Aunt Beula just took a tumble—quick, break out the Pyrex and make her a good ol' Southern chicken casserole. Sissy's home with a new baby. Let's surprise her with a breakfast casserole and a big pan of lasagna so she won't have to cook. That sweet elderly man that sat behind us every Sunday at church passed right before his 90th birthday. We're carrying over a ham and cheese casserole for his girls.
What is it with Southern casseroles? It's as if they've found a way to stir together love, concern, consolation, congratulations, comfort, and joy—and top it with Ritz crackers and butter.
When my sister told me about a tragedy nearby, I could only say, shocked, "Dear God, that family needs grace." She replied firmly, "That family needs casseroles," and then proceeded to organize the entire neighborhood into bringing that family dinner, in shifts, every single night, for an entire year. I do not know if my sister fully recognizes that this _is_ grace.
Casseroles are also an economically sound investment when you want to make sure there's enough of a good thing for everybody to have some. Nothing stretches a bird or a pound of ground beef like a casserole.
There are so many reasons we love sharing casseroles in the South.
They're so darn convenient. If we may give a nod to Annelle in Steel Magnolias, many good casseroles can be found in the "freezes beautifully" section of our cookbooks, and we do love a dish that freezes beautifully. And let's face it, without casseroles, the Southern chicken population would completely overtake us.
We believe in supporting the poppy seed industry.
They're perfect for church potlucks (but if you know what's good for you, you'll check with the hostess committee to see what everybody else is bringing before you reach for that recipe box).
There is no wrong way to make it. Just take a few cans of this 'n that, and mix 'em together—you've got something special.
A casserole is a great way to hide vegetables from kids (or husbands) so they'll eat them without realizing it.
We make casseroles because Publix has Ritz crackers on special, or Kroger has French fried onions on special. or Piggly Wiggly and Harris Teeter have their 'cream of' soups on special. So much cream-of-something soup! So little time!
Pecans will never go bad as long as there's a sweet potato casserole on the menu. What else would we do with slivered almonds?
Because of cheese. We make casseroles so we'll have something to cover with lots and lots of cheese.
Most Southerners will all agree, if someone is just bred, newlywed, or nearly dead, a casserole is always the right choice. It's more than a recipe. It's an unmeasurable amount of love.
Summer Squash Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 pounds yellow squash, sliced ¼-inch thick (from 5 medium squash)
- 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
- 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 2 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 sleeves round buttery crackers (such as Ritz), coarsely crushed
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shredded (about ¼ cup)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 11- x 7-inch (2 quart) baking dish with cooking spray.Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add squash, onion, and 1 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring often, until center of squash is just tender and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.Transfer mixture to a colander set over a bowl. Drain 5 minutes; discard any liquid.
- Stir together eggs, sour cream, Cheddar and Swiss cheeses, mayonnaise, thyme, garlic powder, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Gently fold in squash mixture. Spoon into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch (2-quart) baking dish.
- Microwave remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a medium-size microwavable bowl on HIGH until melted, about 25 seconds. Toss together crackers, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter until combined. Sprinkle topping over casserole.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
