Last year when vacationing in Texas, I ate a side dish of Yellow Squash Casserole that was really scrumptious. Seeing all of the beautiful squash coming from my Talley Farms Fresh Harvest CSA box and my neighbor’s generous donation, I decided to combine them in a casserole. It turned out fantastic!
I sliced and cut chunks in similar sized pieces and sautéed them with chopped onions in some butter. This allowed me to get them barely tender and let the liquid cook out so they wouldn’t be too watery for the casserole. I added some partially cooked chopped pancetta and mixed it in with the squash.
For the sauce I used eggs, milk, a combination of cheddar and jack cheeses and a small bit of sour cream. Seasonings, a little extra butter and a topping of crushed ritz crackers finished my casserole to make it creamy inside and crunchy on top. It’s a great side dish to go along with any protein or can be served as a main dish paired with a hearty salad. Leftovers are best reheated in an oven/toaster oven to retain the crisp topping.
Yield – 12 sides
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cups sliced yellow crookneck and/or pattypan squash
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped pancetta, partially cooked to render fat
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large sleeve Ritz crackers
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat. Add squash and onions and cook until tender. Mix in pancetta and heat through.
- To a large bowl, add eggs and lightly whisk. Add cheese, sour cream and milk and whisk into egg until well-combined. Add cooked squash, onions & pancetta to egg mixture and stir well to combined. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet used to cook squash and onions. Add to squash casserole mixture. Add cayenne pepper, if using, along with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour squash casserole mixture into the baking dish. Top evenly with crushed Ritz crackers. Place in preheated oven and bake 30 minutes, or until top has lightly browned and casserole does not “jiggle” when the dish is moved.
- Allow to sit for about 3 minutes before serving.
Note
- Leftovers are best reheated in an oven/toaster oven to retain the crisp topping.