• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Meet Kelly
  • Browse All Recipes
  • Contact

The Anthony Kitchen logo

  • Comfort Food
  • Southern
  • Tex-Mex
  • Dessert
  • Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Comfort Food
  • Southern Recipes
  • Tex-Mex & Mexican Food
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index
  • About Kelly
  • Contact
×
Home · Recipes · BBQs · Yellow Squash Casserole

Published: Feb 3, 2018 by Kelly Anthony · 2 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Yellow Squash Casserole

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
Image for PInterest
Image for PInterest
Image for PInterest

A recipe for the very best Southern yellow squash casserole, featuring yellow squash, cheese, and Ritz crackers. Perfect for barbecues, family dinners, potlucks, and more!

A close up of yellow squash casserole that has been prepared in a white oval serving dish. A silver spoon is resting in the dish.

I'm no rookie when it comes to Southern yellow squash casserole, and this side dish and I have been dominating potluck barbecues since 2008. I love bringing it to summertime gatherings when the squash is in season and at it's very sweetest, but I'm certainly not above pulling this beauty out in the dead of winter. I've made it a number of different ways, but without a doubt, this recipe out-shines the rest.

As much as I'd like to say this was a "first-try", "one-and-done" type recipe...it was not. Cook the squash the wrong way? You'll end up with a mushy interior. Cook the casserole at too high of a temperature? You'll end up with a curdled interior...and burnt crackers.

A close up shot of a silver spoon that is full of the recipe being held horizontally over a yellow casserole dish.

As you can see here, there are no burnt crackers and there is certainly no curdling in these parts. This yellow squash casserole is straight-up legit.

I don't want you to get the wrong idea, here: Squash casserole is easy to make. You just need the right recipe. Luckily, you've come to the right place, and friend, I'm so glad you did. Take a seat, get comfy, and let's have ourselves a sweet little chit-chat about how to make one of the greatest Southern side dish casseroles in the world.

HOW TO MAKE YELLOW SQUASH CASSEROLE

Yellow squash casserole is simple to make. In fact, the most taxing part of the whole process is simply chopping up the squash, and that's barely a task at all. If you need a little how-to when it comes to chopping up summer squash, check out the demo below:

Once the veggies are chopped, it's time to cook them. And, we are going to cook them the right way.

DON'T BOIL THE SQUASH. INSTEAD, SAUTE.

Most methods for Southern squash casserole begin with a large pot of boiling water, in which yellow squash will be submerged and boiled. I never quite understood the glory of that cooking method for squash. For one, it sucks a good majority of the flavor right outta there; and two, there is a faster and more flavorful way to cook yellow squash. Rather than waiting on a large pot of water to boil, I prefer to get straight to business by sauteing.

REMOVE EXCESS MOISTURE.

Once the squash has softened and cooked through, it is absolutely necessary to transfer it to a colander and press out the excess moisture. Summer squash has a decently high water content, and to prevent the casserole from becoming soupy, this is a very necessary step. Beyond the main ingredient, the rest is pretty much a cake-walk.

A white oval baking dish of yellow squash casserole that has been baked to perfection.

CUSTARD. CHEESE. CRACKERS. BAKE.

Does the word "custard" in a savory casserole kind of wierd you out a bit? Let me ease any doubts you may have, here. Custard is just a simple mix of a dairy and eggs. Egg holds the casserole together, cream makes it....well, creamy. A creamy custard in combination with freshly grated cheese, crushed crackers, and sweet yellow squash is just about as heavenly as it gets.

An extra dose of cheese and crackers go on top, and it is baked at 325° until the cheese is bubbly and the crackers are golden, and you find yourself fighting the temptation to scald your mouth with an immediate taste. Please, enjoy.

SERVE YELLOW SQUASH CASSEROLE WITH:

Onion Smothered Chicken, Roasted Chicken, Country-Style Pork Ribs, Cracker-Crusted Steak Fingers, Baked Barbecue Chicken, Simple & Fresh Green Beans, Boston Baked Beans

Southern Squash Casserole
Print Recipe
4.20 from 20 votes

Yellow Squash Casserole

A recipe for the very best Southern squash casserole, featuring yellow squash, cheese, and Ritz crackers.
Prep Time25 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Yellow Squash Casserole
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 211kcal
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
  • 1 yellow onion, diced small
  • 2 ½ pounds (about 6) yellow summer squash cut into quarters and diced into ½” pieces
  • 1 ½ teaspoon  Kosher salt, separated
  • ¾ teaspoon  black pepper, separated
  • 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons  minced Italian parsley (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon  granulated sugar
  • One sleeve of Ritz crackers (about 30 crackers), crushed
  • 8 ounces  Colby Jack cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325° and have ready a greased 9x13” baking dish. 
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes, until translucent. Add squash and season with 1 tsp of salt and a ½ tsp of black pepper. Continue to sauté for another 10 minutes until softened.
  • Whisk together cream, egg, parsley, sugar, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Transfer squash mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in custard. Add half of the crushed crackers along with half of the cheese. Stir to combine.
  • Transfer ingredients to the greased baking dish. Top with remaining cheese followed by the leftover cracker crumbs, and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the edges of the casserole are bubbly. Serve and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Vitamin C: 20.1mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 0.7mg
« Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Creamy Tomato Soup | Recipe »
1233 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Looking for more recipes?

Be sure to check out the recipe index where you can browse recipes by meal type and category!

Check Out the Recipe Index

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    August 15, 2021 at 1:22 am

    This was so good! Followed to a T except added some paprika while roasting and did club crackers because it’s what I had.
    This will be a new addition to the Thanksgiving must-haves in our family!
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kelly Anthony says

      August 23, 2021 at 5:14 pm

      That's awesome, Sarah! Thank you 🙂

      Reply
4.20 from 20 votes (19 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

Trending recipes

  • Close-up of a Prosciutto Sandwich
    The Best Prosciutto Sandwich (in 10 Minutes Flat)
  • Strawberry Pancakes topped with whipped cream, strawberry syrup, and fresh strawberries
    The Only Strawberry Pancake Recipe You'll Ever Need
  • Salmon seasoning for salmon
    The Best Salmon Seasoning (Bold, Savory, and Zesty)
  • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
    The Best Southern Side Dishes for BBQs + Backyard Cookouts
  • Overhead shot of Lemon Pepper Seasoning in a glass bowl
    Fresh Lemon Pepper Seasoning (No Drying Required!)
  • Overhead shot of seafood seasoning in a bowl next to raw shrimp
    Seafood Seasoning

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign up for weekly recipes

Contact

  • Work with me
  • Contact

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
We loved this recipe!!
Will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing!

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.