Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease your 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. This prevents the melted cheese and sugar from sticking to the sides of the hot pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and the all-purpose flour together until fully combined. This step ensures that the flour does not clump up when you add the wet pineapple.

Stir the drained pineapple chunks and the six tablespoons of reserved juice into the sugar and flour mixture. Mix gently until every piece of pineapple is evenly coated with the thick, sweet white paste.

Gently fold in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese until it is distributed throughout the bowl of sweet pineapple. The combination of yellow cheese and golden fruit looks very bright and appetizing at this stage.

Pour the pineapple and cheese mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread it out very evenly. Make sure there are no large gaps so every serving gets a perfect mix of ingredients.

In a separate small bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter and stir well. The crackers should look like wet sand and smell very rich and buttery in the bowl.

Sprinkle the buttered cracker crumbs evenly over the top of the pineapple and cheese mixture in the dish. This layer provides the signature salty crunch that makes the Paula Deen version so famous.

Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes. You want the cheese to be bubbling and the cracker topping to be a deep golden brown.

Look for the edges of the casserole to be sizzling with sweet pineapple syrup and melted yellow cheese. This indicates that the flour has thickened the juices into a delicious, jam-like consistency.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for five minutes before serving to guests. Letting it rest helps the sauce set so it is not too runny on the plate.