Comfort food at its canned and processed finest. Now, don’t scoff! It’s totally easy, yummy, and the kids all love it.

This ingredient shopping module is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on their web site.

Please don’t hate me. Because I’m here to tell you one thing: there is nothing—nothing—good about this dessert. It’s loaded with sugar. It’s packed with fat. And its ingredients are so prosaic and processed…I don’t even know what to say. But guess what? I made this delightful dessert, and I can’t undo the past. The reason I have this cooking site in the first place is to share with all of you the things that make their way to my table. So am I ashamed of this dish? Yes. Do I understand why some of you will scoff and turn up your nose? Sure. Did it taste good? Oh yeah, baby. It shore as shootin’ did!

Here’s how to make this classic potluck dessert table treat.





The Pioneer Woman

The Cast of Characters: Cherry Pie Filling, Crushed Pineapple, Yellow (or white) cake mix, Margarine, and Butter.





DUMP 1 can of cherry pie filling into a baking dish. (I used 9 x 13)





Now, seriously, who knew cherry pie filling was so pretty? Just look at it! What a lovely shade of red.





Next, DUMP (are we seeing a pattern here?) 1 can of crushed pineapple into the dish.





Seriously, with colors this pretty, how bad can it be?

Note: I think all different combinations of fruit would work just fine. Hey, how ’bout pullin’ a Steel Magnolias and using fruit cocktail? Just a suggestion. Don’t tell anyone I said that.





Now stir the mixture together…





And while you’re stirring…





Think about the extra four miles you’ll need to walk this evening as a result of eating this dessert. It’ll be a nice walk. You can take your Ipod.

Trivia: I do not own an Ipod. I’ve never used an Ipod in my life. Here endeth my embarrassing confession.

Once it’s all combined…





Open the bag of cake mix (I used white, but I think yellow’s better) and begin sprinkling the dry mix over the top.





And I don’t know who originally decided to malign this fine invention, but I like to eat clumps of it sometimes.





Because I WANT TO, that’s why! That’s pretty much my motto when it comes to eating: I saw it, I wanted it, so I ate it.





Just smooth out (or eat, if you’re me) the large clumps.





Weird, isn’t it? But just wait. We’re just gettin’ warmed up.





Then, and this is when things start really going downhill, cut up 1 whole stick of margarine and lay the pieces all over the top of the cake mix. Then, to finish up the carnage, grab a stick of butter…





And cut up half a stick, distributing it evenly.





Hey, I could’ve used a WHOLE stick. I’m all about restraint here at The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Now pop it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until top is bubbly.





Mmmm. Hey, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was some kind of fruit crisp. Or cobbler. Certainly not a couple of cans of fruit with a mixture of cake mix and butter on top. Interesting how the fruit on the bottom combines with the butter on top to give the dry cake mix all the moisture it needs. And the top is so nice and light and crispy and…potlucky.





To serve, just stick a spoon right in…





And put it into a pretty bowl. Because pretty bowls cover a multitude of processed ingredients.





And yeah, a little extra won’t hurt. It’s a fruit dessert, remember.





And just to elevate things a little, I whip some cream and plop some on top. It’s important for me to get my daily allowance of dairy.





Yum. Comfort food at its canned & processed finest. Now, don’t scoff! It’s totally easy, yummy, and the kids all love it.





And that’s the reason I make this dessert: for the children. Because I believe the children are our future.

Just saving the world…one can of crushed pineapple at a time,

Pioneer Woman