Squash Casserole is a fun, easy way to eat yellow squash. It is quick to whip up and can be used as a delicious side dish or the ultimate comfort food main course.
In order to churn out the best squash casserole possible-make sure that you get as much liquid as possible from the squash. This will ensure that you won’t end up with a watery casserole.
Squash Casserole
This recipe is really a no brainer and it is a great way to use up some of your summer squash. You start by slicing the yellow squash and then cooking it with an onion in a skillet. Stir the squash frequently. Don’t overcook the squash in this step. It will still bake in the oven after the sautéing step.
Now that the squash and onion are cooked add them to a casserole dish. Next, you simply add a mixture made from milk, eggs and cheese and then pour that over the squash. Top the mixture with crushed ritz crackers and throw it in the oven. Too easy right?!
Ingredients:
- Yellow squash: the base and star of the recipe! You can use yellow squash, crookneck squash, green and yellow zucchini, or pattypan squash in this recipe. Whatever you like or have on hand
- Onion: this adds flavor and texture to the casserole
- Butter: always a good option in my opinion, you'll cook the squash and onions in it and then it adds to the creaminess in the casserole
- Eggs: I use these to help thicken the casserole and they give it a nice thick custard
- Milk: this helps to give it that great custardy/eggy texture
- Seasonings: salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper are what I used to give this dish some flavor.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: cheese adds flavor and creaminess to the baked dish
- Buttery round crackers (such as Ritz): you are going to crush these up and put them on top and when they bake they make the most delicious crust on the top of the casserole, the crackers are so good with all of the other creamy aspects of the dish
How to make Squash Casserole:
- This is so easy! You are going to sauté the onions and squash in the butter to help get some of the moisture out of the vegetables so your casserole isn't soupy or too wet.
- Add the milk, eggs, seasoning, and cheese to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Add the cooked squash then put all of that egg mixture into a greased pan.
- Top the dish with crushed crackers and bake.
- Serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Squash casserole is a great candidate to make ahead and freeze. Make the casserole according to the instructions but don’t top with the ritz crackers or bake it. Cover the casserole in foil or a tight plastic wrap for optimal freshness. When you are ready to eat the frozen casserole, I suggest letting it thaw the night before in the refrigerator. And don’t forget to top with the ritz crackers before baking!
This is why we cook the squash and onion together in the skillet before adding it to the casserole, it helps to remove extra water from the vegetables. Constantly stir the squash to try and cook until the moisture cooks off.
You don’t need to peel yellow squash prior to cooking because the skin is soft and will continue to get more soft as it is cooked. That being said, if you are using a monster-sized squash that got big in the garden, I like to peel the tough outside and remove the seeds before using.
More recipes:
- Zucchini Side Dish (this has zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and herbs)
- Pineapple Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Supreme Pizza Stuffed Zucchini
- Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
If you’ve tried this healthy yellow squash casserole recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
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Cheesy Squash Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 12 1x
Description
This squash casserole is made with sliced yellow summer squash and onions that are cooked in an egg and cheese filling with a Ritz cracker topping.
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 medium yellow squash (4 cups sliced)
- 1 medium onion
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (I used whole)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 sleeve buttery round crackers (such as Ritz), about 30 crackers
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish by spraying it well with cooking spray or buttering it well. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare the yellow squash by washing it up, trimming the ends and slicing it ¼ inch thick. If it's quiet big you can slice the squash in half, end to end, and remove the seeds before slicing. They can get pretty tough if they squash is big.
- Chop the onion or cut it into thin slices.
- In a large skillet heat the butter over medium to medium-high heat and add the squash and onion. Cook until the squash is just tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the squash is cooking add the eggs, milk, salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper if using, and black pepper and stir well to combine (I like to whisk it all together with a fork).
- Add the cheese to the egg mixture and stir to combine.
- Crush the crackers so that they are fine crumbs.
- When the squash is done spread it evenly in the bottom of your prepared pan.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the squash.
- Top with an even layer of the crushed cracker crumbs.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center doesn't jiggly or slosh when you shake the pan a little.
- Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving hot or warm.
Notes
- You can use just about any summer squash that you'd like for this recipe such as yellow squash, crookneck squash, zucchini, patty pans, or a mix between them. They all work great. If working with really large squash it's best to peel the outsides and remove the seeds from the insides before slicing to improve the texture.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: side
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: yellow squash recipe, squash recipe, squash casserole, how to make squash casserole, squash casserole recipe, zucchini casserole recipe, cheesy squash recipe
Squash casserole is a recipe that will use a bunch of your summer bounty and is delicious to boot. It makes for a great dish that will keep people coming back for more.
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