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Summer Squash Casserole

I defy you to find a covered dish supper in the South that doesn’t include at least one of these golden-brown, gratinlike squash casseroles. Unassuming as it may appear, this cheesy, egg-puffed dish is possessed of a mild, sweet squash flavor and wonderfully creamy texture that wins the hearts of even the pickiest eaters.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

4

slices thick-cut bacon

2

tablespoons unsalted butter

3

pounds yellow summer squash, chopped

1

onion, chopped

1

cup your favorite or Homemade Mayonnaise (page 280)

1

cup (3 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3

large eggs

3

/4 cup fresh bread crumbs or cornbread crumbs (see Know-how, page 134)

6

fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.

    Step 2

    Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel to drain. Add the butter to the same skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the squash and onion and cook and stir for about 10 minutes, until soft and lightly brown. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

    Step 3

    Combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the squash mixture and basil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir to mix.

    Step 4

    Spoon the casserole mixture into the prepared dish, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs, and crumble the reserved bacon on top. Bake for about 40 minutes, until bubbling around the edges, puffy, and slightly soft in the center. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving warm.

  2. On the Side

    Step 5

    This creamy, comforting squash casserole is the vegetable equivalent of mac and cheese, and it’s great with all the same things, like Beer-Barbecued Brisket (page 194), Crispy Pork Chops (page 162), and Granny Foster’s Sunday Fried Chicken (page 127).

Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved. Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.