25 January 2011

Easy Cheesy Squash Casserole

My bloggy buddy Sarah from Sarah Learns gave me a larger than life craving for cheesy mac and cheese with her Veggie Mac photos.  It's not fair.  I have serious Veruca Salt syndrome when it comes to food cravings  
"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WANT IT NOWWWW!"  


The next morning I was on a mission, off to Food Lion to buy a giant bag of cheddar cheese and the only two squash worth taking home. (sorry little fellahs... you were looking quite old and wrinkly!)  Since I was already making lasagna for dinner, the veggie mac turned into a impromptu quest to re-create the amazingly memorable squash casserole that I had from the Whole Foods Market hot bar last weekend!  It was epic, trust me.


What's in it?
[adapted from this this recipe]
1lb Yellow Squash, chopped
1 cup chopped white onions
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (super not-so-secret ingredient!)
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese (I used half sharp and half parm)
1/2 cup of skim milk
1 large egg (Brontosaurus chefs - omit the egg. add flour to thicken if needed)
6-8 ritz crackers
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
paprika and black pepper to taste

Get Cooking!
Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix cheeses together and set aside.  Saute squash and onions with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until very tender.  


Keeping the lid on the skillet and stirring in intervals will speed up the process.  

Once tender, top with cheeses and all remaining ingredients (except for the paprika).  Pour contents into a casserole dish and, if desired, you can top the casserole with a tiny sprinkle of extra cheese... you know I did!  I actually topped it with a little bit of Sargento Italian cheese blend and it was a fabulous compliment!


Sprinkle crumbled Ritz crackers on top and sprinkle lightly with paprika for a splash of color and added flavor.  Bake for until bubbly and golden brown on top.  Approx 30 minutes bake time.

cheesy yellow squash casserole

This was so stinkin' good! I liked the chunkiness of the squash and, while tender, it still had a little bit of a al dente mouth feel... which I love! You could also mash the squash if you prefer a different texture profile.  I'm excited to make it a few more times this winter -- Yup! It was THAT good that I am already putting it on the menu for next week!  It is super versatile and made a great side dish to my veggie lasagna and spinach tomato salad. 


What is your favorite type of squash?
This week I plan on trying butternut and kabocha squash for the first time!



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58 comments:

  1. Wow! This looks so good. I could definitely get the kiddos to eat this. Have fun with Butternut. It's delish!

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  2. It looks like mac and cheese and I imagine it tastes similar. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I want to make this!!

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  3. Mmmm, this looks so good! I love butternut squash, but my favorite ever is acorn. Sweet or savory. YUM! Oh and I tried kabocha, but I think I cooked it wrong. Weird texture. So I'm excited to see how you cook it :)

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  4. Yum! Looks so great! My fave is definitely butternut squash!

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  6. oooh can I just have a plate of this right now? I know it would warm me right up!

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  7. oh my gosh, this looks totally DELISH!!! my mouth is totally watering! and making me hungry! thanks for sharing this recipe... cant wait to try it!!!

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  8. Sounds yum. I am forever trying to find tasty veggie recipes! I practically have to trick my boyfriend into eating vegetables...it's ridiculous. I think I'll try this mashed up a bit and see if I can fool him into falling for it.

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  9. Dang, this post is making me a hungry hippo!

    "This week I plan on trying butternut and kabocha squash for the first time!" SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEYT GIRL, getcha some! Kabocha is the king of all squash, and I've never met a squash I didn't like!

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  10. I love all squash, but I'm pretty sure kabocha will be life changing for you :) It was for me!

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  11. YUM! Come cook dinner tonight for us! Thanks! : )

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  12. dang girl, that casserole is what i'm talking about! :) it looks delish & thanks for the shout out!

    also, how have you not tried butternut squash?!? it's so good - definitely my favorite.

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  13. I love butternut squash. Your dish looks amazing. It's making me crave cheese like crazy.

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  14. Butternut squash! Love it, I like it with cinnamon and maple syrup!! PB too!

    THis looks good and I love that there are ritz cracker crumbs on top!

    Have a great night love! xoxo

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  15. That looks like a great recipe and way to get in some veggies. :)

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  16. Thanks ladies! Im having butternut for lunch tomorrow! Yay!

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  17. YUMMY!!
    I am following you back. Have a great week.
    Best wishes,
    Cindi
    www.littleyayas.com

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  18. My fave squash is definitely spaghetti squash...I love it with pesto. When I was a kid, the thought of the texture of squash made me gag...now, it's so fab. I've been throwing butternut in my soups lately---it's got a great texture (says my grown up palate!).

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  19. This looks amazing!! I love squash so much. I totally had spaghetti squash AND zucchini for lunch today. Talk about squash overload!

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  20. That looks really delicious! Oh, I made the stringy scarf thing today. I love it but little pieces of thread keep coming off onto my clothes. eh you win some you lose some.

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  21. Mmmm, I love cheesy squash dishes...they remind me of home (Louisiana) :-)

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  22. I don't think I could ever not crave a salad. I eat them everyday. I love soup but I have to be careful whats in them if some one else is cooking them for me. I haven't been there! I'll have to go sometime soon, and thanks for the tip I have to wait for it to dry before I do pictures. I thought maybe if i washed it in the sink it would help (?) so yeah its drip drying now haha. I'll do a post and link it back to your original maybe tomorrow....OOH! This is getting long but theres TONS of youtube videos with things you can turn into from old tshirts. Its called threadbanger videos (because people who craft are just so hardcore)

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  23. That looks amazing! I love ALL types of squash!!!

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  24. Okay. I am drooling right now. This all looks SO GOOD! Is it normal to crave this kind of food at almost 9:30 at night? haha

    <3Chelsea Elizabeth

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  26. dude I need to learn how to cook like that. thanks for the recipe. just became a follower hope you can share the love

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  27. Okay now THAT'S not fair, you gave me the worst cravings ever!!

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  29. Interested to see what you do with the Kabocha. Heard of it for the first time last month when I was reading Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Life.

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  30. This looks amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I am your newest follower from Tuesday blog hop and I love your site. You can find me at:

    http://thechroniclesofarookiemom.blogspot.com/

    Have a great day! :-)

    Melissa

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  31. Omg, I absolutely fell in love with the squash casserole from WF's! I can't wait to try this!

    My favorite squash is kabocha! It is incomparable to any other squash I've ever eaten! You are going to love it!

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  32. I might have to try out this recipe! I love anything cheesy!
    Now the trick is getting my child to eat it...hmmm...easier said than done!!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  33. I'm partial to spaghetti squash (with parmesan and nutmeg) but that looks SOOO good! I'm having my own little veruca salt moment now!

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  34. Oh wow that looks so delicious! My fave squash is probably butternut... And zucchini and pumpkin and spaghetti ;)

    I looove squash (can you tell?)

    I'm new to your blog but really enjoying it thus far! :)

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  35. That looks SO good! My fav is probably spaghetti squash. I like to saute it with some butter and parmesan cheese, yum!

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  36. We grow squash in our garden every year and this looks like a very good recipe. I would like to invite you to bring a dish to my Full Plate Thursday. Thank you for sharing and have a great week!

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  38. Yum! This looks delicious and your photo skills are great :) Have a good day!

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  39. Mmmm, sounds delicious. I would have to substitute gf crackers for the Ritz, that is easy enough :). Thanks so much for linking up to Beyond the Picket Fence.

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  40. This looks so yummy! my guys LUV squash so this will be making it's way to my table for sure!

    This is my first visit here. Fab blog my friend! I look forward to my next visit.

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  41. Looks good!

    I found your site over at Beauty and Bedlam. Come check out my Chocolate Caramel Gooey Bars! So good.

    I also have a LOVE DARE starting today where you can link up (challenge till Valentine's Day).

    I'm now following you too.

    Love,
    Traci @ Ordinary Inspirations

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  42. I LOVE pasta! Thanks for sharing a great recipe :). Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

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  43. Yum! That looks awesome! I'll have to save this recipe and try it out this summer when the garden is in full swing!
    Thanks for linking up to Made From Scratch Tuesday!
    Jen

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  44. Can't wait to try this one, looks delicious!

    I featured your recipe on my Fab Friday Favorites this week.

    Cheers!
    Julie

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  45. HI! I'm hosting a link up this week -- It's a Keeper Thursdays! I hope you can come over and link up!

    Thanks!
    It's a Keeper
    http://www.everydaytastes.com/
    http://twitter.com/itsakeeperblog
    http://www.facebook.com/ItsAKeeper

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  46. Looks and sounds great! I love squash any way ya cook it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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  47. I'll be featuring this tomorrow at Sugar and Dots! LOVE.

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  48. Thanks so much for the great recipe! I bookmarked it and made it for lunch yesterday. Yum! :)

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  49. Mmmm, sounds delicious. I would have to substitute gf crackers for the Ritz, that is easy enough :). Thanks so much for linking up to Beyond the Picket Fence.

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  50. Yum! This looks delicious and your photo skills are great :) Have a good day!

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  51. We grow squash in our garden every year and this looks like a very good recipe. I would like to invite you to bring a dish to my Full Plate Thursday. Thank you for sharing and have a great week!

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  52. I'm partial to spaghetti squash (with parmesan and nutmeg) but that looks SOOO good! I'm having my own little veruca salt moment now!

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  53. Oh wow that looks so delicious! My fave squash is probably butternut... And zucchini and pumpkin and spaghetti ;)

    I looove squash (can you tell?)

    I'm new to your blog but really enjoying it thus far! :)

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  54. This looks amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I am your newest follower from Tuesday blog hop and I love your site. You can find me at:

    http://thechroniclesofarookiemom.blogspot.com/

    Have a great day! :-)

    Melissa

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  56. Mmmm, this looks so good! I love butternut squash, but my favorite ever is acorn. Sweet or savory. YUM! Oh and I tried kabocha, but I think I cooked it wrong. Weird texture. So I'm excited to see how you cook it :)

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  57. Wow! This looks so good. I could definitely get the kiddos to eat this. Have fun with Butternut. It's delish!

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  58. making squash casserole, green beans casserole and the pumpkin cheese appetizer for tomorrow (thanksgiving) i'm making it ahead of a time to get to the in-laws and just bake it, hope it turns out as good as it smells.... jumjum thank you!!!!

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