I still have the email in my inbox from when my mom sent me this recipe for her Squash Casserole. It is dated Friday, August 8, 2014.
Megan,
Sorry I forgot to give this to you. Hope you enjoy it. You can use more carrots and less squash with no problem.
Love you,
Mom
I do not remember why I asked her to email me a copy of this, but, I am glad that I did. It is nice to still have an email to look back at from the time before my life got so complicated and weird.
My grandmother turned 99 last weekend and so we had a party in Burlington to celebrate. Every birthday is precious, but, 99 is a big one. I made this squash casserole to take to her party.
As I was working on this, I was in my feelings big time. Sherlock had just vomited all over the downstairs of our house. He was fine, but, these days anything that happens with him sends my anxiety into overdrive. Immediately after the vomit incident, my dad came by to drop something off. He said a few things that really got to me. This is something that happens a lot these days in our father/daughter relationship.
As such, I spent most of the time that I was working on this in tears. My life has changed so much in the years since my mom got sick and died that it is barely recognizable. Every day I try to be the same kind of person that she was and so when things like my kindness as a human are challenged it really bothers me.
This isn’t a super complicated recipe, but the prep on it is kind of a pain in the ass. It requires cutting up tons of vegetables. The last time I made this I invested in a mandolin which does make vegetable chopping easier. Because of said mandolin I learned a valuable lesson about using cut-resistant gloves when operating sharp objects in the kitchen. Thankfully, no physical injuries occurred this time while cutting vegetables.
Squash Casserole
10
servings30
minutes45
minutesIngredients
6-8 yellow squash sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1 sm pkg Pepperidge Farms Herbed Dressing Mix
1/2 to 1 stick butter or margarine
1 8 oz container sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 jar sliced pimentos (optional)
Directions
- Cook vegetables—squash, carrots and onions until tender crisp and drain. Butter a casserole
dish. Put vegetables in bottom of casserole and mix slightly to distribute the three vegetables
throughout the mixture. Add pimento if desired. - Melt a few tablespoons of margarine. Mix the
soup, sour cream and a small amount of the melted butter in a small bowl. Pour this mixture
over the cooked vegetables. - Sprinkle dressing mix on top of the soup mixture and dot with
sliced of butter. - Cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Notes
- Note: I use butter sparingly, it gives the casserole flavor but adds fat. Also, I do not use an entire
package of dressing mix. You can make this casserole and keep in frig overnight before baking.
Gets watery if it is frozen.
I omit the pimentos when I make this recipe. Otherwise, I make it 2-3 times a year and it always turns out great. Not the healthiest way to eat your vegetables, but, always delicious and is something that will be a staple at my house on any holidays going forward.
One of my all time favorite dishes. Pretty sure she always made this during a beach trip. I need to make this now!