Yellow Squash Casserole – Immaculate Bites

What’s Special About Yellow Squash?

Yellow squash is abundant in the summer months, making it a popular variety of summer squash. It has gorgeous golden skin, creamy white flesh, and large-ish seeds. Although it looks like yellow zucchini, yellow squash has a rounder base and a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. Add that to a cheesy casserole, and you’ll be in yellow squash heaven.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Seasonings – Onion, garlic, and thyme create this dish’s earthy and aromatic flavor base. Depending on your preference, you could also use parsley, oregano, or basil.
2. Yellow Squash – The star player is nutritious and has a gorgeous golden color.
3. Eggs – The added protein also holds everything together. Yum!
4. Sour Cream & Mayo – Makes the dish rich, creamy, and zingy for the win.
5. Cheese – Cheddar cheese is my fave in this dish because of its sharp, tangy flavor. Monterey Jack, Gruyere, or another good melting cheese also works great.
6. Topping – Crackers and butter add a delicious and crunchy texture to please even the pickiest eater.

How to Make Yellow Squash Casserole

• Prep – Lightly grease a square baking or round casserole dish (8 or 9 inches) and set aside. Slice the yellow squash and set aside.
• Cook Squash – Melt your butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and thyme. Sauté for about a minute until the onions are soft and translucent. Then add the squash, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to soften and liquid is released, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain any extra liquid.
• Combine – In a medium mixing bowl, stir eggs, sour cream, and mayonnaise until thoroughly combined. Then stir the egg mixture into the squash mixture, add the cheese, and mix to coat the squash. Transfer the squash casserole mixture to the prepared baking pan.
• Make Topping – In another small bowl, toss crushed crackers and butter until the butter coats the cracker crumbs. Sprinkle buttered crackers over the top of the squash.
• Cook – Bake at 350℉/177℃ for 20-25 minutes, uncovered, until the casserole is set and the topping is lightly browned. Serve hot.

Recipe Variations

1. You can replace the butter crackers with cornflakes, breadcrumbs, or crumbled croutons, depending on what’s in your pantry. Or give the yellow squash casserole extra crunch by crushing potato chips on top (you won’t need the butter as a binder if you opt for chips!).
2. Pump it up with more veggies! Add a sauteed bell pepper or kernels of sweet corn for extra nutrition and color!
3. You can make this casserole recipe even heartier by dicing some bacon or ham and sautéing them with onion and garlic.
4. Not crazy about yellow squash? You can make a butternut squash casserole by peeling, slicing, and sauteing butternut squash. You probably won’t have extra liquid to drain off, but you can proceed with the same recipe for an excellent squash casserole.

Tips and Tricks

1. To prevent a mushy casserole, don’t overcook the squash. Remove it from the heat when it starts to soften, but before it gets overcooked.
2. If you think the cooked squash has excess water, you can gently strain it to discard the water and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the casserole.
3. To maintain the beautiful texture of the squash, fold it into the casserole gently so it won’t break apart.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This squash casserole recipe is great for busy weeknight meals! You can make this deliciousness 24 hours in advance, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate it. Then let it warm to room temperature before baking it.

Serving and Storage Instructions

This delicious yellow squash casserole is best hot out of the oven. I also like to take advantage of already having the oven on by baking chicken or a roast at the same time.

Leftovers stored in an airtight container last for 4-6 days. If it gets a little watery, just add more buttery cracker topping.😉

This incredible casserole is the perfect candidate for making ahead and freezing (it should last three months). Let it cool completely after it comes out of the oven, wrap it with plastic or foil, and freeze. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and heat it in the oven for a fast and satisfying side or vegetarian main dish.

FAQs

What to Serve With Yellow Squash Casserole

This squash casserole is a solid vegetarian dish on its own. But if you have meat lovers at the table, it can be served with basically any protein. Here are some that my family loves:

More Hearty Casserole Recipes to Try

Conclusion

Loaded with tender vegetables and alive with color, this yellow squash casserole is anything but boring! Did you or a neighbor have a bumper crop of vegetables this year? Sign up for my newsletter to get more creative casserole ideas!

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.