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Southern Squash Casserole

Name: Southern Squash Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter (divided); 4 small yellow squash (about 2 lbs.), sliced ( (about 6 cups total)); 1 small onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 2 eggs; 1 cup grated cheddar cheese; ¼ cup sour cream (I used light sour cream for purposes of calculating nutrition information); ¼ cup mayonnaise (I used light mayonnaise for purposes of calculating nutrition information); ¾ cup crushed butter crackers (I used 18 Ritz crackers)

Lasted edited October 28, 2020. Originally published June 20, 2018 by Blair

A classic Southern Squash Casserole is the perfect way to enjoy the bounty from your summer garden! The cheesy filling is topped with a buttery crumb topping for the ultimate family-friendly side dish recipe!

Total Time: 55 minutes

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A classic Southern Squash Casserole is the perfect way to enjoy the bounty from your summer garden! The cheesy filling is topped with a buttery crumb topping for the ultimate family-friendly side dish recipe!

You're going to love the taste of these vegetables!

How do you make a Squash Casserole?

Depending on who you ask, you'll probably get a different answer every time! A squash casserole is something that just about every seasoned home cook has prepared at least once, and there are about a zillion different ways to do so!

In the South, you'll find that a squash casserole normally includes:

cooked yellow squash, often combined with onions and red bell peppers (or pimientos);
cheddar cheese;
a creamy base (typically either sour cream or mayonnaise, but I prefer a combination of both);
and a buttery crumb topping (Ritz crackers are the KEY!).

A winning combination!

How many cups are in a yellow squash?

This squash casserole recipe calls for 2 pounds of yellow squash. That is equivalent to about 4 small yellow squash, which equals about 6 cups of sliced squash.

Yellow squash can obviously grow to a wide range of sizes; however, so I always recommend weighing or measuring your squash before assembling the casserole.

It's also important to make sure that you slice your squash into even rounds. I like to use a mandoline slicer for this task, because it's FAST. Just be careful that you don't get your fingertip in that mandoline (been there, done that)!

How do you cook squash?

Once the vegetables are evenly sliced, you'll need to cook the squash before baking the casserole. Some folks like to boil the squash first; however, I find that it's easier to sauté the squash with the onion and the bell pepper in one big skillet.

This only takes about 10 minutes, and it ensures that your vegetables are tender in the finished dish. Plus, it adds an extra layer of flavor, thanks to the butter, salt and pepper that you add with this step!

And since many of our summer gardens include a bounty of zucchini (in addition to yellow squash), I'll go ahead and anticipate another question that you might be asking right now:

Is yellow squash like zucchini?

Yes! They are not the same vegetable; however, they are similar and can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Feel free to substitute zucchini for all of the yellow squash called for, or use a combination of the two vegetables to total 6 sliced cups.

Your Southern Squash Casserole will be delicious -- no matter which type of squash you have on hand!

More easy yellow summer squash recipes that you might enjoy:

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