Southern Squash Casserole

Southern Squash Casserole – When you marry a southerner, you learn to cook like a southerner!! This classic southern squash casserole is a typical vegetable dish smothered in butter, cream and cheese just the way they prefer it.

Mildly flavored sweet squash folded into a creamy, cheesy sauce and topped with buttery cracker topping (and yes, Ritz is the best)… people will be going for seconds and thirds!

Treat your family this holiday season with my yellow squash soufflé-ish dish, which pairs wonderfully with that giant turkey meal, or just a regular weekend fried chicken feast.

The last few years I have been trying to learn all the southern favorites that my husband grew up on. As they say, the way to your man’s heart is through his stomach. I can vouch for that big time, it’s been working great for the last 7 years or so.

My first taste of this Southern Squash Casserole came in one of our favorite spots in the Golden Isles of Georgia. I remember it came in small individual ramekin like bowls, and one spoon into that cheesy squashiness and I said “how can your regular vegetable get to that level of yum??”

My husband just said “welcome to the South.”

This is a dish you will find in those small little diners or at any of those family get togethers like Thanksgiving, Christmas or just a summer potluck. It’s everybody’s favorite!

Like so many holiday side dishes, it’s pretty quick and simple to put together. First, a few tips to ensure you end up with a mighty tasty dish on your table:

Alpana’s Tips

Tip #1: I make sure to get as much liquid out of the squash during the initial cooking as possible to prevent a watery casserole. These squash have a high water content, so when I sauté them, I discard the liquid from the pan. To ensure most of it is gone, I rest the sautéed squash in a colander for 10 minutes to drain out any remaining liquid.

Tip #2: I slice my squash evenly and avoid overcooking them. I don’t let them brown, I just make them a little bit soft. This way, I don’t end up with a mushy casserole.

Tip #3: I like to use only Ritz crackers because they are super buttery and add great flavor.

Tip #4: I gently fold the sauce mixture into my sautéed squash, being careful not to break the squash up.

Ingredients Needed

• Yellow Squash – the base for your dish.
• Onions – because they go in everything.
• Mayo, Sour Cream, Egg, Cheddar and Parmesan Cheese – the sauce!
• Butter – mandatory for holiday casseroles!
• Ritz crackers – for the crunchy topping.
• Salt and Pepper – for taste.

How to Make Southern Squash Casserole

I melt some butter in a skillet and sauté chopped onions until they are translucent. Then, I add sliced squash and sauté with salt and pepper until they are a little soft, but not mushy.

I prepare the creamy sauce by folding together sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, egg, salt, and pepper.

Next, I add the sauce to the squash and gently stir until everything is mixed.

I crush Ritz crackers and mix them with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. I spread this mixture over the top of my casserole.

Finally, I bake it at 350°F for 20-25 minutes uncovered until the casserole is a little bubbly and the topping is lightly browned.

Variations

1. You can do the same with zucchini or mix and match with both.
2. If I want a complete, one-pot meal, I add some shredded rotisserie chicken along with the sauce. Brilliant, isn’t it?
3. I also try different cheeses like Asiago, Gouda, pimento cheese, or for a little kick, some pepper jack.
4. Sometimes, I use panko instead of crackers for a different crunch.

Serving Suggestions

• As mentioned before, it’s perfect on your Thanksgiving or Christmas spread, or with fried chicken.
• It goes great with grilled or roasted meats.
• Try it with my Honey Mustard Chicken.
• It’s delicious alongside stuffed Pork Pinwheels.

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! This casserole is very holiday-friendly since it freezes great. During busy holiday times, I make it a few days ahead, minus the Ritz crumble and cover and freeze it. I take it out to thaw the day before eating and leave it in the fridge overnight.

I add the Ritz topping right before baking. Voila, one dish I don’t have to put much effort into on the big day!

We always have these squash a plenty in our refrigerator. Try my easy version of yellow squash casserole one of these days. Let me know if you try this for your special Turkey spread this year, or for a regular weeknight meal with my shredded chicken idea!!

I would love to hear from you, come and say hello in my comment section. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to GypsyPlate for so much more to come!

Southern Squash Casserole, on our Gypsy Plate… Enjoy!

More great Southern recipes:
Southern Black Eyed Peas
Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits
Red Beans and Rice
Southern Fried Catfish
Smothered Chicken
Shrimp Creole
Frogmore Stew
Jambalaya

Southern Squash Casserole

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

My classic yellow Squash Casserole is a great every day side dish for your favorite Southern fare. Easy and delicious, this will be especially popular on your holiday spreads.

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Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds yellow squash, sliced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 8oz sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 Tbsp butter, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in sauteé pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add squash slices and cook with salt and pepper until they are just soft, but not mushy.
3. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, eggs, cheeses, salt and pepper together for the sauce.
4. Add sauce to squash and gently stir until mixed. Transfer to 2.5 qt casserole dish.
5. Melt remaining butter. Crumble Ritz crackers in a bowl and then stir in butter. Spread mixture evenly over casserole.
6. Place casserole in pre-heated oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until slightly bubbling and cracker topping is nicely browned.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 430Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 143mgSodium 865mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 3gSugar 8gProtein 14g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.