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| Photo courtesy of Burpee Seeds |
More and more my blog has become less and less about "writing for others". Instead, it has become a way for me to preserve the things that are important to me for my family. My family knows that one way I express my love is by preparing meals and sharing them together. Putting my favorite and most used recipes online is a way for me to be able to organize the information and make it available for the future whether it's my kids wanting to prepare a dish now or my grandkids looking for information someday when I have passed from this world. It's not unlike those old cookbooks I like to collect that have notes scribbled in them by my grandmother but the new generation looks for information with their smart phone in hand. I wonder how my grandchildren and great grand children will organize and access information?
Let's talk comfort food. When I think comfort food, nothing compares to this old fashioned, squash casserole. I have had squash casserole fixed a number of ways but this recipe is what I grew up eating and still one of my favorite dishes.
Ingredients:
4 Cups Yellow Squash (Or you can use Zucchini)
1 Small to Medium Sized Onion (Let your love of onions guide you)
1 Sleeve of Crackers (I prefer Ritz but Saltines work just as well)
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup of Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Cut up yellow squash and onions, cover with water, and cook together in a small pot until tender. Drain. At this point, I like to mash my squash mixture so that I don't have chunks of squash. The texture of your final product is really your own personal choice and doesn't affect the final taste. I have mashed the squash completely using a mixer and have also just mashed it by hand leaving it chunkier. You don't have to mash it at all if you prefer large pieces of squash in the final product.)
In a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, melt your butter. I set the pan in the oven that is preheating and allow the butter to melt. This coats the pan and keeps the casserole from sticking. Pour the butter over the squash and onion mixture. Crush your sleeve of crackers and add this to the mixture. Now add two, lightly beaten eggs to the mixture, as well as salt and pepper to taste. (About a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper) Mix all the ingredients together and spread out in the greased casserole dish. Place in a 350 to 400 degree oven to bake. You will know the casserole is done when it sets up and begins to get a little brown on top. At this point, I cover the casserole with grated cheese and allow the cheese to melt before removing the casserole from the oven.
It is possible to make this casserole ahead of time and bake just before serving. It is also possible to freeze this casserole for future meals.