"Tastes like Thanksgiving!" No better compliment for Chicken Squash Casserole

Back to that fabulous new cookbook from Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock. Still prowling through it I encountered a squash casserole that was different than any I’d ever seen (and I’ve been around the block a few times where squash casseroles are concerned.)

As its basic elements, this casserole combined squash, cornbread stuffing, and cubed chicken (new to me in a squash casserole). I already had in my possession a box of cornbread stuffing and a container of the chicken. With a brief trip (I should say, with Hubby’s brief trip) to the grocery produce section for a little fresh squash, I was in business.

Other than the small amount of time necessary for slicing the squash and chopping the small onion, this was an amazingly easy prep. Stir-ins of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and seasonings completed the assemblage. I couldn’t resist sprinkling a little Cheddar cheese on top. I mean, to me, a squash casserole just doesn’t look right if it isn’t crowned with a smattering of orange. Only about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cheese was all I added, but the effect was achieved.

“This tastes like Thanksgiving!” Hubby gushed when I plunked some Chicken Squash Casserole on a plate and set it before him last night. Genius! That’s the general idea. After all, ’tis the season. Another winner from Calvary Culinary Creations (and from this recipe’s contributor, Adrian Self).

Chicken Squash Casserole

2 pounds yellow squash, sliced

1 box cornbread stuffing mix

1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

8 ounces sour cream (I used fat-free)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan cover squash and onion with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until squash is tender. Drain. Stir in salt, pepper, soup, stuffing mix, chicken, and sour cream. Pour squash mixture into greased 2 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Serves 6.

Squash is everywhere right now; grab some up for a healthy remake of an old recipe

Move over, my trusty and long-lived Squash Casserole recipe. I’ve made you at least several times a year since I can remember. You’re always sought-after on a buffet table. I could prepare you with my eyes closed.

But I’ve found a new best friend in the squash casserole department—Lightened Squash Casserole. Southern Living’s July 2011 issue did a healthy remake of an old fave. A topping of French-fried onions and crunchy cereal plus innards that mingle grated carrots amidst the squash slices make this recipe the one I’ll sub at bring-a-dish events from now on. (My initial oldie-but-goodie recipe, incidentally, can be found in my first cookbook, Way Back in the Country.)

A can of reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (I actually used the reduced-sodium brand) and a container of light (or fat-free) sour cream help give Lightened Squash Casserole its name. The addition of 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives added to the lively flavor. Although the recipe called for crushed cornflakes, I had chex cereal (tried with Corn Chex) on hand and crushed that to use it instead. It worked just fine.

Hubby gave his seal of approval; I saw him snacking on a few tablespoons full of it during the day. That’s a pretty good sign of a winner recipe.

Lightened Squash Casserole

3 pounds yellow squash

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided (I used salt substitute)

1 cup grated carrots

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup

1 (8-ounce) container light sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes cereal

1/2 cup crushed French-fried onions

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place in a Dutch oven. Add onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 5 minutes; drain well. With paper towels pat squash dry. In a large bowl stir together grated carrots, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2-teaspoon salt. Spoon into a lightly greased 2-quart oval baking dish. In a small bowl stir together cornflakes and next 3 ingredients. Sprinkle over squash mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and golden brown. After 20 to 25 minutes shield casserole with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This squash melange certainly rated best in our pre-Thanksgiving "show"

The saved recipe that once appeared in the newspaper stated only that it was "Best of Show—All American Casserole Contest". Since I cut the clipping out long ago, I didn't preserve with it the headline saying "Best of Show" where or when. The State Fair of Texas? Some other kind of local bakeoff? My info was incomplete. Yet any recipe that's labeled "best" of something, I eventually have to try.

So as I planned my menu for my "drive-by" Thanksgiving I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I automatically zeroed in on this choice, because I saw it had been a winner. Only winners for my family for this special gift we were handed of our son dropping in for a pre-Thanksgiving visit.

Fresh zucchini and fresh yellow squash, called for to make the casserole, were vegetables we had on hand after our recent stop at the Oklahoma farm stand I mentioned in a previous blog. They were diced and boiled and mixed with sour cream and cheddar cheese. On top went crushed butter crackers. Hubby and I enjoy the fact that a lightly salted variety of Ritz crackers (officially called Hint of Salt) is available; this works well for snacking in Hubby's sodium-restricted eating plan. These crackers I now used crushed for the crust on top.

Ultimately this squash melange looked fabulous in the mix of Thanksgiving offerings on our buffet table. Even some avowed non-squash-eaters that dined on this recipe gave it rave reviews and wanted to know how it was made.

The "Best-of-Show" title for this casserole certainly lived up to its name. Days later when we were cleaning up leftovers, everyone was begging for the last morsel of this tasty dish that couldn’t be more Thanksgiving fare than if it had been served by the Pilgrims.

Yellow Squash-Zucchini Casserole

6 cups large diced yellow and zucchini squash

vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup grated (2-percent milk) cheddar cheese

1 cup crushed butter crackers (tried with Ritz lightly salted variety)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté squash in a little vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Line colander with clean dishtowel or cheese cloth. Place cooked squash in lined colander; squeeze out excess moisture and set squash aside. Sauté onion in butter for 5 minutes; remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour in buttered casserole; top with cracker crumbs. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.