Summer Squash Casserole
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Summer Squash Casserole is the classic you crave with cream and cheese,
buttery crackers for a crunchy topping, and fresh produce from the garden.
There is nothing better than summer squash casserole! My mom made a version called “Sunshine Casserole” and man! We loved it as kids. We have a LOT of yellow squash and zucchini come in from the garden, and many evenings were spent making Sunshine Casseroles that were frozen and kept until winter. I’ll share that recipe with you at the end of this post. <—-SUSPENSE!
If you’re like my family, we have so much squash come in that we don’t know what to do with it. We love making Italian Zucchini Bake, but there are always ways needed to use it up. Summer Squash Casserole is from Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup and it’s such a comforting classic southern recipe.
Need some other zucchini recipes, give these a try!
First, let’s chat about yellow squash and zucchini…
They’re both squashes. Though, yellow squash doesn’t get nearly as many “uses” as zucchini gets. If you’re eating low carb zucchini has about 6 grams of carbs, and yellow has 7. Give or take, since it all depends on the exact size of your vegetable. Either way, it’s a great substitute when you’re watching the carbs.
Below you’ll find another great version of squash casserole!
Baked Easy Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
When it’s in the middle of winter, and homegrown squash isn’t available, I purchase mine from Trader Joe’s. It’s always fresh and delicious. But! If you’re really wanting to have squash casseroles in the middle of the winter, go ahead and chop your produce up with onions and saute until soft. Drain really well, then add to labeled freezer bags. Thaw these out, mix with the casserole ingredients, and you have fresh summer squash casserole in the cold of winter. For me, it’s even better then. Hopeful that warm days are ahead filled with fresh backyard produce!
Here’s a photo of Farmer Danny Boy’s garden in the early stages.
This is rows of zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, and lots of potatoes.
Here’s a little yellow squash growing away!
This post won’t contain any tips on gardening or how to grow summer squash. I know nothing!! For all the picking and shucking and eating I do of this backyard garden, I have a terribly green thumb.
So what do you need to make Summer Squash Casserole??
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Onions (I prefer Vidalia or Sweet)
- Ritz Crackers
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Heavy Cream
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- Parmesan Cheese
If you’re lazy like I am, when it says for you to saute something, I like to throw it on a sheet tray and roast it for 15 minutes. But, the major, major secret when making any kind of squash casserole is to let it drain REALLY well before adding it to the other ingredients. Just dump into a colander, and let it sit for about 15 minutes. My mom will even press it down to drain all the liquid out. Otherwise, if you don’t drain super well, you’ll end up with a watery casserole that is just plain sad. No one wants a sad casserole.
What main dish should you serve with Summer Squash Casserole?
This Roast Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad would go so well with the summer squash casserole. Especially towards the end of summer and beginning of fall!
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Summer Squash Casserole
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: southern
Description
Summer Squash Casserole is a creamy southern staple filled with fresh produce, cheese, and cream.
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 white onion
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lbs yellow squash, sliced
1.5 lbs Zucchini, sliced
2 teaspoons of salt
3 tablespoons of butter
24 Ritz Crackers
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 large eggs beaten with 1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375’F (190C) – Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the onions and sauté 1 minute more. Add the yellow squash and zucchini to the pan with the salt; sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. Transfer the squash to a colander to drain away excess moisture. Add the butter to the hot pan to melt and remove the pan from the heat.
- Place the crackers in a large zippered bag, seal, and roll over them with a rolling pin, or a juice glass on its side, to create coarse crumbs. Transfer half the crumbs, along with the drained squash, to a large mixing bowl. Combine 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese, the egg-cream mixture, and the sugar, salt, and pepper and gently fold the mixture into the squash crumbs. Transfer the squash mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Combine the remaining cracker crumbs with the melted butter, the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar, and the parmesan ( i also added some panko breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast to give more of the crispy cheese flavor it would be lacking as a vegan dish). Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley.
Curious about that Sunshine Casserole?! Epicurious has a very similar recipe — not quite the same! I’ll have to dig Mother Mary’s recipe card out of the box and type up.
What are your favorite summer produce casseroles??
What a lovely way to prepare summer squash and those pictures of the growing squash are fantastic. Enjoy visiting local farmers and buy produce form them too. I have a small edible garden at home and love planting. It is exciting seeing the crops coming up.
That exactly what my dad says! “I just like watching it grow – it’s unbelievable.” Thanks for stopping by!
There truly is nothing better than a delicious summer squash casserole. Can’t wait to try this recipe, I loved your tips on making sure to drain the squash really well – I always get too impatient!
There truly is nothing more delicious than a summer casserole. I loved your tips on making sure to drain the squash really well – I always get way too impatient and end up with watery squash! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
What a delicious way to eat squash! My family loves casseroles, and I’m sure this will be a hit.
This recipe looks amazing! I’ve been looking for a new way to serve summer squash, and this is definitely one I will try!