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Thanksgiving Squash Casserole

Making this easy Thanksgiving squash casserole is fun and simple. You can whip this up anytime but it makes a great Thanksgiving side dish recipe! The great thing about squash recipes is that they’re very versatile and they have a mild flavor so you can pair them with all kinds of ingredients, spices, and seasonings.

I love this time of year because squash is abundant at our local farmers markets and friends are always dropping them off for us when their gardens are over-producing. It’s a great time of year to be making squash casserole.

Thanksgiving squash casserole pin showing finished recipe ready to eat with title across the middle.

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If you have never tried using squash for a casserole you should give it a go! Summer squash are low in carbs, high in nutrients, and low in calories so they add a nice bulk to your recipes without having to worry about fat and calories exploding in the processing.

Another reason I love making squash recipes is the fact that they’re really easy. Summer squash, in case you didn’t already know, are able to be eaten whole. You don’t have to do a lot of prep work with this particular vegetable which makes it excellent for quick recipes.

Learn all about how to prep squash with this helpful guide – How To Clean Yellow Squash!

For those of you that are finding this recipe and trying summer squash for the first time I hope you’ll be hooked. It’s a great veggie that can be used in so many different ways. Check out the details for this Thanksgiving squash casserole and be sure to let us know how you liked it in the comments below.

Full pan of the baked thanksgiving squash casserole ready to eat.

What do I need to make Thanksgiving squash casserole?

This recipe uses yellow squash, onions, water, milk, eggs, shredded cheese, ritz crackers, butter, and salt/pepper to taste! 

Pretty much everything you need to make this recipe you probably already have on hand. We usually keep most of these items stocked / in our regular grocery order for each week or every other week and then when I need to make a delicious side dish I pull out recipes for my favorites, like this Chicken and Yellow Squash Casserole or Roasted Butternut Squash.

Make sure to stock up on Ritz crackers so you can also make a batch of Easy No Bake Cracker Candy Treats which are super tasty and will be the star of the dessert table this year!!

ingredients for squash casserole for thanksgiving laid out ready to begin cooking.

Kitchen essentials for tasty Thanksgiving recipes:

When you head into the kitchen to make some of these great recipes you’ll want to have the best tools on hand.

I like half sheet baking pans that are quality (hello no noisy pops or sloshed cookie dough from twisting), I line my cookie sheets with silicone baking mats. These are great for all kinds of baking and not just cookies! My husband loves them for making biscuits, pizzas, and more!

Of course mixing bowls, a mixerspatula, and some whisks should be on your list if you don’t have ones that you love. I also like to have a set of cooling racks so that my recipes can properly cool before they’re scarfed down by my family!

finished thanksgiving squash casserole in a bowl ready to eat.

How to make this easy squash casserole for Thanksgiving:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using non-stick cooking spray, coat the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pan. 

squash in a pot ready to start cooking.

In a medium size pot, add in the water, squash and onion. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove and drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Set aside. 

crushed crackers and cheese ready to be combined

In a small bowl, ½ cup of the cheese and ½ of the crushed crackers. Toss together and set aside.

Combined topping ready to for the last step.

In a small bowl, add the eggs and milk. Whisk or beat until well combined

combining eggs and milk.

In the bowl with the squash and onion, add the cheese mixture from Steps 2-3. Toss until well combined.

adding wet and dry ingredients together.

Mix in the egg mixture from Step 4.

adding the egg mixture.

Mix in ¼ cup of the melted butter and the salt and pepper to the bowl.

melted butter for making crumble topping.

Add the remaining melted butter to the crackers. Toss until well combined.

pan of the casserole with topping ready for the oven.

Add the squash mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with the butter and cracker mixture from Step 8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crackers are golden brown and the mixture is bubbling. Remove from the oven.

full pan baked and ready to serve.

How many people does this recipe serve?

You can always find more information on the servings in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post but this recipe will make about 8 servings.

Because we make it for holidays alongside other recipes I usually just make one batch but you could easily double the recipe if you have a really big crowd to feed or if you are trying to make enough to have some leftovers for lunches, etc.

plate full of the finished thanksgiving squash casserole.

Can I make this casserole gluten free?

If you have been here before you probably know that I try and give you some swaps / ideas for making non-gluten free recipes possible for anyone with sensitivities or allergies. This recipe uses Ritz crackers which are not gluten free.

The Glutino brand of gluten free foods makes a pretty good “rendition” we’ll say, of the Ritz cracker which you could definitely use in place of them for this recipe. It would make it a good gluten free option and a great side dish for the holidays that you can serve to everyone!!

Finished thanksgiving squash casserole ready to eat.

Looking for other Thanksgiving side dishes and squash recipes to try?

If you are hooked on squash recipes and looking for more, we’ve got you covered. Check out some of these tasty dishes below and give them a try for the holidays. There are also some great choices for sides and such that you can serve for Thanksgiving or even Christmas! Check them all out below.

finished casserole on a plate ready to serve.

Printable Thanksgiving Squash Casserole Recipe:

Yield: 8 Servings

Thanksgiving Squash Casserole

featured image showing the finished thanksgiving squash casserole served on a plate.

Making this easy Thanksgiving squash casserole is fun and simple. You can whip this up anytime but it makes a great Thanksgiving side dish recipe! 

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of yellow squash, rinsed and cut into cubes
  • ½ medium size onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup water
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (We used Monterey Jack)
  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
  • ½ cup melted butter or margarine
  • 1 teaspoon salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using non-stick cooking spray, coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan.
  2. In a medium size pot, add in the water, squash and onion. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove and drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, ½ cup of the cheese and ½ of the crushed crackers. Toss together and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, add the eggs and milk. Whisk or beat until well combined
  5. In the bowl with the squash and onion, add the cheese mixture from Steps 2-3.
  6. Toss until well combined.
  7. Mix in the egg mixture from Step 4.
  8. Mix in ¼ cup of the melted butter and the salt and pepper to the bowl.
  9. Add the remaining melted butter to the crackers. Toss until well combined.
  10. Add the squash mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with the butter and cracker mixture from Step 8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crackers are golden brown and the mixture is bubbling. Remove from the oven.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 365mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g

I am not a medical expert. These calculations are provided as a courtesy.

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