Yellow Squash Casserole | Side Dish Recipe
A scrumptious recipe for an easy summer squash casserole featuring yellow squash, freshly grated cheese and Ritz crackers. Perfect for barbecues, family-style dinners and potlucks.
I'm no rookie when it comes to Southern squash casserole. It's a side I used to make often for my husband when we had just started dating in college, and one I've continued to make well into our marriage. I love bringing it in as a potluck, summertime barbecue dish, when the squash is in season and at it's very sweetest. I've made it a number of different ways, but the recipe that has out-shined them all, is the directly below.
Most methods for Southern squash casserole begin with a large pot of boiling water, in which yellow squash will be submerged and boiled. I never quite understood the glory of that cooking method for squash. For one, it sucks a good majority of the flavor right outta there; and two, there is a faster and more flavorful way to cook yellow squash. Rather than waiting on a large pot of water to boil, I prefer to get straight to business by sauteing.
Once the squash has softened and cooked through, it is absolutely necessary to transfer it to a colander and press out the excess moisture. Summer squash has a decently high water content, and to prevent the casserole from becoming soupy, this is a very necessary step. Beyond the main ingredient, the rest is pretty much a cake-walk. A simple matter of whisking up a makeshift custard, grating some creamy Colby Jack cheese and crushing up some delicious, buttery Ritz crackers. [Cause, I mean...come on: One should only ever make Southern Squash Casserole with Ritz crackers.] Put it all together and bake it until the cheese is bubbly and the crackers are golden, and enjoy.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 ½ pounds yellow summer squash, cut into quarters and diced into ½” pieces
1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, separated
¾ teaspoon black pepper, separated
1 ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
One sleeve of Ritz crackers (about 35 crackers), crushed
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, freshly grated
Method:
Preheat oven to 325° and have ready a greased 9x13” baking dish.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes, until translucent. Add squash and season with 1 tsp of salt and a ½ tsp of black pepper. Continue to sauté for another 10 minutes until softened. Transfer squash mixture to a colander. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash the squash, pressing out as much moisture as possible. Allow squash to drain the in colander while you work on the custard.
Whisk together cream, egg, parsley, sugar, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Transfer squash mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in custard. Add half of the crushed crackers along with half of the cheese and stir to combine. Transfer ingredients to the greased baking dish. Top with remaining cheese followed by the leftover cracker crumbs.
Bake 40 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the edges of the casserole are bubbly. Serve immediately.
Serves 10-12
Would pair well with:
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