Squash Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Paula Deen's squash casserole? ›

In separate medium size skillet, sauté the sliced onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and, using a large bowl, add squash, onions, sour cream, Paula Deen's House Seasoning and sharp cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Salting and sautéing the squash before baking helps to remove excess moisture and prevents the casserole from becoming watery. Cream cheese and sour cream lend the filling richness and tang. Tossing crushed crackers with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano results in a satisfying and crunchy topping.

Brown Nicely When cooking summer squash, don't be afraid of a little browning. A nicely browned surface adds great flavor. 5. Partner Strategically Finally, balance squash's milder taste with stronger flavors like chilies, curry, ginger, garlic, lemon, goat cheese and so on.

A 3 lb. butternut squash will yield about 4 cups of cubed butternut squash. I always purchase butternut squash with a long neck as the neck portion is easier to cut into uniform sized cubes. The squash can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a few drizzles of olive oil. Add the squash and sauté for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that all sides get cooked. I like to cook mine until it's soft, yet still has a firm bite, but before it becomes too watery and mushy.

Butternuts are the ideal "ingredient" squash. While they are perfectly fine roasted on their own with a little butter and salt, their smooth, moist texture and uncomplicated sweetness make them the perfect base for pies, soups, curries — you name it, butternuts can adapt to the recipe.

Far, far, far and away the most common are watering issues. If the soil dries out too much between irrigations, or if it stays too wet, it interferes with root function and water uptake and the plant will pull water from the fruit, resulting in soft squash.

Pro Tip: Avoid Dry Casserole.

The best way to prevent it from drying out is to add a little bit of water, around ¼ cup, to the top of it. Allow the water to seep between the food and the sides of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture.

So when is the perfect time to harvest squash? It depends. Generally, you want to harvest summer squash throughout the summer—whenever the fruits are about six inches long. Winter squash, on the other hand, is a one-time harvest that tends to fall on or just before your area's last frost date.

Which squash has the strongest flavor? ›

Honeynut Squash: The sweetness and flavor made this a clear winner. Delicata Squash: This is actually tied with acorn squash and both are similar in texture and flavor which is why they are ranked at the top.

If you pick too early, the flesh will not be fully developed and the squash will lack flavor and not be that wonderfully vegetal sweet that is the wonder of butternut, honeynut, delicata, acorn, pumpkin and kabocha, among dozens of other winter squash.

Yellow squash: you'll need a total of about 6 cups sliced, or about 2 lbs. That is equivalent to about 4 small yellow squash or 2 bigger squash.

Additional Cooking Tips

If your recipe calls for a cup or two of butternut squash, remember this easy conversion: a medium butternut squash (about two pounds) will yield around two and a half cups of cubed squash.

The Southern classic combines fresh squash and onion with a creamy sauce and a crunchy cracker-Cheddar cheese topping. Whether you serve this squash casserole as a flavorful side or a veggie-centric main dish, everyone will be begging you to make it again and again for family gatherings, potlucks, and holidays.

After you slice the squash in half, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Next, drizzle the insides lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I find that adding too much oil and too much salt at this stage makes the squash a bit watery, so a light drizzle and a light sprinkle will do.

Depending on what type of squash you are using you might not need to peel it, with thinner skinned squash such as butternut squash you can eat the skin. For thicker skinned squash it is often easier to cut the squash into large wedges, roast, and then peel the skin off after it's cooked when it's softer and easier.