Yellow Squash Souffle

Earlier this month, we went on a 3 night getaway to Myrtle Beach. We only recently moved to this part of the country and Myrtle Beach was on my list of spots to visit. When I told Jason there were 120+ golf courses in that area, he was totally down for it, too.

One of the highlights was the drive through South Carolina. We never got on an interstate; instead, we drove on windy open roads through small towns past tons of cotton fields. For us Texans, we live on highways so this was a big change from our normal road trippin'!

On the way there, I spotted a farm that I wanted to stop at on the way back so we did. I was really hoping to load up on vegetables. Instead, I was pretty disappointed that they didn't have much fresh produce to speak of. They did, however, have yellow squash. So we bought some and brought it home.

Yellow squash is a favorite at our house but I tend to stick with the usual methods (grill/bake/boil). I was determined to try something new with our special South Carolina yellow squash!

I mentioned a few days ago that I picked up a new cookbook at Target and have been thumbing through it when planning our menus. Low and behold, she had a recipe for "My Grandmother's Yellow Squash Souffle."

If it's good enough for granny, it's good enough for me.

This is truly an old fashioned/church potluck dish. Except nothing is congealed or made with canned cream soup. It's warm, comforting, and brought back memories of tables lined with covered dishes at my childhood church home.

The ingredients aren't expensive, hard to find, or weird. The method is easy. The dish is delicious and goes with a multitude of main courses. Sometimes the old fashioned stuff isn't so bad :)

Yellow Squash Souffle
1 onion, chopped (she calls for sliced but I like them smaller)
3 to 4 medium yellow squash, sliced
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 cup milk
sea salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 inch casserole dish.

Toss the onions and squash in a medium saucepan and cover just barely with water. Cover, turn the heat to medium-high, and when it boils, turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain water out and leave the veggies in the pot.

Mix the cheese and cracker crumbs together, then scoop out 1.5 cups for the topping and set aside.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the milk.

Add the cheese and crushed crackers to the squash and stir. Add the milk/eggs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour into your casserole dish, sprinkle with the crackers and cheese you set aside, and bake for 30-45 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

Source: Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent by Ellise Pierce