Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Easy Squash Casserole


This takes a lot of time, but it's easy and uses a ton of zucchini/yellow squash. I wonder if I salted the squash and rung out the water and then, sauteed onions and zucchini if I could skip the initial bake. https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a36700256/squash-casserole-recipe/ 

Ingredients
3 lb. yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices I mixed zucchini and yellow squash
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 large eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp. butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 sleeves round butter crackers (such as Ritz), broken (about 3 cups) I used bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400˚. Combine the squash and onion on a large tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper. Toss well to combine. Cook for 25 minutes, until the squash is slightly softened and has released its liquid. Drain the mixture through a colander. Press gently with paper towels to soak up any extra moisture. Let cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚. Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, thyme and black pepper and stir together. Gently fold in the squash and onions (they can still be warm when you fold them in, just be sure they're not piping hot). Transfer the mixture to a lightly-greased three-quart baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cracker pieces and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle in an even layer all over the top of the casserole.

Return to the oven for 25 to 30 minutes more, until the crackers are golden brown and the edges are bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Greek Zucchini Bake

I roast a vegetable with some canola oil and garlic salt nearly every night for dinner. I wondered if I could add enough variety to make it worthy of a main dish.

I've tried Thai-inspired, teriyaki, and Mexican. So far, this Greek one is my favorite.

Greek Zucchini Bake
Serves 4-6

2 zucchini sliced to about 1/2 inch coins
2 yellow squash sliced the same
1 red onion roughly chopped (to size of squash)
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper chopped to size of squash
1 cup cherry tomatoes whole
1/2 cup Kalamata olives whole
2-3 T canola oil (or whatever oil you prefer)
1 1/2 t Lawry's garlic salt

6-8 oz crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Wash and chop vegetables. Then, toss all veg with oil and garlic salt on sheet pan. Bake 20-30 minutes. Toss about halfway through. 5-10 minutes before you're ready to take the veg out, sprinkle feta over sheet and bake until feta just begins to brown.