Summer Squash Casserole

Here in Texas there is sort of an unspoken rule when it comes to cooking in the Summer.  You try your hardest to just not do it!  But if you have a hungry family that you just HAVE to feed, you at least, for goodness sakes, don’t turn on the oven!!  When its over 100 degrees outside, there’s no sane reason why you should try to make the inside even hotter!!

But this recipe I’m sharing with you today is one of those that I’m willing to break the rules for.  One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh fruits & vegetables.  I especially love zucchini and squash!  So when my MIL first made this casserole, I knew it would be one that I would be willing to crank the AC up for 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium squash, sliced into rounds
2 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
4 slices of bread, toasted & crumbled
1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1/2 cup+ shredded cheese ~ I typically use finely shredded Mozzarella*
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs*
1/4 cup butter, melted*
salt & pepper to season

LETS COOK:
1. Bring a medium saucepan 1/2 – 3/4 of the way full of water to a boil.  Add the squash & zucchini rounds to the boiling water.  Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and allow the squash to cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Once the vegetables are tender, drain the water from the saucepan.  Add the toasted bread, soup, milk and cheese to the pan and stir until combined.  Season with salt & pepper.
3. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray or lightly buttered.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 
5. Combine the melted butter and plain breadcrumbs in a small bowl.
6. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on to the top of the casserole.  I also add another small handful of cheese sprinkled across the top of the breadcrumbs.
7. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the breadcrumbs have started to turn golden brown.

NOTES:
*These measurements are not exact ~ I typically just do a couple of big spoonfuls of butter into a small bowl and then add enough breadcrumbs to fully soak up the butter.  And I hardly ever actually measure cheese, its just done by the handful ~ I typically do 1-2 handfuls into this dish 🙂

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