Quick & Easy Squash Casserole

Side dishes are always a challenge at my house. The easiest involve opening a bag of salad and adding dressing, but sometimes we want something that is a tiny bit more involved. Enter the quick and easy squash casserole.

Normally, I would wait and write about this recipe in the summer because summer squash is of course best when it’s freshly harvested. But, even if I waited, it wouldn’t taste anything like the squash my daddy used to grow in his garden. I remember those big, huge elephant-like ears spreading across our backyard and how itchy they were when you picked the squash. Our patch was usually just one small row and Daddy would pick them when they were still small. They are most tender when they are only about 6-8 inches long.

But, since I am craving summer squash in the winter, I am going to use frozen squash because it is also quick and easy as the recipe states.

In today’s market, you can find just about everything you need already chopped, sliced, even cooked if need be at your local grocery store, so a casserole now only takes a few minutes to throw together. We love this casserole, but it used to take over an hour to prepare with all of the chopping, sautéing and grating. Not anymore!

Quick & Easy Squash Casserole

Ingredients

2 – 16 oz. packages frozen, sliced yellow squash

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup mayonnaise

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers

1 envelope buttermilk Ranch-style Salad Dressing Mix

1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 cup soft breadcrumbs (optional)

1 Tablespoon butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook squash with onion according to frozen package directions. Drain squash well in a colander, pressing with a wooden spoon to remove all liquid.  Combine squash with the next five ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish. I usually omit the bread crumbs to save on carb count, but, here is where you would combine the breadcrumbs with butter and sprinkle on the top. If omitting breadcrumbs, dot about 1/2 tablespoon of butter across the top of the casserole. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Slow-cooker Version

You could also spoon this mixture into your crock-pot and cook on low for about 2 hours, or until the middle is set.

I would serve this with a vegetable plate, baked chicken, ham, meatloaf or a Sunday pot roast.