow firsthand, saying that “Once Aunt Blanche passed away in the late 1990’s, my Mom started making the Casserole so the tradition would stay alive and also because everyone loved it. As my sisters and I started having our own families and our own holiday dinners, we each got the recipe and began making it ourselves.” Now my whole family participates in making the casserole, bringing us closer together.
To me, this recipe has helped our family bond more and more over the years, especially with the relatives that we do not get to see so often. Even without the extended family there for dinner, it is a great bonding experience between my Dad and I. Now that college has rolled around, I look forward to going back home over the holidays to be able to have that special time with my family and experience the thrill of cooking again with my Dad.
Aunt Blanche unknowingly started a holiday tradition with her pineapple casserole. This dish has brought the family together ever since its creation. The casserole also provides a meaningful bonding experience between my Dad and I, especially now that I am away at college. In my opinion, the dish has increased meaning now more than ever and I plan to continue the custom throughout my life. The holiday tradition is extremely significant and continues to thrive in my family.
Recipe-
1 stick unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
8 pieces white bread, cubed
