Squash Casserole

Our CSA gave us three huge acorn squash this past week, and I figured I'd better use one up.  The recipe I found in my box uses yellow summer squash, so the acorn was pretty neutral substitution.  Not sure where this one came from, probably that mystical source for all things edible: the Internet...

Squash Casserole

4 C sliced yellow squash
1/2 C onion
1/2 C crushed crackers
1 C shredded cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 C milk
1/4 C butter, melted
1 t salt
ground pepper
2 T butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook squash and onion in a skillet with water (about 5 minutes) till squash is tender.  Drain.  Mix crackers and cheese in a medium bowl.  Stir half of the cracker/cheese mixture into squash.  Mix eggs and milk in a small bowl.  Add to squash.  Stir in butter, salt and pepper.  Spread into 9X13 inch pan.  Sprinkle with cracker mixture, and dot with 2T butter.  Bake 25 minutes or until brown.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Serving suggestions: I served ours with peas, but it would have been good with green beans, a salad, carrots, corn, or as a side with chicken or turkey.

My substitutions/additions:
Subbed 4 C cooked* acorn squash, cubed and peeled (1 whole squash depending on its size).
I omitted the 2 T butter on top.  There's plenty of fat in this without guilding that lily.
It fit easily into a regular casserole dish.

Tips:

 
*I pre-cooked the squash in the microwave for 8 minutes.  To cook winter squash in the microwave, halve it, clean it out and cook it cut side down in a little water.  It's OK if it's a little underdone, the rest of it will cook in the oven.  You can do this with butternut squash too, but it might take a little longer...

I use my grandmother's grapefruit spoon to scrape the seeds out of winter squash.  It seems to get rid of the grody strings a little faster than a regular spoon.

Review:
5-year-old's initial reaction: "It looks gross.  No, I mean it looks really gross."  The 2-year-old wouldn't touch it at first. They both later conceded its yumminess.  Me and the Mister both liked it, too.  A good, quick meal to make with stuff I usually have hanging around, though it would have been quicker to make with yellow squash since I wouldn't have had all the extra squash prep.  It's a keeper!