A perfect recipe starts in a summer garden. In South Louisiana, backyard gardens are full of summer squash. Sweet Daddy D’s Yellow Squash Casserole starts with fresh Yellow Squash and Yellow Onions, and that's almost all there is. Add butter, garlic, and seasonings then tighten it up with breadcrumbs and you have a simple and absolutely delicious summer casserole that everyone will love. This is the type of recipe that starts family traditions.
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Yellow Squash in Louisiana
Yellow squash is a type of summer squash that's very popular in South Louisiana. It's one of the many contributions to our cuisines by Native Americans who cultivated it in the rich, fertile soils of the Mississippi Delta even before beans and corn. Grown by commercial farmers and in backyard vegetable gardens everywhere you look, Yellow squash is harvested while still immature, leaving the skin tender and edible. Yellow squash is the demure cousin of other Summer squashes like the fashionable zucchini and the more flamboyant mirliton, also called chayote squash. But don’t sell it short, in the hands of South Louisiana cooks, its versatility is exploited in endless ways, like this delicious casserole.
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Here's What You Need
Here are some of the key ingredients for this recipe:
Equipment
Here is some of the equipment I used in making this recipe:
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Here's What You Do
First...you have a beer. The great flavor of this dish does not require lots of ingredients, so your preparation will be simple and no-angst. It's still important to do your mise en place, so have a beer while you read the recipe all the way through. That way, you'll know what you need and what you're going to do with each ingredient. Let's get started.
Mise en place
Pro Tip: Yellow Squash is summer squash (like zucchini) and does not need to be peeled before consuming. You also do not need to remove the seeds. If you prefer to peel and deseed, that's fine also.
Steps for your mise en place:
- Wash the Yellow Squash under cold water and wipe them with a clean cloth or a soft brush.
- No need to peel the squash.
- Slice them into medallions about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick and set them aside.
- Slice the onions into rings, then cut the rings in half. Alternatively, you can rough-chop the onions. Place them in a separate prep bowl.
- Rough-chop the garlic and set it aside.
- Measure the sugar, creole seasoning, and bread crumbs into separate bowls.
- You’ll need a heavy-bottom Dutch oven with a heavy lid.
- Prepare a casserole or baking dish by smearing butter all over the bottom and the sides.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Saute the onions and garlic in the butter
What happens in this step? Simple recipes start with a simple foundation. We saute the onions in butter just long enough to start extracting the onion's natural sugars.
Set a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the butter and when it's bubbly, add the onions and stir them into the butter. Sauté the onions for about 5 to 8 minutes until they are soft and starting to clear. Add in the garlic and stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Add the squash
What happens in this step? We start the process of cooking the Yellow squash. The long cooking time will draw out its natural water, helping to intensify its sweet goodness.
Add the squash and stir to incorporate all the ingredients. When all the squash has been added, lower the heat and cover the Dutch oven.
Pro Tip: You may need to do this in batches. Stir the squash until it cooks down just enough for you to add more squash.
Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove the cover and mix in the sugar and about ¾ of the Creole seasoning. Use your wooden spoon to mash down some of the bigger pieces of squash (but don't make them like mashed potatoes). Continue to simmer with the cover off for another 15 minutes so that the liquid continues to render and cook-off. Stir occasionally so it does not stick.
Add the breadcrumbs and transfer to the casserole dish
What happens in this step? After a long simmer, most of the squash's water should be drawn out and cooked off. We now add a binder (breadcrumbs) to capture whatever liquid is left and bind all the ingredients together.
Start with about ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and mix them in thoroughly. Add more breadcrumbs a little at a time until it is the consistency you would like. You want the squash to stick together but not be too dense.
Once everything is thoroughly blended, roll the squash into the prepared casserole dish and smooth it out.
Pro Tip: If you are preparing this dish in advance you can stop at this step. Let the casserole cool down, then cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place it in the fridge overnight. You can also place it in the freezer now. When you're ready to finish cooking it, pick up the process from this point.
Once you have the squash spread out in the casserole dish, sprinkle a light layer of breadcrumbs on top. Place about 6 or 8 small tabs (by “small” I mean a total of one tablespoon divided into 6 or 8 tiny pieces) of butter on top.
Into the oven
What happens in this step? Baking will remove even more moisture and complete the process of transforming the individual ingredients into one homogeneous, unique taste.
Place the casserole into a preheats 350-degree Fahrenheit oven, uncovered, and bake it for about 30 minutes. It should be slightly browned on top and a little bubbly around the edges.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
That’s it, all there is to it, simple as that. If there is anything easier than this, I’d like to hear about it. Expect everyone to want seconds, it's just too good.
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Hints and Tips (FAQs)
It’s not necessary to peel yellow squash, just make sure you wash it under cold water and use a light cloth or very soft brush. There are many types of squash and yellow squash falls in the summer squash variety, along with zucchini and some others. Like most summer squash, the entire yellow squash is edible, although I would discard the stem! You can eat the squash raw if you desire and of course, if you want to peel it, there's nothing wrong with that either!
You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 10 months. Make sure that you use an airtight container for maximum quality. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven. Keep in mind that the squash is soft with high water content. Freezing may not be the best thing for its appearance, but the flavor should be fine.
Yellow squash's high water content will be released while cooking. There is no need to add additional liquid.
Zucchini is a great substitute for the squash and it doesn't need to be peeled either. A great variation to this recipe is using a combination of zucchini and squash in this casserole. You can also add other ingredients to this simple recipe. Try some peeled, chopped, and drained ripe tomatoes (add them when you add the squash) or add some ham (sear the ham slightly before you add the onions) or some shrimp (preseason shrimp with Creole Seasoning, then add them when you remove the cover for the last 15 minutes). Let me know in the Comments if you add something.
As is, this recipe will provide a tasty vegetarian side dish, but substitute vegetable or olive oil or vegan butter for the butter and it will be the delight of our vegan friends. Of course, you could go the other way and replace the butter with bacon grease....get back!
Yes, this can be made ahead. It’s not uncommon to hear that “it tastes better the next day” in reference to many Cajun and Creole dishes, allowing all the tasty ingredients to meld into a tastier creation. This recipe is a perfect example of that as it is great when you make it and fabulous the next day. Just seal it tightly and store the fridge. Remember to wait until you are ready to bake it to put the bread crumbs on top...you don't want them getting soggy.
Nutritionally speaking, the yellow squash is one of the good guys. It’s low in carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fats. It’s a good source of Vitamins A, C, B6, K, and many more. It's also very low in cholesterol and provides magnesium, potassium, and some good dietary fiber. Sounds like we should be eating more squash!
Serve your Squash Casserole alongside these Sweet Daddy D favorites:
Here are some other squash recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
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Yeah You Right!
Author's Note: This recipe was originally published in August 2018. I am republishing it here with improved information and organization in an effort to make it more useful to you, our readers, as well as more search-friendly.
Recipe
Yellow Squash Casserole
Here's What You Need
- 4 tablespoons Butter plus some for the topping
- 2 medium Yellow Onions rough chopped
- 3 -4 cloves garlic chopped
- 8 cups fresh yellow squash sliced
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cups seasoned bread crumbs plus some for the topping
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Here's What You Do
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven with a heavy lid.
- When the butter is beginning to foam, add the onions and sauté until starting to clear, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Add sliced squash to the Dutch oven and stir well; you may need to do this in batches, stirring until each batch cooks down slightly and makes room for the next batch. When all the squash has been added, add the kosher salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick.
- After 15 minute mark, remove the lid and add the sugar and Creole seasoning and mix well. Mash some of the larger pieces of squash slightly with your mixing spoon. Leaving the cover off, simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and mix in the bread crumbs a little at a time until the mixture tightens up and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Transfer the squash to a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs lightly on the top and place about 6 or 8 small dots of butter on top.
- Place the casserole dish in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven and bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. The casserole should be slightly browned on top and bubbly on the sides.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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Lesley
Can you make this with mirlitons? Any changes to recipe?
Sweet Daddy D
Hey, Lesley. I think this would be great with mirliton. I would suggest peeling the mirliton, slicing them in two lengthwise, then scooping out the seed. Give the peeled, de-seeded mirliton a rough chop. Keep in mind that the mirliton is mostly water, so you'll want to simmer them until most of the water has been eliminated. That may take more than 30 minutes, you'll just have to watch it. Other than that, I don't think any other changes need to be made. Another example is my recipe Mirliton Casserole with Shrimp. You could leave out the shrimp if you prefer. Thanks for the question. Let me know how it turns out.
Regina
Oh my goodness, I had never eaten squash before in my life but this is delicious. I have made three batches already. Not sure how to get it to look like the picture but the taste is great
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks so much, Regina. This is one of my favorites too. Try the sauteed squash and zucchini. I appreciate you reaching out.