This is the time of year when the populace complains: TOO MUCH SQUASH!
Not I.
I can’t get enough. I bread it, fry it, sauté it, steam it with onions and butter. I make faux crab cakes, and I make fritters. And last week, I decided I wanted a squash casserole but without rice.
Here’s what I came up with, and I can’t wait for the next batch of squash to ripen so I can make it again. This made only three servings, but multiply as you wish and just extend the baking time.
Summer Squash Casserole
- 1 pound summer squash or zucchini
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated cheese (I used parmesan)
- ¼ cup finely minced onion
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- 1 tsp olive oil
- A handful of basil, cut into ribbons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Boil a pot of salted water. Cut the squash into one-inch cubes and boil for five minutes, then drain.
In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs, add the cheese, breadcrumbs, and basil, the onion and the oil, then the drained squash. Stir to mix. The squash will break up, but that’s what you want. Some will incorporate with the other ingredients, and some will hold its shape.
Pour the mixture into a small, greased, oven-proof baking dish and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. At this point, the edges will be brown and firm, but the middle will be soft. That’s the way I prefer it. If you want it to be firm throughout, bake for ten more minutes and insert a knife. If it comes out clean, you have a more solid casserole.
Hope your neighbor shows up with more squash, and repeat!
