Southern yellow squash casserole is cheesy, comforting, and downright delicious! This Southern classic is perfect for family dinners, potlucks, and anytime you have a plethora of summer squash.
With its creamy sauce and crunchy Ritz cracker topping, this casserole is sure to become a favorite in your home. Learn how to make this old-fashioned dish that will have everyone asking for seconds!
Table of Contents
- 🎧 Prefer to listen?
- 🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Recipe
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with squash casserole
- squash casserole
- 💬 Comments
🎧 Prefer to listen?
Pull up a chair and settle in - after we've discussed the recipe, let me tell you a little Picklefork tale about Reva Mae Whitlow, a potluck, and the perils of messing with a perfectly good yellow squash casserole.
🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
Creamy, cheesy, and perfectly golden-this yellow squash casserole is the ultimate Southern comfort food. Watch how easy it is to make!
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- This casserole is packed with fresh yellow squash, creamy cheese sauce, and a crunchy topping that makes it absolutely irresistible. Extra creamy sauce and buttery crumb topping makes this dish so yummy even the squash haters will love it.
- Whether you are overrun with summer squash from the garden or can't pass up the great deal at farmer's market this is the way to use it up all summer long.
- Assemble it up to a day ahead of time to keep things easy.
Adding sour cream turns bland yellow summer squash into a creamy, comforting side dish that most everyone loves. The crunchy, buttery crackers topping just takes it over the top.
I love the Cracker Barrel squash casserole recipe. It's a little different from the one I grew up on but it hits me right in the YUM every single time. I pretty much always order than and the turnip greens.
The thing is... it's on and off the menu around here. One time I go and it's there and another time it's not. I'll tell you what - I had to learn to make something similar because I couldn't count on it being available.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
If you find you have some leftover Ritz crackers be sure to try my pineapple casserole recipe!
📖 Recipe
Yellow Squash Casserole
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds yellow squash
- ½ cup butter, divided use
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- ½ cup Bell pepper, chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup sour cream
- 16 Ritz Crackers, (1 sleeve)
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, reserve ½ cup
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish or a 1 ½ quart casserole
- Melt 2 tablspoons or so of the butter and the olive oil in a heavy skillet.
- Saute squash for about 5 to 10 minutes. If you are using fresh onion and pepper add it with the squash.
- Cover, reduce heat, and steam until very soft, stirring often.
- Remove from heat and let stand in a colander for a few minutes to drain any excess liquid.
- Add to a large bowl.
- Mix in the sour cream to cool it down a little.
- Add the 1 ½ cups Cheddar cheese and the beaten egg.
- Mix well.
- Spoon into the greased casserole.
- Top with crumbs and cheese.
- Dot with remaining butter.
- Bake for 30 -35 minutes, until the top is golden and the casserole is firm to the touch.
Notes
- Use smaller, tender squash for summer squash casserole. They don't have to be tiny but make sure the skin is soft and tender.
- Don't use cheese that is pre-shredded. Shred your own from a block.
- Slice it in even slices.
- Don't use frozen squash in a yellow squash casserole because it has too much liquid and makes the finished dish watery.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Saute the squash, onions, & peppers.
Mix the sour cream and egg in with the squash.
Stir in the cheese.
Place in prepared pan, sprinkle Ritz crackers on top, add more cheese, and dot with butter. Bake.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Main dish energy: Mix in cooked chicken or ham for a more filling main dish.
- Extra Veggies: Add sliced zucchini, carrots, or even broccoli for more color and flavor.
- Different Cheeses: Try using Parmesan cheese or Swiss for a different taste.
- Switch it: Use zucchini instead of crookneck squash.
- Rich it up: Cream cheese is a nice variation for the sour cream. It's a little more dense than when made with sour cream. Have it at room temperature or warm it slightly so that it stirs in easily.
- Mayo maybe: Some people use mayonnaise instead of sour cream. I don't care for it that way but you might like it.
- Soup swap: Some people use a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup instead of sour cream in this.
- Crumby: Use bread crumbs instead of the buttery cracker crumbs on the top of the casserole.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
Use smaller, tender squash for this easy squash casserole. They don't have to be tiny but make sure the skin is soft, tender, and unblemished.
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
Assemble ahead
You can assemble this ahead of time, but leave off the cracker crumbs, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking. Add the crumbs just before you bake it.
Store leftovers
Leftover squash casserole can be put in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You'll need to crisp the buttery cracker crumb topping back up in the oven - just heat at 375F until heated through.
Freezing instructions
You can also freeze this for up to 3 months unbaked. Mix it up and transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish. Don't add the cracker crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
Thawing and baking
When you're ready to bake just thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add the crumb topping and bake as directed.
Marye's Tip o' the day
For a make-ahead option, prepare the casserole but don't add the cracker topping. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, add the topping and bake as directed.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Drain Well: Make sure to drain the squash well to avoid a watery casserole.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let the sour cream and cream of chicken soup come to room temperature for easier mixing.
- Even Cooking: Spread the squash mixture evenly in the baking dish to ensure even cooking.
- Grate the Cheddar cheese from a block don't buy pre-shredded. The pre-shredded doesn't melt properly. I've used it to try to save time and it was a mistake.
- Slice the squash in even slices.
- Don't use frozen veggies in a yellow squash casserole because it has too much liquid and makes the finished dish watery.
- You can add diced ham or cooked, diced chicken to the squash mixture to make this squash recipe more of a main dish.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Yes, you can mix yellow squash with zucchini or other summer squash varieties.
Always saute the squash don't ever boil it. After sauteeing transfer the cooked squash mixture to a colander for a few minutes to let it drain. If it still seems watery gently press with paper towels.
No need to peel fresh yellow squash or zucchini before cooking as long as it is tender.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with squash casserole
Cheesy squash casserole works really well with old-fashioned meatloaf.
Fried chicken is another country classic that goes well with this dish.
I like to serve this instead of corn with the chicken fried steak.
I usually think of this southern squash casserole recipe as a main dish. That's how it was generally served when I was growing up.
It's so easy to make and really budget-friendly - especially in the summer when your neighbors are leaving bags of summer squash and zucchini on your porch!
Sometimes it's the simplest foods that just taste the best. This easy side dish recipe doesn't have a lot of ingredients but it does have a generous amount of delicious flavor!
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Leslie Stevenson says
I would like to try this, but I am somewhere that doesn't have a scale. About how many cups of squash would this be?
Laurie Wright says
I made this casserole this past weekend and it was delicious! I shared some with my daughter and she asked for the recipe. I am planning to make it again tonight with zucchini squash. I am enjoying your posts and will be trying more of your recipes!
ELIZABETH SWYGART says
I have a recipe similar to this that uses ranch and italian bread crumbs. Back home in Hephzinah Ga. the rural electric co put it in their monthly magazine and it was a big hit. That was over 20 years ago and Im going to try this recipi tomorrow with broccoli instead of swuash simply because I have some, I think it will be good.
Janice Curry says
As these all sound delicious and I like how people can ask questions back ..easy to access and plain to understand ..doable for me ..a simple mom and grandmother !!!
Marye says
🙂 Welcome Janice! Be sure to let me know if you need anything.
Shannon says
Perfect! Easy but doesn’t taste like it. Exactly right as a summer main or side dish. A new favorite!