Holle's Squash Casserole

Squash is a common southern food, and we eat it all year, especially in Thanksgiving recipes. It isn’t Thanksgiving dinner at our house unless there’s a yummy squash casserole on the table! Of course, we eat this dish at other times of the year, too. Sometimes I make it, and sometimes my middle daughter makes it. Our recipes are very similar, so both versions are great.

The key to a great squash casserole is fresh squash. Sure, you can use canned squash, but the casserole won’t be anywhere near as good! Please don’t destroy this delectable dish by using canned squash! If you do, you’ll have to do penance to the cooking gods.

I list yellow squash in the recipe, but you can substitute half of the yellow squash with zucchini if you like, to make for a more colorful dish. Also, most cooks top their squash casserole with the cheese, but I’ve found that it works better to mix the cheese into the casserole instead.

Holle’s squash casserole

What you’ll need:

2 pounds yellow summer squash

1 cup crushed saltine crackers

1 cup diced onion (I like Vidalia onions for this)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 beaten egg

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Crushed Ritz crackers for topping, optional

Directions:

Wash squash and remove both ends. Slice squash thinly and simmer until tender. Drain thoroughly in a colander.

Place squash in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, except for Ritz crumbs.

Turn mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with Ritz cracker crumbs, if desired. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.