Netty's Cooking from Scratch Southern Squash Casserole (Gluten and Lactose free)

One of our favorite vegetables to come from the garden is the varieties of squash. Whether it is acorn, Hubbard, Zucchini, or yellow squash, we enjoy them as a side for most of our meals. Ruthie and Jonah have their favorite, so I make a squash casserole regularly. I am sure there are kids who might turn their noses up at the thought of any type of squash. However, this recipe is full of flavor and may be the very thing that can change their mind. I will warn you; the ingredients are not congruent to most diets, but Bayler would say, “It tastes so good, it might be considered a dessert rather than a vegetable.

• 2-1/2 lbs. of yellow squash (AKA crook neck in the south)
• 1 lb of Zucchini Squash (Total squash is 3.3 ½ lbs. so you can fudge with either variety)
• 3 large eggs
• 8 oz shredded Cabot Cheddar cheese (Cabot is always lactose-free cheese)
• 4 oz shredded Cabot Swiss Cheese
• 4 oz shredded Cabot Parmesan cheese (Cabot Italian cheese is optional)
• 1 large red bell pepper, Diced.
• 1 large Vidalia (sweet) onion sliced into long ¼” petals
• 6 Tbsp. Softened butter
• 1 ½ cups Good Thin's Garlic and Parmesan crackers (crushed)
• 1 Tbsp. GF Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. thyme½ cup (4oz) Kite Hill Sour Cream (Lactose-Free)
• ½ cup Mayonnaise (I prefer Dukes for great flavor)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2tsp ground pepper

To begin, preheat the oven to 350°F. Rinse and slice both varieties of squash into ¼ inch slices. In a large Cast-iron skillet, melt 3 oz of butter and the sliced onion petals, and caramelize until tender. Add the sliced squash. Cover and cook until the squash is tender in the center. Remove and drain in a colander.

In a 2-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup, crack the eggs (ensuring no egg shells are included) and beat slightly. Then, place the eggs, spices, mayonnaise, sour cream, Swiss, and cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl. Gently fold in the cooked squash, red bell pepper, and onion. Work gently until the mixture has an even coating. Pour the mixture into an 11 x 8 casserole dish and set aside.

Now, in a separate bowl, combine the crushed crackers, remaining 3 Tbsp. of butter, and 4 oz of shredded parmesan cheese, and work it together. Cover the squash casserole with the cracker and cheese mixture evenly, and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the cracker/cheese crumbling begins to color. Remove and serve hot.