Easy Squash Casserole recipe for a delicious veggie side. This bright and buttery casserole is sure to please at your next holiday gathering.
This Squash Casserole is a perfect side dish for busy weeknight dinners, but can also be part of a holiday meal. For more Veggie casseroles, try Broccoli Casserole and Spinach Casserole.
Why You’ll Love This Casserole?
- This summer squash is baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce and has a crunchy topping that everyone will eat.
- It can easily be made up to a day in advance so it’s quick when it comes time to bake.
Sabrina’s Squash Casserole Recipe
Try my easy Squash Casserole recipe for a delicious veggie side! This amazing summer squash casserole is sure to be a new favorite side for the whole family. It’s easy enough for a regular weekday but delicious enough for your holiday table too.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Casserole:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
- 1 yellow onion , finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 4 cups yellow squash , sliced into 1/2" thick circles
Topping:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup ritz crackers , crushed
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13″ baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
- Add 3 tablespoons butter to a large skillet on medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until just translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add in remaining butter.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, milk, egg, salt, black pepper and paprika.
- Stir the egg mixture into the butter and onions until combined.
- Bring to a simmer until it just begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and squash.
- Stir to coat, then pour into baking dish.
Topping:
- Add butter to a large skillet on medium heat.
- When melted add ritz crumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Stir to coat well and cook until crispy and just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown.
- Add to the top of the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
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Note from Sabrina
Because you cut the squash so thick and use egg in the sauce, this Squash Casserole should not be watery. However, not all squash is created equal so you might get some extra moisture-filled ones. If you are worried about a watery casserole you can always salt the squash rounds and let them sit for 10-15 minutes. Just make sure to rinse them before patting them dry and adding them so your dish isn’t too salty.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
My easy Squash Casserole is made with yellow squash baked in a cheesy, creamy sauce with a crispy buttery cracker crust. It only takes about 45 minutes to prepare and is made with simple ingredients. Often you’ll see this dish made with canned mushroom soup, but the cream sauce in this recipe is much more flavorful and really elevates this old-fashioned comfort food. The thick cut squash comes out perfectly tender, not mushy and the creamy sauce is cheesy, buttery, and rich. It’s topped with a crispy, buttery cracker topping that makes it irresistible to even the pickiest of eaters.
Ingredients
- Squash: The star of this delicious casserole recipe is yellow squash, also known as yellow summer squash or yellow crookneck squash. It is very similar to zucchini squash but it has a slightly firmer flesh and yellow skin that can be slightly bumpier. The shape is more bulbous at one end then narrows at the top, hence the name crookneck squash.
- Butter: You are going to use melted butter to cook the onions, start the sauce mixture, and to toast the crumbs. You’ll need 10 tablespoons all together, so just over a stick of butter. Make sure to use unsalted butter because you are adding salt to the sauce and the crackers are also already salty.
- Aromatics: Sauteing onions until they are soft and translucent is an easy way to add a lot of flavor to simple sauces like the one in this casserole. You add the garlic just at the end of cooking the onions to unlock it’s pungent flavor but so it doesn’t get too brown in color and burn.
- Sauce Base: The sauce base is like a cheater’s version of a bechamel sauce. Instead of making a roux with flour, it is whisked directly into the milk and egg is added to help thicken it quicker. Then the sauce is combined with the butter, mixing quickly so you don’t scramble the egg. It’s a much quicker way to get a rich and creamy sauce than making traditional bechamel.
- Seasonings: The seasonings are kept simple with some kosher salt, ground black pepper and paprika. You only need a ½ teaspoon salt because Parmesan cheese in the sauce and the buttery cracker crust adds a lot of natural salty flavor.
- Cheese: Parmesan cheese is pulling double duty in this dish so you’ll get lots of the nutty, salty flavor that goes so well with summer and winter squash. You’ll need a 1 ¼ cup total of Parmesan cheese for the sauce and the topping. There is also a cup of melty mozzarella cheese for an extra cheesy casserole.
- Ritz Crackers: Ritz crackers are a buttery, crispy yet soft cracker that is perfect for making a crunchy casserole topping. It has just enough salt and toasting them in butter before adding them makes sure they don’t get soggy and are extra delicious.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Baking Dish: I used a 9×13 inch baking dish so this casserole bakes fairly quickly since it spreads out in one thick layer. If you want to use a 2 quart casserole dish or 8 inch square baking dish, keep in mind the casserole is going to be thicker so you’ll want to add about 10-15 minutes of baking time. An 11×7 inch baking dish will have pretty much the same cooking time, maybe 5 minutes more.
- Skillet: You need a skillet to make the creamy sauce as well as the crispy topping. You definitely need a large skillet for the sauce because you’ll also be adding the squash rounds and you want enough room that you can easily stir them in and coat them well.
Can this be made ahead of time?
You can definitely make Squash Casserole ahead of time. Simply prepare it as usual up until you add the cracker crust. Wrap the dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 1 day. Make the cracker crust right before baking and cook per the recipe card.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair this delicious casserole along side Easy Roasted Turkey Breast, Sautéed Green Beans, and Parker House Rolls to serve at your holiday dinner. The guests will love the different variety of textures and flavors.
How to Store
- Store: Once the Squash Casserole has cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: For the best texture, place the leftovers you want to reheat in a baking dish and cover with foil, then reheat in a 350 degree oven until hot.
- Freeze: This veggie casserole dish is best if you freeze it before adding the cracker crust and baking it. However, fully cooled leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Bake from frozen to reheat.
Slow Cooker Method
- Prepare the creamy sauce as usual, up until adding the cheese and squash.
- In your slow cooker, arrange your squash rounds in even layers, overlapping as needed.
- Add the cheeses into the sauce, then pour the sauce over the squash in the slow cooker.
- Toast the cracker crumbs and cheese in a skillet with the butter until golden brown.
- Add half the cracker crumb mixture to the squash and stir.
- Top with the remaining cracker crumbs and cook on Low heat for 2-3 hours, until the squash is tender.
- Remove the insert from the cooker and let cool for 30 minutes to thicken before serving.
Frequent Questions
It’s not recommended to use frozen squash in this casserole recipe because it can make your casserole watery and it is way too tender. Even if you drain and dry your thawed squash, when it bakes in the sauce, it could become super soft and mushy.
No, you don’t need to peel summer squash or yellow squash before cooking it. The skin is pretty thin and loses all its bitterness when cooked so it is perfectly fine to leave on. Plus, the skin has lots of nutrients and adds a little texture.
Related Recipes
More Veggie Casseroles
Sounds wonderful. Will this work just as well with butternut squash? I’m getting a lot in the garden this year.
I haven’t tried this recipe with butternut squash, so I wouldn’t know how it would turn out. Butternut is a denser squash so it would need a longer baking time.