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A photo showing a baking pan full of Easy Cheesy Southern Squash Casserole
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5 from 3 votes

Best Southern Yellow Squash Casserole Recipe

This squash casserole is the delicious one you remember from your childhood.  Remember?  The only one that you would eat? 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Keyword: squash casserole, cheesy squash casserole
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 195kcal

Equipment

  • measuring cups and spoons
  • large bowl
  • mixing spoon
  • cutting board
  • sharp knife
  • oven

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion - chopped
  • ½ tsp garlic - minced
  • 2 lbs yellow squash the smaller the better - Grate ½ the squash and slice and cut the rest into quarters.
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 can of cream of chicken soup or mushroom or celery
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 Cups white or yellow cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup American cheese food
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1 cup of crushed butter crackers like Ritz (about 1 sleeve)
  • ¼ Cup Parmesan cheese - grated
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tbs melted real butter

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, grate and slice the squash, grate the cheese and crush the crackers.
  • Prepare a 9x12 baking dish with non stick spray.
  • On the stovetop over medium heat in a large skillet, heat the onion and cook till translucent then add the garlic and cook until fragrant - about 1 minute.
  • Add the squash and salt. Stir well and Add the lid and allow the squash to steam in their own juices. Keep cooking the squash until you can tell that water has been released from the squash and the squash are soft. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the water evaporates from the pan. Then remove from the heat and let rest.
  • In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, cheese and eggs and stir well.
  • Once the squash have cooled somel, mix them into the soup mixture and mix thoroughly.
  • Spread the mixture into the baking dish.
  • Bake the squash at 350 for 25 minutes
  • In a medium sized bowl, mix the crushed crackers, parmesan, thyme and butter. After the squash has baked for 25 minutes, remove it from the oven and sprinkle the cracker crumb mixture on the top. Put back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • Choose young small brightly colored yellow squash with smooth skin.  If you notice bad places, if they are huge or if the skin is starting to wrinkle then move along.  Don't choose squash that are soft when you squeeze them. 
  • When you precook your squash, sometimes water comes out and sometimes it doesn't.  No worries, both are normal. 
  • The cheese you choose for this dish makes ALL the difference.  Choose a flavorful LOUD cheese.  Something like "Helluva" brand or "Cabots" are always good choices. 
PRO TIP:  For an interesting twist, try changing up the upper crust topping with other crunchy options like canned fried onions, potato chips, other types of crackers, etc.  Let your imagination run wild!  You can also try other seasonings like Old Bay, Italian Seasoning, etc.  
Pro Tip:  You can use frozen pre-chopped onions in this recipe, I did - great time saver!
Pro Tip:  You can use your meat tenderizer to gently smash the crackers while they are in the cracker sleeve (put them in the bowl first) and then you can simply open the sleeve and cracker crumbs slide out!

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 13.6mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 1mg