I love squash casserole.  My favorite squash casserole is a recipe from my Aunt Wynell. Wynell was a preacher’s wife in South Georgia and was known for her great Southern cooking.  She would bring this squash casserole to every covered dish supper the church would have-no matter the season. It is always a crowd favorite. Because the cracker crumbs are only on the top, the casserole is not soggy or gummy. The tang of the sharp cheddar cheese, along with the sweet Vidalia Onions, make a savory combination.

Once you have tasted this particular squash casserole, no other will measure up.  I know this to be true.  My sister moved to New York several years ago.  That is the one dish she craves, and the one dish she cannot make where she lives.  For some unknown reason, the grocery stores in her area, do not carry the basic, yellow squash nor the famous VIDALIA Onions recommended to make the this casserole.

This fact has forced my mom to “smuggle” squash and Vidalia Onions in her suitcase every time she travels to New York to visit her.

Yellow squash has a bright yellow exterior and a fuller, bulbous bottom that tapers towards the top. There are two varieties of yellow squash: straight neck and crookneck.  Despite their appearance, they taste the same.  They tend to have thin, tender skins that make them easy to chop and saute or bake into a casserole. This type squash, along with Vidalia Onions, absolutely MAKE this recipe!  Vidalia Onions are single handedly the most delicious culinary onion there is.  My decades living in South Georgia near the “true” Vidalia Onion territory made me particularly biased to this amazing onion.  For those of you not aware of this variety, Vidalia Onions are a very mild, sweet onion that are grown in a specific territory in south Georgia (USA), comprised of 20 counties, centered around the city of Vidalia, GA and Toombs County. In order for farmers to grow & call sweet onions ‘Vidalia’, it’s required they be grown in this specific region, due to its unique blend of soil & nutrients that help produce their distinctive flavor. The Vidalia name is also protected through a federal marketing order, as well as a state law – making it illegal to grow & call a sweet onion a ‘Vidalia’ if it’s grown outside this area. *Disclaimer:  If, you cannot find true, Vidalia Onions, you can always substitute any SWEET onion available in your area.

To get the full appreciation of this fine vegetable and its origin, it is important you pronounce it properly (vie-DAY-yuh).  Please take a minute to review this brief tutorial.

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Savory Squash Casserole

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Servings: 8

Author: Magnolias & Meltdowns - Kimberly

Ingredients

• 4 lbs Fresh yellow squash ,cut into chunks
• 2 medium Videlia or sweet onions ,diced
• water ,just enough water to cover squash
• 1 salt dash
• 1 pepper dash
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1 c sharp shredded cheese ,packed
• 1/2 c evaporated milk
• 1 stick butter
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers ,finely crumbled

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325'

2. Place squash in large sauce pan.

3. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

4. Add water to cover squash.

5. Bring water to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes.

6. Reduce temperature to medium-high heat and cook squash for 20 minutes (or until tender) 

7. Drain well.

8. Return to stove and mash squash with a fork or potato masher and drain again.

9. Add diced sweet onions, butter, celery salt, shredded cheese and evaporated milk.  

10. Stir well

11. Pour squash mixture into a greased 8x8 casserole dish.

12. Sprinkle the top of the squash mixture with Ritz cracker crumbs.

13. Cook for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

You can definitely use pre-packaged, shredded cheese, however,  I find the flavor and texture of this dish is better when you grate the cheese yourself before cooking.  

Photo Credit: The Pink Peach Photography