June's Squash Casserole

I married into a large family who, until covid, got together every Christmas to share a meal. Mark is one of four plus spouses plus kids. His mother is one of four and when we were young, she and her siblings and their spouses would attend. His mom is the only one from that generation who is still alive now. All of those couples had kids so Mark is one of 12 first cousins . . .who are now married with kids. Now the kids have families. There are a lot of folks. Each year, we had the full spread of turkey and dressings and all of the sides. Mark's Aunt June always made squash casserole and I loved it so much that I asked for her recipe. I have modified it slightly over the years.

June's Squash Casserole

2 # yellow squash - sliced

1 medium onion - chopped

1 stick butter (y'all know I love Land O' Lakes)

1 can cream of chicken soup 

1 8 ounce carton sour cream (I use light)

1/2 cup grated swiss cheese

1 8 oz. can water chestnuts (drained)

2-3 cups Pepperidge Farm Stuffing 

salt and pepper to taste

Place squash and onion in a boiler and cover with water. I like to add a little salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until squash and onions are tender. I've never timed this step but I would think it takes about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray 2 quart casserole dish with Pam.

When squash and onions are tender, drain in colander.

While squash and onions are still hot, transfer either to a mixing bowl or back to your boiler and add 3/4 stick of butter.

Add soup, cheese, water chestnuts, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of Pepperidge farm mix and gently stir together.

Place a thin layer of Pepperidge farm mix in bottom of casserole dish. Pour squash mixture on top of dry stuffing.

Dot remaining 1/4 stick of butter on top of casserole.

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

You can make the casserole the day before and store in fridge. You will need to bake longer to compensate if ingredients are cold -- bake 60 minutes.

I like to sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on top for the last 5 minutes of baking time.

This recipe can be doubled to serve more people.

I love recipes that are tried and true and especially recipes that come from another generation of family. Do you like squash casserole? Do you have any recipes that have been passed down through the family?

This is a triple recipe -- I crushed
cheese its and mixed with
melted butter for a topping