Squash Casserole with Stuffing

When zucchini and other summer squash dominate your garden and the farmers markets, a simple saute shows off the ultra-fresh vegetables without overheating the kitchen. But as temperatures cool, casseroles become an appealing use of the same vegetables. One returning favorite is squash casserole with stuffing, which boasts easy-to-find fresh vegetables as well as popular casserole shortcut ingredients like condensed soup and seasoned stuffing mix.

The flavors mingle into a slightly spicy, saucy and surprisingly filling baked vegetable casserole. It’s one to add to your list of go-to potluck recipes because the shortcuts keep the prep time to just 20 minutes for a side dish that feeds 10 people. Even if fewer gather around the table, it’s worth baking a full batch. Scaling back saves little prep and no cooking time, and leftover squash dressing casserole keeps and reheats well.

Ingredients for Squash Casserole with Stuffing

• Summer squash: Dark green zucchini may be the best-known type of summer squash, but look more broadly through the grocery store or seed packet choices and you’ll find many other varieties, including yellow straightneck and crookneck. Either of these yellow options, as well as standard zucchini, work in this squash recipe, but straightneck summer squash slices more evenly into rounds.
• Onion: Use a yellow onion for its neutral color. Instead of sauteing, this recipe cooks the onion and squash slices in salted water to keep them bright and tasting both fresh and lightly seasoned. Since you mix them into the casserole and bake straight away, there’s no need to shock them in an ice bath, as you would after you blanch vegetables for freezing.
• Cream of mushroom soup: When you make casseroles with condensed soup, this convenient ingredient acts as a rich thickener, so add the can undiluted. In this casserole, the chunks of mushrooms in the condensed soup add a touch of umami. Canned cream of mushroom soup comes in classic, gluten-free, reduced or no-salt, fat-free and other variations, so choose the version that suits you.
• Sour cream: Sour cream’s slight acidity makes it tangy, and its thickness keeps the casserole saucy. The more fat in the sour cream, the more body it adds to the casserole.
• Cornbread stuffing mix: Some stuffing mix brands coat the cornmeal with seasonings, and others enclose a separate seasoning packet. Either option works in this recipe with stuffing.
• Green chiles: Canned chiles come packed in salted water and already chopped, so simply pop open the can and drain well. Look for a can marked “mild” for minimal spiciness or “hot” for more bite.
• Cheddar cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese gives squash casserole with dressing a gooey, golden topping. Choose mild cheddar for a buttery flavor and sharp or extra sharp for a stronger, nuttier one. Pre-shredded cheese provides convenience, but grate your own cheese if you want it to melt more evenly.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the fresh vegetables

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil, and then add the squash and onion. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the squash is crisp-tender, about six minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Step 2: Mix the casserole

In a large bowl, combine the condensed soup, sour cream, stuffing mix and contents of its seasoning packet, the green chiles, salt and pepper.

Fold in the squash mixture.

Step 3: Bake the casserole

Pour the casserole mixture into a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Editor’s Tip: A shallow dish gives the squash and stuffing casserole more surface area. This lets it crisp and brown on the top without becoming overly mushy underneath.

Squash Casserole with Stuffing Variations

• Saute the vegetables: For caramelized sweetness, saute the squash and onions before mixing them with the other casserole ingredients. Heat a dab of oil in a skillet, add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they start to soften. Then add the squash and continue cooking until fork-tender.
• Change the stuffing mix: Different stuffing mix versions vary widely in saltiness and flavorings, so choose one that suits your preferences. Look for one without chicken or pork components to keep this dish vegetarian. If that isn’t crucial, a chicken- or turkey-flavored mix will boost the casserole’s richness without overpowering the mild squash.
• Add meat: Turn this squash dressing casserole into a meaty main dish by adding cooked and shredded chicken or turkey. Pork-flavored stuffing mix works well when you fold in several strips of cooked and chopped bacon.
• Control the seasonings: Look for a cornbread stuffing mix with a separate seasoning packet and use just the cornbread crumbs plus your choice of dried herbs or 1 to 2 teaspoons of French herb seasoning.
• Make your own stuffing mix: To make cornbread crumbs at home, crumble a batch of cornbread, spread it onto a rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 350° until crisp and dry to the touch. Mix the crumbs into the casserole, along with seasonings to taste, or first pulse cooled crumbs in a food processor for fewer clumps.

How to Store Squash Casserole with Stuffing

Store the squash and stuffing casserole in the refrigerator. It cools more quickly and is easier to reheat if you divide the leftovers into small shallow containers. Once cooled, top each container with an airtight lid.

How long does squash casserole with dressing last?

Squash casserole with stuffing lasts for three to four days when refrigerated. The cornbread will keep absorbing the soupy sauce as it sits, so leftovers will be somewhat softer when reheated.

How do you reheat squash casserole with stuffing?

Reheat large portions of squash and stuffing casserole in the oven at 350° until warmed through. Keep the baking dish uncovered to recrisp the top, but tuck it under foil if the cheese browns too quickly. Reheat individual portions in the same way in a toaster oven.

If you’d like to use the stovetop, heat a lightly oiled skillet and set a slab of cold squash dressing casserole in it, pressing down lightly to spread it out. Cook until warmed through, then slide an ovenproof skillet under the broiler briefly if you want a crisp top. If you prefer gooey cheese, reheat a portion in the microwave just until warmed through.

Squash Casserole with Stuffing Tips

What can you serve with squash casserole with stuffing?

Serve squash casserole with dressing as a holiday side dish or alongside an everyday main. The cheesy vegetables make a delicious side for buttermilk fried chicken or herb-glazed turkey slices. Along with a fresh green salad, this casserole and foil-baked salmon form a full meal, and the fish conveniently cooks at the same temperature as the casserole. For a vegetarian meal, serve this casserole alongside fiery stuffed poblanos or a mellow main like rice topped with lemony chickpeas.

Watch How to Make Squash Stuffing Casserole

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