Many were intrigued by the squash casserole that my dad made a couple of weeks ago while I was in Florida and I received requests for a recipe.
I was happy to create my own version of squash casserole to share with you guys today! I served this recipe to some friends who came over for dinner last night and all of us went back for seconds. Safe to say it’s a winner!
CHEESY SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE
Using summer squash for a cheesy casserole with a crispy panko topping is probably my favorite way to eat it. I mean, what’s not to love about cheese + crunch?
The ingredients line-up is pretty simple.
Step one is to saute the squash and onion in some butter.
While the squash is cooking, stir together the cheesy mixture of greek yogurt (or sour cream), mayo and shredded cheddar cheese.
Stir cheese mixture into sautéed squash.
Top with panko bread crumbs that are tossed with melted butter and a little more cheese.
And bake! Easy, peasy.
The result is a warm, gooey, cheesy inside that has the perfect amount of tang thanks to the yogurt/sour cream. The crispy, buttery Panko topping balances out the texture so well.
One option to kick it up a notch when it comes to flavor profile is to add some cayenne pepper to the squash when it’s sautéing. Skip this if you don’t like the heat but my friends really enjoyed the addition when I served the squash casserole with dinner last night.
Here’s the recipe!
Cheesy Summer Squash Casserole
PrintCheesy Summer Squash Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
A summer squash casserole with a tangy, cheesy squash filling and a crunchy, buttery Panko topping.
Ingredients
- 4 medium summer squash, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or less (optional)
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Saute squash and onions for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until squash starts to soften and onions become translucent.
- While squash is cooking, mix together yogurt or sour cream, mayonnaise and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Once squash is done sauteing, remove from heat and add yogurt and cheese mixture to the pan. Stir to coat squash well.
- Transfer mixture to an 8×8 square baking dish.
- Melt remaining two tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and then add panko and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. You might also add a sprinkle of salt to the panko mixture, especially if you are using unsalted butter. Stir to coat panko in butter and incorporate cheese.
- Sprinkle panko topping over squash mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 until topping is lightly browned and casserole is a bit bubbly.
I have squash on hand! Making this tonight!
This looks so smashing and decadent. I happen to have most of a box of Corn Flakes left over from a big batch of “World’s Best Cookies” and might sub those for the panko here! I
Made this tonight…sooo good! I added italian seasoning to the squash while it cooked and used an italian cheese blend. Yum!
Made this twice now! Mine is a little less healthy because i top it with whole wheat Ritz crackers – oops 😉 But so easy and so delicious! Love that it doesnt use eggs and too much cheese etc. Thank you!
I was so intrigued by this dish that I had to try making it and it was so yummy! I used 2% Fage and reduced fat vegenaise since that was what I had in the fridge (I was scared they would not deliver :-)). Thanks so much for your great posts.
YAY! I am so happy to hear that you tried it and liked it. And yes, it’s a weird concept but totally works!
I just made this tonight. I used 2% faye and instead cooked the onion separate until it was caramelized and added it to the casserole before mixing in the mayo and yogurt. Super good recipe. Thanks!