Vegan Southern Squash Casserole (Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free)

This Vegan Southern Squash Casserole recipe is just like the old-fashioned classic! Made with fresh seasonal yellow squash, a creamy cheesy dairy-free sauce, and buttery gluten-free cracker crumb topping! It's a perfect allergy-free side dish to feed a crowd at potlucks or holiday gatherings! Simple and easy with just 8 ingredients!

A Southern classic! Squash casserole! It's summer comfort food that transforms fresh in-season yellow squash into a creamy cheesy baked casserole with buttery cracker crumb top! The perfect side dish to use up your garden's bounty of squash! It's a vegetable dish that even the pickiest of eaters will love (they probably won't even know they're getting a dose of veggies!)

What is Squash Casserole?

This indulgent Southern classic is an old-school way of serving up your overgrown bounty of yellow summer squash! It's not the healthiest way to eat your veggies, but it sure is delicious! Similar to a Southern Pineapple Casserole! Like any old-fashioned recipe, there are various versions and modifications depending on what region you grew up in and how your family did it! The general components of a squash casserole are:

• Yellow Squash and Onions
• Cheddar Cheese
• Creamy Combo of Sour Cream and Mayo
• Crushed Buttery Cracker Crumbs (notably Ritz crackers)

Why You'll Love This Vegan Squash Casserole

Since this Southern casserole is far from traditionally being vegan, gluten-free, or allergy-friendly, you can make some simple swaps to make it free-from, but still cozy and delicious! This recipe is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Kid-Approved
• Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly
• Perfect For Potlucks, Cookouts, BBQs, Holidays Gatherings, or Just a Weeknight Side Dish

Ingredients For Southern Vegan Squash Casserole

Just 8 ingredients! Yes! This recipe is that simple and easy. A down-home favorite for a reason!

• Yellow Squash: Big, fresh, beautifully in-season summer squash are best! While you can get yellow squash year-round (just like zucchini), using it in-season guarantees deliciousness! I used 4 big ones which gave me roughly 8 cups. ¼-inch thickness is perfect for your slices!
• Onion: Add some simple flavor to your squash since yellow squash is rather void of flavor on its own! Sweet onion is the perfect addition when steaming the squash.
• Vegan Butter: You'll use your favorite non-dairy butter to saute the squash and onions for extra flavor, as well as, melt some to add to your crushed cracker crumb topping.
• Vegan Sour Cream: You can use store-bought or my favorite vegan sour cream hack, mixing unsweetened non-dairy yogurt with some white vinegar or lemon juice!
• Vegan Mayo: The mayo will be mixed with the sour cream for the perfect creamy casserole base! You can use store-bought or homemade eggless mayo!
• Vegan Cheddar Cheese Shreds: What's a Southern casserole without some cheese? Use your favorite melty vegan cheese shreds to take this casserole over the top!
• Gluten-Free Crackers: Since we can't use the traditional option of Ritz, use your favorite gluten-free butter or club-style crackers for the topping of this casserole!
• Seasonings: You have complete choice to use whatever seasonings you'd like! Salt and pepper, a touch of paprika or cayenne for a kick! Dried thyme is also a classic addition!

Do You Peel The Yellow Squash Before Cooking?

No! Yellow squash is just like zucchini (some people even call it "yellow zucchini". The skin is so thin and light, you can even eat it raw! When you do cook the squash with the onion, you let the slices soften up anyway.

Why Cook The Squash Before Baking?

Slicing and sauteing the yellow squash with the onion before adding it to the casserole allows the squash to cook uniformly and become perfectly soft and tender. If you don't cook the squash before baking, it won't soften enough under the creamy sauce and cracker crumb topping.

How Do You Keep Squash Casserole From Getting Watery?

After you saute the squash and onions, make sure you drain the squash in a colander for a few minutes before you mix it into the casserole! When sauteing the squash, you want to add just enough water to steam and allow the squash to get tender. You are NOT boiling the squash! This will lead to overcooked and watery squash in your casserole.

How To Make Vegan Squash Casserole

Saute, mix, dump, and bake! This casserole is so easy to make!

1. Slice and saute your yellow squash and diced onions with butter and a splash of water.
2. Mix together your dairy-free sour cream, eggless mayo, vegan cheddar, and seasonings.
3. Add the creamy casserole mixture to your cooked squash mixture before pouring it all into an 8x11 inch casserole dish.
4. Add your crushed buttery cracker crumbs over the top of the casserole before baking in the oven for about 30-35 minutes!

Recipe Tips and Modifications

• Yellow Squash vs. Zucchini? You can swap the yellow squash with zucchini. Your casserole will be, uh, greener, but the flavors are the same! Better yet, you can use a combination of the two!
• Don't like vegan cheddar? You can try mozzarella shreds or any blend you and your family enjoy!
• Add extra veggies! You can add in some bell pepper, fresh herbs, sundried tomato, even some spinach would be delicious!
• Make it spicy! Since you can modify the seasonings to your liking for this recipe, you can add some spicy cayenne pepper, even a glug of hot sauce! You can make it smokey by using smoked paprika instead of the classic sweet paprika used in squash casserole.
• Change up your cracker topping: You can use any gluten-free cracker you'd like. Make it grain-free with a grain-free cracker, use crushed cereal like Chex, or anything you have on hand that you want to use up!
• Slice your squash with ease: Instead of slicing your squash by hand, to ensure even ¼-inch slices, you can use a mandoline. This ensures the squash steams evenly when you saute it.
• Simplify your cracker crushing: Add your choice of crackers to a plastic bag and give it a few whacks with a mallet or you can slam it on the counter. You can also use your hands to crush the crackers if you don't have any aggression to get out!

Storage and Leftovers

You can store leftover squash casserole for 5-6 days covered in the fridge. You can freeze the baked casserole for 4-5 months in the freezer for longer-term storage. You can reheat larger portions of leftovers in the oven at 350°F until warmed through or you can warm single servings right in your microwave.

Make It Ahead Of Time

You can assemble the entire casserole ahead of time and wait to bake it! Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking or 4-5 months in the freezer. Then just pop it in the oven and bake as normal, but increase the baking time if it's been frozen.

What To Serve with Squash Casserole

Serve this cozy Southern vegan side dish with any entree you'd like! Some delicious ideas include:

• Garden Veggie Burgers
• The Incredible Veggie Burger
• Easy Vegan Dirty Rice
• Pulled BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
• Cajun Stuffed Bell Peppers

Non-Vegan Options:

• The Greatest Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Burgers
• Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
• Whole Roasted Chicken
• Cedar Plank Salmon

Print

I think we all know that side dishes are always the BEST part of potlucks, cookouts, and holiday spreads! And summer season sides are the absolute best!

So tell me:

+ Have you ever had Southern Squash Casserole? If not, what are you waiting for?!

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