Squash Casserole – Cheesy Traditional Recipe
It’s time to gather around the table ’cause we are creating something that’s summertime, right outta the garden. A yellow crookneck squash turned into something classic and great and that is a cheesy squash casserole, right from my mama’s ol’ writing.
I wanna tell you if you’ve ever raised squash you know it can multiply faster than a bunch of rabbits! So, we’re gonna make just an old-fashioned squash casserole that my mother used to make all the time.
Start with Crookneck Squash
Now, make sure when you get ‘em, they ain’t these big ‘ol long piece of things that are tough as a boot, because they need to be tender when we start.
Y’all seen me the other day in that video, the classic southern dish – fried green tomatoes, and you can watch it here. We went down there to my neighbor Frank’s garden and got a yellow crookneck squash.
I like to slice them about a quarter of an inch thick. That way your cook time is always even.
Cut them 1/4 of an inch each.
Make the Coating for the Squash
Get yourself a Martian helmet – to drain them squash!
You, folks, remember that crispy hash brown recipe? So, what did we have? A Martian helmet ( or you may know it as a strainer).
This is a very important step in cooking squash casserole. The squash has got a lot of water, so you gotta let it drain. So, let it sit there for about three to four minutes till all that juice is drained off of it. Give ‘em a little shake every once in a while.
At this point, you can finish mixing together the rest of the ingredients.
Let’s just pour it sort of evenly around in your dish. I like to top this with regular ol’ Saltine crackers. But you could also substitute with Ritz if you’d like.
Finish it off with a sprinkling of Parmesan and a little butter and you’ve got Heaven in a casserole right there!
Put the Coal Around the Dutch Oven
Put a nice circle of hot coal around and on top.
If you’re cooking this in a Dutch oven it doesn’t take too much heat (you can reference our video below). We’re gonna let this cook till it begins to bubble through really well, but also I gotta cook that egg and that cheese to get it to set up and give that a good crust on top with the crackers.
This is what we’ve been waiting on from the time we planted the seed, waited for it to grow, to bloom, to make a squash and then to get in a Dutch oven. This is one of my favorite ol’ time classic dishes, cause it brings back so many memories. It is with minimal ingredients and something fresh out of the garden, this time a year especially. So, get your family, your friends together and make sure it’s good. Enjoy!
Watch how we cook an Old-Fashioned Squash Casserole
Cheesy Traditional Squash Casserole - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon butter divided
- 5 medium yellow squash sliced ¼-inch thick (about 7 cups)
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 sleeve Saltine crackers crumbled
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and onion. Season lightly with the salt and pepper. Cook until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid for a faster cooking time.
- Remove from the heat and drain the squash and onion well using a colander, for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise, milk, and cheeses.
- Lightly stir the squash mixture and wet mixture together. Scrape into a 12-inch buttered Dutch oven or 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the top with the crumbled crackers followed by the Parmesan cheese. Evenly pour the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter (melted) on top.
- Bake until the casserole sets up and is lightly browned on top. For inside baking: 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes. Serve warm.
