I recently saw a recipe for a Hawaiian pizza casserole. Clearly, this blogger was speaking my language: pineapple, casserole…what’s not to love? I jotted down a grocery list so I could throw the dish together tonight, and I continued to think about it all afternoon. I realized I wanted white sauce, and I wanted it to be spicy! Hence, you will find my rendition below…

• Cook one box of elbow macaroni according to package directions.
• In large mixing bowl, combine…
  • 8 ounces diced ham
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• In small sauce pan, heat 2 1/2 cups of skim milk.
  • Once very warm to the touch, stir in 8 ounces of jalapeno cream cheese and 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Whisk until all is melted and smooth.
• Combine cooked noodles, veggie/fruit mix, and jalapeno cream sauce.
• Pour into casserole dish, top with thinly sliced jalapenos, and bake at 350* for 20ish minutes, until bubbly.

The sauce was a little thin, but the pasta soaked it up just fine! I was trying to keep the casserole light, but you definitely could have stirred in a whole 8 ounce bag of shredded cheese. I loved the color variety in the meal and the sweet little bits of pineapple! It was an out-and-out win.