Squash Casserole

A Southern classic, and with summer coming up and the squash finally fresh and local in stores again, I thought I'd try my hand at it. It took about an hour to prepare from when I first started chopping to the finish, but since more than half of that is oven time and cooling, it's a pretty easy recipe that leaves time to finish the rest of the meal while it's in the oven. I did it for Sunday lunch along with Cider Glazed Salmon, and the two went over very well.


Squash Casserole

2 1/2 lbs squash, sliced (this is in practice about 5-6 medium squashes)
1 small-to-medium sweet onion, diced
3 tbsp unsalted sweet butter
4 oz cheddar cheese, grated (approx. 1 cup)
1 large egg
Slightly less than 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I actually only fill the 1/4 cup measure about 2/3 of the way full)
15 Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs
Salt
Pepper (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the squash. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the squash is tender. Drain and set aside.

While the squash is on, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Saute the onions until tender and beginning to become translucent. While the onions are on, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, and 1/2 tsp salt.

Add the squash, cheese, and egg mixture to the onions and stir until cheese melts. Spray a 11 x 11 ovensafe casserole dish with non-stick spray, and pour in the whole mixture. Sprinkle the top with pepper if desired.

Melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in the microwave, and stir it together with the cracker crumbs. Sprinkle this mixture over top of the casserole.

Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until cracker crumbs are toasted and brown on the top. Remove from oven and allow it to sit for 4-5 minutes to set before serving.

Serves: 4