Healthy Yellow Summer Squash Casserole (2024)

This healthy yellow Summer Squash Casserole is an easy and delicious way to use up fresh yellow squash this summer! This side dish has tender sliced squash, gooey melted cheese, fresh basil, and golden breadcrumbs making it a great bet for picnics, potlucks, or any summer dinner. Plus, you can make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven!

Table of contents

• Why We Love This Recipe for Healthy Summer Squash Casserole
• Key Ingredients for this Recipe
• Step By Step Instructions For Making This Squash Casserole
• FAQs and Expert Tips
• Additional Recipes to Try

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Why We Love This Recipe for Healthy Summer Squash Casserole

My kitchen is overflowing with vegetables in the summer, and recently I’ve had an abundance of yellow summer squash! It’s such a delicious and nutritious vegetable, and a prolific producer in the garden, so I have been creating lots of new summer squash recipes.

Thankfully, I’ve been down this path before with zucchini, and I wound up making Healthy Zucchini Casserole which was a raging success in my household. This time around I subbed the zucchini for some classic summer squash and added breadcrumbs, basil and cheese to create the most perfectly gooey summer casserole. Plus, it’s healthy!

You can enjoy this casserole as a side dish for a weeknight meal or as the winner in the “who brought the best potluck dish to the cookout” contest (even if it’s only awarded in your mind – it still counts). We love pairing this healthy squash casserole with everything from Cajun Flank Steak, Barbecue Chicken, to the classic Garlic Lemon Chicken.

Whatever you serve it with, your summer squash casserole will hold its own. Between the gooey cheese and tender squash, there’s no way this dish will go unnoticed!

Key Ingredients for this Recipe

Yellow Summer Squash

You’ll need six whole summer squash for this recipe! That said, since size varies for garden-picked yellow squash, you’ll want to aim for about 3 pounds, cut into rounds. Summer squash is nutrient-packed and the perfect flavor to be the base for this summer casserole.

Sourdough Bread

Many squash casserole recipes will include Ritz crackers or cracker crumbs and butter for the topping. We have instead opted for a healthier, yet still delicious breadcrumb topping made with sourdough bread.

Two slices of sourdough bread should be enough. You’re going to blitz them in a food processor to make a coarse breadcrumb consistency. The dry sourdough will soak up all the moisture, spices, and cheese to form a gooey filling.

The breadcrumbs helps the squash hold together so you do not need to add any additional eggs or fillers to make the casserole.

Cheese

Due to the high water content in summer squash, we didn’t need to add any more liquid in the form of a cheesy cream sauce. Nor did we want to add in heavy cream. Instead we opted for a combination of some of our favorite cheeses! They add richness and flavor, but don’t add any additional moisture.

Both Italian blend cheese and parmesan cheese play a role in this dish. For the Italian cheese, you’re going to want to look for Italian Blend or Pizza Blend in the grocery store.

Step By Step Instructions For Making This Squash Casserole

Step 1: Blend Breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, fit your food processor with the steel blade attachment and drop the garlic through the feed tube to mince with the motor on. Tear the sourdough bread into three or four pieces each and add them to the food processor. Cover and process until the bread forms coarse crumbs. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil.

This mixture will be tossed with the squash to help soak up some of that excess liquid that cooks out of it, and it will also become the golden crunchy topping!

Step 2: Combine Ingredients

Toss ¾ cup (about half) of the breadcrumb mixture, squash, tomato, basil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to combine.

Step 3: Assemble Casserole and Bake

Coat a 9 by 13 inch (or similar volume) casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the squash mixture in the casserole dish and top the mixture with half of the Italian cheese blend. Add the remaining squash.

Do not top with cheese yet, instead cover the casserole with foil. Bake until the squash is fork-tender, which is about 50 to 55 minutes.

Step 4: Add Topping and Bake Until Done

After about 50 minutes, increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil, and top the casserole with the remaining Italian cheese blend, Parmesan, and the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake the casserole uncovered until the cheese is melted and the topping is golden brown, which should be about 12 to 15 minutes.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Additional Recipes to Try

• Speaking of summer squash recipes, these Low Carb Grilled Summer Squash boats are an easy and delicious meal to make on the grill.
• This Chicken Tortilla Skillet with summer squash is another one of my summer squash recipes that’s quick enough to make on a weeknight!
• Cook up some Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese with whole-grain pasta, gruyere cheese, and a crunchy topping for the ultimate comfort food!
• Make this Butternut Squash Lasagna up to two days ahead and then throw it in the oven before your guests arrive.
• The perfect side dish for a weeknight dinner (or even Thanksgiving!) is Cheesy Stovetop Butternut Squash. This rich dish comes together in just 40 minutes!
• This 10-minute Easy, Delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe is vegan, paleo, and gluten-free!
• Turn your favorite summer squash into a super healthy side dish in just 12 minutes! Make Easy Sauteed Zucchini!

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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