According to my mother and her sisters this is how my Grandma Howeth cooked yellow squash. Grandma died the year before I was born so I never had her Summer Squash Casserole, but my mom or one of her 6 older sisters brought it to all the family gatherings. Since my dad wasn’t a fan of squash I learned this recipe from my Aunt Milie.
The only thing I have changed is to give it actual measurements for its ingredients (feel free to adjust them to your taste) and to replace the sugar with powdered stevia. Even people who aren’t huge fans of yellow squash tend to like this dish. Well except for my Dad, but I bet he’d eat it if I made it!
Since the prep time is minimal, I usually start this dish first and prepare something else while it is cooking. It can also be made in advance and reheated. It’s one I like to make up over the weekend and add to meals throughout the week.
Grandma’s Simple Summer Squash Casserole
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 to 1.5 hours
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 3-4 pounds yellow squash washed and dried
- water (enough to cover squash while boiling)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 rounded tablespoons powdered stevia
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut yellow squash up into uniform size pieces. It doesn’t matter the thickness or shape as long as the pieces are similar in size so that they will boil evenly.
Place squash in a large pot and add enough water to cover the squash. Since squash has a high water content it will produce more liquid as it cooks. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt.
Bring water and squash to a boil stirring occasionally to ensure that the squash cooks evenly. This could take up to 30 minutes depending on your stove. You want the squash to get soft enough to mash it.
Drain off most of the water. I use a colander and then dump the squash back into the pot. Using a potato masher, mash the squash into a lumpy paste consistency. Add butter, 1 teaspoon sea salt, pepper, stevia and stir into the mashed up squash. (The stevia measures out to be just less than a 1/4 cup.) If you would like you can wait to add the salt and pepper until after cooking the squash in the oven and season it to taste.
Transfer the squash into a large baking dish and put in the oven. There should be just a little water still in the squash, most of which will cook off.
Check the squash after 30 minutes to see if most of the water has cooked off. You can tell by stirring it. If the water mixes in quickly and it’s not standing in water, then it’s ready. I find this usually takes 45 minutes.
Be prepared to surprise the squash haters with this one! Enjoy
How do you like to eat yellow squash? Let me know in the comments below.
