Squash Casserole
Classic Southern Squash Casserole, creamy with a crunchy panko crust.
Ingredients
Panko Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups plain panko crumbs, see Notes
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, see Notes
- 1/2 cup Gruyére cheese, grated, see Notes
- 3/4 teaspoon dried Italian parsley
- 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt, to taste, or your favorite all-purpose seasoning, see Notes
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Squash Filling:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or olive oil
- 3 - 3 1/2 pounds yellow squash, sliced into 1/4" slices
- 2 cups sweet onions, diced, approximately 1 large onion
- sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 large eggs, lightly scrambled
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, pushed through a garlic press, or finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning, or to taste, see Notes
- 2 1/2 cups extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter a 9x9” (2-quart) baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter or spray with nonstick spray, such as Pam. Set aside.
- Make the Panko Topping. In a medium bowl, combine the topping ingredients together until all the panko is coated. Set aside.
- Make the Squash Filling. Melt the butter and oil in a large shallow skillet over medium heat.
- Add the squash and onions to the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften and the liquid has evaporated, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. (If the veggies are softening and there is more than a tablespoon of liquid in the skillet, drain it off in a colander or with a flat strainer.)
- In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, mayo, yogurt, fresh garlic, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, all-purpose seasoning, and any additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the squash into the mayo mixture and gently combine.
- Scrape the mixture into the greased baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the Panko Topping over the top.
- Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are bubbling, and the topping is nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and serve very warm.
Notes
You may use salted butter for the topping recipe, but taste as you go so that you don’t over- or under-season. Salt is very powerful. It can take a simple ingredient to incredible or drown to inedible.
You can substitute Parmesan cheese for the Gruyere in the topping. I highly recommend you purchase a block and grate it yourself instead of purchasing pre-shredded Parmesan. Please, do not use the green canister. It does not taste like cheese.
Plain panko will have fewer ingredients, meaning it’s less processed and contains fewer chemicals. I was looking for a topping that is not commonly used (such as Ritz), is less processed, but still readily available. I know most people would not want to make homemade croutons like I would, so I went with a crunchy panko that is infused with yummy butter and simple seasonings.
If you use an all-purpose seasoning for the topping and/or the filling, be sure to adjust your additional salt accordingly to the salt content in your all-purpose seasoning. Not all all-purpose seasonings contain salt.
Leftovers can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 5 days. I would not suggest freezing because mayonnaise and yogurt do not thaw and reheat very well.
Although The Spice and Tea Exchange’s “A Salt for All Seasons” is labeled a “salt”, it is filled with other spices such as shallot, garlic, thyme, and more. It’s so good!
Nutrition Facts
Squash Casserole
Amount per Serving
Calories
477.97
% Daily Value*
Fat
37.06
g
57
%
Saturated Fat
15.84
g
99
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
7.33
g
Monounsaturated Fat
7.8
g
Cholesterol
116.75
mg
39
%
Sodium
944.71
mg
41
%
Potassium
536.32
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
16.73
g
6
%
Fiber
2.44
g
10
%
Sugar
7.02
g
8
%
Protein
18.3
g
37
%
Vitamin A
399.75
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
31.33
mg
38
%
Calcium
144.79
mg
14
%
Iron
1.17
mg
7
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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