My grandmother loved apricots- fresh, canned or dried. Mimi made an apricot casserole that wasn’t really a dessert, it wasn’t a savory casserole. What it was – is still one of my favorites! For years, I didn’t make it- couldn’t find a recipe, for sure not Mimi’s Apricot Casserole. In my collection of old cookbooks, perusing one day, I ran up on an Apricot Casserole! I knew the recipe was close to Mimi’s , yet I had watched her make it – so I knew the recipe I had found could be tweaked and what do you know? First time out? The flavors of Mimi’s classic Apricot Casserole filled me with such wonderful memories! And really, isn’t that why we all come to the table?
Mimi’s Apricot Casserole
An unusual and old recipe- a wonderful buffet side dish, can be served warm or at room temperature. Goes well with ham, turkey or chicken; yet also is wonderful topped with whipped cream and eaten as a dessert!
- 1 stick butter (melted) (plus more for buttering the pan)
- 3 16 oz. cans apricots in heavy syrup (drained but not rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 sleeves ritz party crackers (roughly crushed)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×9 glass baking dish. Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ritz party crackers. *I use a bowl, however sometimes I crush the crackers in a large freezer bag, then add brown sugar and spices. Blend well. Pour melted butter over spiced cracker crumbs and mix gently to combine.
- In a well buttered 9×9 glass baking dish, layer one can of drained apricots face down. Cover with 1/3 of crumb mixture. Repeat with second can- a layer of crumbs and end with the third can of apricots ending with a generous layer of the buttered crumbs.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until brown and bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. 9-12 servings
Note: If you have dark brown sugar on hand instead of light- just use one cup and add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. For a buffet or a larger crowd, this recipe doubles and triples well.
Shared memories and shared flavors comfort us. And speaking of comfort food- Mimi’s Apricot Casserole is perfect for a bereavement buffet, it’s not overly spicy, it’s mildly sweet and tends to go well with other casseroles, salads and also with the main meats- baked ham or turkey, even fried chicken. The casserole is delicious hot or at room temperature which is great for any buffet.
Love y’all, Camellia
* All photographs are obviously mine.
Camellia's Cottage 
That looks yummy!
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Thank you Laura! We love it…hard to photograph ‘brown’ food I’ve found…🌸🌺🌸
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