Name: Colorful Fresh Yellow Squash Casserole
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 5-6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion; 1/3 cup frozen chopped red bell pepper (I buy fresh peppers, chop and freeze); 2 tablespoons butter; 2 pounds yellow squash-cut in large chunks; 2 eggs; 3/4 cup panko or dried fresh bread crumbs; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons sugar; Freshly ground pepper to taste

Colorful Fresh Yellow Squash Casserole is a lightened-up version of a simple but delicious side dish served at one of my favorite restaurants. Combine fresh yellow squash with mixed colors of bell peppers, onions, eggs, seasoning, and bread crumbs.

Colorful Fresh Yellow Squash and Peppers Casserole--ready to serve

My mother-in-law was on to something…

A few years ago I watched my mother-in-law cook fresh yellow squash. She boiled, mashed, and drained, then added salt and pepper. What I saw next was an “aha moment.” She added a pinch of sugar and stirred. Not much–just enough to bring out the natural flavor of the squash.

Actually, I’ve seen it before…

The “pinch-of-sugar-to-bring-out-the-flavor” trick, that is. My sister does it with salad greens. Grandma used to it with green beans. How about savory pie crust? Even gravy! No wonder so many of us are addicted to sugar. Good grief!

Nevertheless, when I saw squash for a $1 a pound this week, I knew what I would do with it.

One of my favorite squash recipes comes from Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook. I’ve updated it a bit–and just like my mother-in-law, added a pinch of sugar.

This dish reminds me of the yellow squash casserole served at the Black-Eyed Pea restaurant for you readers in the North Texas area. I think it’s a little better because of my preference for less breading.

How to assemble Colorful Fresh Yellow Squash Casserole:

Cutting up yellow squash — Wash and cut yellow squash in chunks. (Ugh. Ignore the zucchini.)

Cooking squash and peppers — Place chopped onions and peppers in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave about 3 minutes on HIGH until soft. Then add squash, butter, salt, and pepper.

cooked yellow squash and peppers — Cover and microwave on HIGH 6-10 minutes or until completely soft.. Drain.

using immersion blender to mash squash — Use food processor, potato masher or an immersion blender to chop squash and vegetables. Mixture should be slightly chunky.

mixing egg with immersion blender — Mix eggs well. Add to squash mixture.

Adding remaining ingredients — Add remaining ingredients including bread crumbs.

Combining bread crumbs into cooked veggies. — Fold mixture together and oven-proof dishes. Sprinkle top with pepper if desired.

Colorful Yellow Squash and Peppers Casserole-baked in small ramekin

Parting thoughts:

Although you can make this without a food processor, blender or immersion blender, it saves time and your arm if you don’t have to do it by hand. Even so, a potato masher works sufficiently well.

Drain cooked squash well. Otherwise, the casserole will need to be baked longer than expected so it won’t be mushy.

If you make this and enjoy the recipe, it would help me and others if you would return to this post and leave a rating (on the recipe card itself underneath the picture). Although always appreciated, no comment is required. Thanks so much! Paula

Colorful Fresh Yellow Squash Casserole

Yield: 5-6

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Fresh yellow squash makes a delicious but simple casserole similar to that served at Black-Eyed Pea restaurants in the South.

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
1/3 cup frozen chopped red bell pepper (I buy fresh peppers, chop and freeze)
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds yellow squash-cut in large chunks
2 eggs
3/4 cup panko or dried fresh bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place onion, peppers, and butter in bottom of 2-quart glass batter bowl or similar size microwave-safe dish. Microwave on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes until veggies are softened
Layer yellow squash on top of onion and red bell pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH in a microwave for 10 minutes or until veggies are completely cooked.
Drain off as much liquid as possible.
Pour cooked vegetables into a food processor, or use a potato masher, or an immersion blender. Pulse about 5 times, rearranging squash with a spoon if necessary to get an even chop. The mixture should not be smooth--just slightly chunky.
Thoroughly mix eggs with a fork, whisk, or immersion blender. Add to squash along with bread crumbs, salt, sugar, and pepper. Fold ingredients together and pour into a well greased 1 to 1-1/2 quart oven-safe dish or individual dishes as pictured.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 151 Total Fat: 6g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 41mg Sodium: 320mg Carbohydrates: 22g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 8g Protein: 5g

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