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!
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:
- Skillet Pork Chops with Zucchini and Squash
- Easy Squash and Zucchini Gratin
- Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread
Southern Squash Casserole
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!
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
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
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Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash, onion, and bell pepper to the skillet, cooking and stirring for about 10 minutes (or until vegetables are tender). Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
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Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise.
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Stir the egg mixture into the squash mixture.
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Transfer the squash mixture into the prepared baking dish.
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In a separate bowl, combine crushed crackers with remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle buttered cracker crumbs over top of casserole.
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Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until casserole is set and topping is golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Cooking Just for Two? You can prepare a smaller casserole by cutting the ingredients in half and baking the dish in 1-quart casserole. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
Hello Blair…! oh wow amazing…this looks sooo good & delicious, i can’t wait try to this recipe…this is perfect for this summer..Thanks for sharing….!
Thanks, Samantha!
Hi! I Will be trying this recipe tomorrow for Sunday Dinner! It sounds DELICIOUS!
Momma Rhonda????
Wonderful! I need to add it to my must-make list for the season again! 🙂 So ready for summer produce!
I’m trying this recipe today with yellow squash and zucchini that I have in the freezer from my garden. So excited to taste it!!!
Awesome! I hope that you enjoy it, Diana!
Awsome recipe! This is great with grilling or inside family get togethers. Goes well with everything. Very good for budget cooking! Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Lori! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I’ll be making it today or tomorrow.
Rather than sour cream and mayonnaise I’m using a can of cream of celery or cream of chicken soup. I’ve never tried red peppers in mine before but I’ll try it this time.
Thank you for your delicious recipes
Sounds great, Linda! I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you. Great information
Can you use frozen squash in this recipe
Ann
Hi, Ann! I honestly haven’t tried it. I would worry that the frozen squash might have more liquid in it (when thawed) and be mushier than the fresh squash, but that might not be a problem. I like the texture of the slightly more firm fresh squash, but if you don’t mind a casserole with squash that’s really mushy and just kind of soft and blended together, then the frozen would probably work! 🙂
I tried the recipe last night and it was delicious!! And we ate the leftovers for lunch!! Loved it 5 thumbs up!! And easy to make!! ????????????
I’m so glad, Cathy! Thank you!
This an easy recipe that taste fantastic.
Thanks, Jenny! So glad that you like it! 🙂
Sorry. No sour cream, no mayo, and no bell pepper. Use half cup milk instead of sour cream or mayo. Just no bell pepper.
Delicious…. however, I found the squash to be watery after sautéing them and then there was some liquid at the bottom of the baking dish after baking it. Is that to be expected?
Hi, Haly! I think that’s normal. Vegetables are comprised of so much water, that it’s almost impossible to have a dish with no liquid in it after the vegetables cook. I’m glad that you enjoyed the flavor!
I have Butternut Squash. Can I use that instead?
Hi, Michelle. I don’t know — butternut squash has a very different texture, consistency and flavor from the yellow squash. Yellow squash is more like zucchini, which would be a simple swap. I suppose you could give it a shot with the butternut squash — you’ll just want to make sure that you slice it thinly and cook it until it’s tender before adding it to the dish. Let me know if you give it a try! 🙂
Can this recipe be used for the crockpot ?
Hi, Sheika! I wouldn’t recommend this recipe for the slow cooker, because the filling will get too soggy with the lid and condensation from the Crock Pot, and the topping won’t crisp up the way that it does in the oven.
can you make ahead and freeze? once you take from the freezer add the topping then to reheat and brown?
Hi, Lawanda! I’ve never tried doing that, so I can’t say for sure exactly how it would turn out. It makes me a little nervous, though, because the sour cream and mayo in the casserole may “break” when thawed (which won’t hurt anything, but it yields an unpleasant, grainy texture).
Thanks for the reciepe. Tonight will be my first time making it. I am making it tonight for our church Thanksgiving. No one brings this kind of dish, so I hope it’s a hit with everyone. I will let y’all know.
Wonderful! I’m so glad that you’ll get to share it with friends. Have fun tonight, Tammy!
Can I make it ahead of time. Like tonight and reheat for lunch tomorrow? Thanks!
Yes! I love to reheat the leftovers. 🙂
I need to triple this. Any recommendations?
Hi, Ruby! To triple the recipe, I would prepare one 8×8 dish exactly as instructed. I would also prepare a separate 9 x 13 inch dish and double all of the ingredients for that dish. You can bake them in the same oven, but may need to add 5-10 extra minutes to the recommended baking time. Enjoy!
I’ve never made this casserole, can it be made in an electric skillet??
Hi, Nancy! I honestly don’t know — I’ve never cooked with an electric skillet. 🙂
Even though it’s made with Summer squash, this is a traditional recipe for our family at Christmas. We add a small jar of diced pimentos to give it holiday red and green. Everyone loves it–even the kids! Thanks for posting; I had been searching for this recipe and am glad to find it!
That’s great, Amy! I think it sounds like a perfect Christmas side dish. So glad that you found the recipe! 🙂
I really messed up and it was still good! I forgot to add the cheese to the eggs and sour cream (and mayo) mixture so added it on top of the cracker crumbs. I thought it would be awful (and I kind of estimated the squash to make a batch and a half, too.) I used a 9″ x 13″ pan and baked for about 30 minutes and it was still yummy . . . thank you! Tip — once I gently sautéed the squash and onions, I transferred them to a bowl and poured out the liquid in the bottom before mixing it into the sauce. There was no standing liquid in the finished dish.
Great tip! Thanks, Ellen! I’m glad that it worked out — even if you didn’t follow the recipe exactly. 🙂
Wow, I followed the instructions this time, as I had a lot of left over squash, and it is completely amazing! Very delicious!
Thank you for this great recipe : )
That’s awesome! Thanks so much, Ellen!
Howdy! I’ve got this in the oven right now for the first time! It smells great! My question is can you substitute the cracker crumbs for bread crumbs? That’s all I had on hand. I also used Monterey Jack cheese that I had on hand. Other ingredients are the same! I crumbled a wasa cracker on one corner because my husband eats those and wants to see how it will taste. I hope the bread crumbs are ok, I prefer saltine.
Hi, Nena! Yes, it should work fine with the breadcrumbs. I just prefer the flavor and crunch that you get from the crackers. 🙂 Hope y’all enjoyed it!
I made this per the recipe, but added sliced mushrooms (which I sautéed along with the squash and onions, and diced, jarred pimento (since I didn’t have any red pepper. Mostly to have that color.
It was great!!! I stood over the stove to taste it when done, and came back and had a bowl of it! Thanks, a keeper!
Awesome! I bet the mushrooms were a tasty addition, Jane. Thanks for leaving me a note!
I leave out the onions and peppers because I have severe Acid Reflux. Ii think it taste really good though. Add some extra cheese.
I love this dish. I used a can of mushroom soup instead of sour cream along with frozen squash. If you soak up the liquid from the squash with paper towels it will eliminate the excess liquid. Also I did use bread crumbs instead of crackers. I baked a large dish of this and we ate off the left overs for a couple of days. The next time I am going to add cooked hamburger after soaking up the grease with paper towels to serve as a main dish instead of a side one.
Thanks so much for sharing your suggestions, Theresa! I bet it will be delicious with the ground beef added!
Hello Blair, I just put this squash casserole your shared in the oven. I can’t wait to try it. I put french fried onions on top of mine. It looks delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful! Enjoy, Gina!
Does this recipe freeze well?
Hi, Pat! I don’t think it would be a great option for freezing because of a couple of reasons: first, the squash may become more watery and mushy when thawed (which can change the texture of the dish), and second, the creamy mayo-sour cream mixture will likely “break” or separate when thawed. Hope that helps!
Delish! I have been eating squash casserole all my Southern life. This one is fabulous. Leftover it is even better. I did not add the bell pepper [might be to strong of a flavor] but will add pimento next time. I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to make a bit healthier.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this version, Andrea! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note. 🙂
Very good recipes,but less butter and Dairys products.
Great recipe. I’ve made this twice now. First time I didn’t have bell pepper so I used 5 or 6 sweet peppers. I also didn’t have crackers so I used plain breadcrumbs, melted cheese and parm. It was delicious. Tonight I sautéed the half a red onion and red bell pepper together until soft. I used left over fried squash rounds from last night (we’re growing a redonk about of squash right now). I added chopped Rotisserie chicken to the mix and then layered sauce & squash x3, then sauce and the same breadcrumb mix as last time. This one was even better. This recipe is going in my cookbook.
Thanks, Nina! I love the idea of adding chicken to make it a main dish. So glad that you enjoy it!
i have so much yellow squash, but never used in a casserole!, i feel like an idiot asking but….for grilling i never peel the squash…does it need to be peeled for this casserole?? thank you
Hi, Frann! This is a great way to use up some of that squash! 🙂 No, you do not need to peel the squash before adding it to the casserole. Enjoy!
We found our new way to cook yellow squash. Made it last week and my husband is asking for it again. So easy to make and so delicious. I didn’t have fresh squash so used frozen. I did not have to cook the squash first as the skin was already softened. I sent this recipe to my sister and told her that she has to try it. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
Yay! It’s definitely one of my favorite veggie casseroles, too. Such a classic! Thanks for sharing the recipe with your sister as well. 🙂
This was excellent! We subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream and mayo, reducing it to only a 1/4 cup overall. Also used coconut oil in place of butter and reduced to 2 tsps. Added 1/4 cup bread crumbs into the squash mix with 1/2 cup crumbs baked on top. Probably the best squash casserole we’ve ever had, thank you so much for this recipe!
Thanks, Jodie! I’m so glad that it worked with your tweaks. Thanks for sharing those changes in case others want to try it that way, too. Have a great evening!