Squash Casserole (+Video)
Squash Casserole is a filling, creamy yet crunchy, and delicious side dish that transforms a yummy summer vegetable into a whole meal. You can have it ready in under an hour!
A MOUTHWATERING CASSEROLE
This southern Squash Casserole is the perfect side dish for any occasion especially when the abundance of summer squash is readily available and cheap! It features layers of tender squash combined with a creamy cheese sauce and topped with a crunchy, buttery cracker topping. The combination of flavors and textures makes this casserole irresistible! I can literally eat this as an entire meal with a side salad. With a few simple ingredients, you can have this delicious dish ready in no time. You’ll never be disappointed when you whip up this timeless classic!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I do think it’s an important step. I like to drain it so the filling isn’t too runny. If you want a filling that is a little more wet, you can skip the draining part.
While you could slice these squash pieces by hand, I find it much easier to use a mandolin to slice it but I realize not everyone has one of those so it’s certainly doable by hand.
Make sure the pieces are as similar in size as possible. You want them to cook evenly so having them the same size helps. I recommend trying to get them about a 1/4-inch in thickness if possible. A little thicker is fine if needed. You want the pieces to be thicker so they withstand being cooked without turning into mush.
Typically this happens is you didn’t drain your squash well enough. This can also happen if you cut your squash slices too thin and they started to disinegrate, releasing the water into your casserole.
If you don’t have crackers for the topping, I have seen other recipes use bread crumbs instead. While I haven’t tested this recipe doing so, it should work.
Please note, I have never made this recipe in any other size dish but you could make it in a 9×13-inch but this casserole will end up thinner and you probably wouldn’t need to cook it for quite as long (you’ll have to play it by ear and just keep an eye out for how long to cook it since I haven’t tested it with the larger dish).
Leftovers should be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t suggest freezing leftovers.
Reheat leftovers by using the microwave for small portions, or cover a larger portion in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil and heat in the oven until warmed through again.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- salted butter – you can use unsalted butter here if that is all you have but I would add another half teaspoon of salt to the recipe – squash is a vegetable that needs plenty of seasoning so it doesn’t taste bland.
- yellow squash – you can also use zucchini for this recipe and follow the exact same procedure. Also, the skin on yellow squash is very thin and edible so you don’t need to peel them – just make sure you scrub them clean with water.
- sweet onion – if you are not an onion fan, you can leave it out or perhaps use something like a shallot which will add a lighter onion flavor.
- kosher salt – you can use regular table salt if that is all you have.
- garlic powder – the seasonings here are easily changed to what you enjoy. If you don’t like garlic powder leave it out or substitute with a cajun seasoning, etc (just be careful how much additional salt is in the seasonings you ay choose to use).
- paprika – this is just regular paprika but you could use a smoked paprika if you enjoy a smoky flavor.
- large eggs – these are going to act as a binder to hold the casserole together.
- sour cream – you could also use plain Greek yogurt.
- mayonnaise – use your favorite here – I do not like Miracle Whip but if you love it then you could substitute it here.
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese – feel free to use different cheese that you enjoy. Pepper jack would give it a kick of spice.
- Ritz crackers – any cracker works here: saltines, Club crackers, etc.
HOW TO MAKE SQUASH CASSEROLE
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 11×7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. For the filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the squash, onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir to combine, so the squash is covered with the spices and butter.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the squash begins to soften, 10 minutes. Place a colander over a large bowl and add the cooked squash mixture. Allow to drain for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheese.
Add the drained squash mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Discard any liquid that drained off of the squash. Place the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
For the topping, crush the ritz crackers and add them to a medium-sized bowl (I like to keep some larger chunks of crackers and not completely crush them, this adds a nice texture to the topping). Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top and slightly bubbly along the edges.
Add dried parsley for garnish if desired, and serve.
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Squash Casserole (+Video)
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 pounds yellow squash, sliced about ¼-inch thick
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion (I use Vidalia onion)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For the topping:
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- dried parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 11×7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- For the filling, melt 3 Tablespoons salted butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once melted, add 2 pounds yellow squash, sliced about ¼-inch thick, 1 cup chopped sweet onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Stir to combine, so the squash is covered with the spices and butter.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the squash begins to soften, 10 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large bowl and add the cooked squash mixture. Allow to drain for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, stir together 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Add the drained squash mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Discard any liquid that drained off of the squash.
- Place the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- For the topping, crush 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed and add them to a medium-sized bowl (I like to keep some larger chunks of crackers and not completely crush them, this adds a nice texture to the topping).
- Add 3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the topping over the casserole. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top and slightly bubbly along the edges.
- Add dried parsley, for garnish and serve.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This recipe was inspired and adapted from and old Southern Living recipe. I made a few tweaks to make it my own.
The BEST squash casserole recipe I’ve ever tried! It was a huge hit at thanksgiving this year.
Oh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment!
THIS IS DELICIOUS
This is soooo delish. Whole family loved it. Will be making again soon with the squash from our garden.
I made this last night for supper and it was Delicious. We ate it this evening for supper and it tasted just as good as last night. I looked at several recipes for squash casserole and Brandie I knew your recipe had to be the best. Thanks again.
Denise, now you’re gonna make me cry ❤️ Thank you for taking a chance on my recipe. It really means a lot & I’m so happy you loved it!
Squash Casserole, Yum Yum Yum
This recipe is delicious. We love squash and this recipe really takes it to the max. Love your site!. Thank you!!
Awww thanks so very much Jo! That makes my day to hear!!