HOLIDAY SQUASH CASSEROLE

If you’ve seen any of my other Vocal recipe blogs, you’ll probably notice I’ve mentioned my maternal grandmother quite a few times.

Hands down, she was the best cook in the family while I was growing up, and a lot of her inspiration from my childhood creeps into my cooking to this day (such as her cornflake chicken being the inspiration for my own crispy oven-fried chicken that utilizes a Rice Krispie cereal coating - a recipe also posted here on Vocal and just so happens to be the perfect accompaniment to this casserole 😉).

This recipe, however, is particularly near and dear to my heart. Originally given to my grandmother by one of her friends, this recipe has now been in my family for 3 generations.

For all of my life, I cannot remember a single holiday meal where this casserole wasn’t served, and it was always one of my favorite things to look forward to each time Thanksgiving rolled around.

The savory aroma of the sweet onions and squashes slowly cooking away inside the cornbread-style batter just fills the house with such a comforting, homey smell that it just screams: “the holidays are here!”

Once the recipe was passed down to me, it occurred to me.... this recipe is so delicious, and so easy... why do I wait a whole 364 days to eat it just once a year??

Now that I’ve got my hands on it, this recipe has become a true staple in my own house, perfect for even casual weeknight dinners. It’s quick to put together, also reheats well for meal prep or leftover night, and it’s versatile enough to pair with virtually any meal, especially in the classic American “meat and potatoes”/comfort food categories.

Whenever I cook it for the first time for friends such as for Potlucks or dinner parties, it always blows them right off their chairs and they begin to ask to take the leftovers home or to have the recipe for themselves - it’ll get even the pickiest of non veggie eaters to start asking for more!

To me, there is nothing like the aroma that fills your home as this incredibly delicious, super moist zucchini cornbread bakes away in the oven, and each time I cook it I am overwhelmed with the warm feeling of family gatherings. Heck, even mixing together the raw batter is absolute delectable torture for my senses!

Once you try it for yourself, I guarantee it’ll be your new favorite family addition as well, and you’ll never worry again about what special dish to bring to the holiday dinner table. 😊

HOLIDAY SQUASH CASSEROLE

(Makes a 13x9 baking dish. Recipe can easily be cut in half for an 8x8 for weeknight dinners)

- 2 medium yellow summer squash

- 2 medium green zucchini

- 1 medium yellow onion

- 2 (8.5oz) boxes, Jiffy corn muffin mix

- 4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

- 3 large eggs

- 1/3 C. Milk

- 1/3 C. Veggie oil

- good pinch of salt and pepper, to taste

1) preheat your oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.

2) with a food processor or box grater, shred the squash, zucchini and onion. Add to a large mixing bowl.

3) add all other remaining ingredients and stir together until incorporated and it loosens up like a cake batter (about 1 min) .

4) spread batter evenly into prepared dish and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour until nicely golden brown throughout. Serve warm or room temp for best slicing results.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS RECIPE, PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER VOCAL RECIPES FOR COPYCAT CHIPOTLE CHICKEN BURRITO BOWLS, CRISPY OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN, THE BEST RESTAURANT QUALITY BBQ RIBS AT HOME, ULTIMATE FUDGE BROWNIES, BAKING MILLIONAIRES SHORTBREAD, THE BEST HOMEMADE MAC N CHEESE, PERFECT APPLE PIE, CRISPY PARMESAN PORK CHOPS, CRISPY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, CLASSIC CREAMY QUICHE, and AMAZING PALEO QUICHE 😊