Squash casserole appears at about every family dinner, church potluck or gathering in the South. Since everyone with a garden has an overload of those succulent vegetables in the summer and a freezer full through the winter, most folks have their own version of this great side dish, usually from a recipe passed down from family cook to family cook. TA DA! This is my version.
The price of squash and zucchini has come down a bit so I stocked up last week. After weeks of frozen vegetables, it’s nice to have some fresh, tender selections to round out dinner.
I have to admit, I don’t stray much from the recipe on this one. I mean, tradition IS tradition. Having said that, I can see how this tasty dish could possibly be changed up by using mozzarella instead of cheddar or adding herbs, fresh or dried, such as basil, oregano and/or thyme. You could also make it in a muffin tin to serve as individual portions. Just don’t tell the church ladies I suggested you mess with the recipe!
This is one of those “put some south in your mouth” recipes. No matter where you’re from, try it out and let me know what you think.
[recipe title=”Squash Casserole” servings=”8″ time=”30 minutes” difficulty=”easy”]
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow squash sliced
- 1 pound zucchini squash sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 8 ounces (1⁄2 pound) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 25 crushed round butter crackers (Ritz)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Boil squash in a large pot 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well and gently press dry using paper towels, set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet add onions and saute about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and gently stir in squash, mayonnaise, eggs, sugar, salt and garlic powder. Transfer to lightly greased 11”x7” baking dish.
Melt remaining butter add crushed crackers, mix well and sprinkle on top of casserole.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
