When it comes to eating vegetables I try my best to introduce as many different vegetables as I can into my kids’ diet. I had a hard time trying to get them to go completely plant-based but I was able to succeed in getting them to at least try and like a variety of different veggies. A hit in my house is my summer squash casserole. The chicken in my recipe is optional and dairy products (sour cream and shredded cheese) can be substituted with plant-based options of your choice. (Forager Sour Cream and Daiya are excellent options.) The black beans used in this recipe can be substituted with 2 shredded chicken breast or the chicken can be an additional ingredient depending on your dietary protein preferences.
Summer Squash Casserole
Ingredients
3 yellow summer squash thinly sliced
1 large white onion chopped
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of basil paste
2 sprigs of rosemary leaves stemmed and finely chopped
1/2 sleeve of unsalted saltine crackers
1.5 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoons of ground red pepper
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup of bread crumbs
2 cups of shredded Italian cheese (shredded Parmesan or shredded cheddar will do)
1 can of rinsed black beans (optional)
2 cooked and shredded chicken breast
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat add olive oil, chopped onions, chopped rosemary, and basil paste. Sauté until onions become soft and translucent adding a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Once onions are ready add summer squash slices and sauté for a good 5-7 minutes or until the squash is soft. Once the squash is cooked all the way through pour into a spaghetti or pasta strainer and drain the liquid from the squash and press with a spatula to make sure all excess liquid is extracted. Next, take a large mixing bowl and the half sleeve of saltine crackers and crush them with your hands into the bowl. Add the onions and squash, seasonings, black beans, (and or chicken) sour cream, and 1 cup of cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything well. In a lightly greased 9×9 baking dish evenly add the mixture into the dish. Next, evenly mix the bread crumbs and remaining cup of cheese on top and sprinkle evenly on top. Place the casserole uncovered into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread crumbs are a golden brown color. Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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