Southern Squash Casserole
Source of Recipe
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List of Ingredients
This recipe will be eaten by anyone but the most rabid squash haters, and even they may eat it if no one tells them it contains squash! It freezes well, so it is a great way to utilize surplus squash from the garden. Use the biggest ones for something else, they are too tough for this dish.
Baked in a preheated 350 degree oven, 30 minutes if fresh, about 45 minutes if refrigerated or thawed, 85 minutes or more if frozen (not the best- first thaw overnight in the refrigerator if possible).
You can use low fat crackers and cheese to make this even leaner. Some cornflakes crushed into the topping are very friendly to the squash flavor.
10 pounds medium sized yellow squash or zucchini
8 quarts boiling water (takes 20-40 minutes)
6 tablespoons butter or mixed butter and oil
3 cups bread crumbs, OR Ritz cracker crumbs, OR herb stuffing mix, divided
2 cups (8 ounces)shredded Cheddar OPTIONAL
4 eggs, beaten OR 12 ounce package silken tofu
1/4 cup large flake nutritional yeast
1/4 cup onion or bell pepper, chopped OR 1 can diced green chiles
2 tablespoons honey OR 1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Cut tips off squash and cut each into 3-4 pieces. Drop squash into a large saucepan with just enough boiling water to cover. Cover the pot, return to boil, reduce heat and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
Mix the bread crumbs and nutritional yeast and set aside.
Drain squash in colander, saving the water for a broth base. Return squash to pan with butter and saute and mash until mostly smooth.
Remove from heat, add eggs or tofu, 2 cups of bread crumbs, onion or peppers, honey/sugar, salt, and pepper.
To bake immediately, pour into 2 greased 3 quart casserole or 9"x13" pans. Sprinkle with the remaining layer of bread crumbs. Bake in the preheated oven.
To freeze, omit the topping crumbs. Put the mixed casserole into freezer baggies and lay these into your casserole. Then freeze it and remove the dish. Mark the dates etc. Put the topping crumbs in their own baggie, and put it with the squash. To heat, grease the dish, put the frozen block in and cover, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Next day, sprinkle on the crumbs, bake in a preheated oven, timing is above the recipe.
Some Southern cooks substitute bacon grease or mayonaisse in place of butter or oil. Don't do this if you are going to freeze it. Some replace the butter with undiluted condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup.
Big Squash and Pasta Bake
A pleasant variation on the above, makes a good main dish.
1 pound pasta, such as rotini or shells
8 pounds medium sized yellow squash or zucchini
8 quarts boiling water (takes 20-40 minutes)
2 cups cream sauce (your choice- a little white wine is a favorite)
2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup finely chopped onion OR celery heart
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley OR celery leaf
2 cups shredded carrots (about 6)
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cups bread crumbs, OR Ritz cracker crumbs, OR French fried onion bits, or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup large flake nutritional yeast
Bring the water to a boil, boil the pasta just barely done, and scoop it out. Rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking. Use the boiling water to prepare the squash.
Cut tips off squash and cut each into 3-4 pieces. Drop squash into a large saucepan with just enough boiling water to cover. Cover the pot, return to boil, reduce heat and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
Mix the bread crumbs and nutritional yeast and set aside.
Drain squash well in colander, saving the water for a broth base. Return squash to pan with the carrots, parsley, and onions and mash until mostly smooth.
Mix the cream sauce and yogurt/sour cream, stir in the squash mix and the pasta.
To bake immediately, pour into 2 greased 3 quart casseroles or 9"x13" pans. Sprinkle with the topping of bread crumbs. Bake in the preheated oven at 375-400 degrees about 35 minutes until bubbly
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