Easy Squash Casserole

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Need more cheese in your life already? Visit Kraft for more delightfully cheesy recipes!

Tortilla Chip: I can’t believe how mean you were today on the playground. You know how sensitive I am about my toasty crisp edges!

Cheese: Aww, c’mon–it was just a joke!

Tortilla Chip: I don’t want to taco ’bout it.

Cheese: But we’re friends–

Tortilla Chip: I am nacho friend!!!

(ba bum chiii)

Have you ever been asked to tell a joke during an interview? After going to piano lessons unprepared and being eaten alive by a pit full of beetles, one of my greatest fears is having someone pop the “tell us a joke” question on me in a professional setting. Not only are the majority of jokes I know utterly unsuited for PC retelling–the ones that aren’t morally, religiously, or politically offensive are so, so cheesy.

Especially when they’re about tacos.

Eh? Eh?

No? Okay….

Last week, I tried telling a joke about a chihuahua and was completely shut down by my friend, who just looked at me and asked blankly, “Was that the punch line?” Ouch. Guess it was a yappy joke anyway.

Thankfully, I redeemed myself shortly thereafter by telling a joke about a bear raiding a restaurant in Yosemite (in fact, the joke was stolen from a Yosemite park ranger), but after that I decided to stick to the kind of cheesy that I know I can do without shattering my dignity too badly. Enter cheesy easy squash casserole!

Now that the holiday season is officially here–yes, “Last Christmas” is currently playing on repeat on my computer, even though it’s not yet Thanksgiving–my oven is back on in full swing and the order of the day is casseroles. Believe it or not, I never tried a homemade casserole until three years ago, when my distinctly Midwestern roommate cooked one for dinner. Back at home, we eat our vegetables steamed or stir-fried, so the idea of baking them felt a bit strange–but I went with it, and I’m so glad I did. Cheese, cream, vegetables, and a crispy crumb–talk about comfort food!

Everything about this dish is perfect for holiday get-togethers, but what makes this casserole great is the crumb-and-cheese combo: half goes in the zucchini cream mixture, half on top of the casserole. I’m a huge fan of straight-up cheddar, so while I was perusing the Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese section at Walmart, I opted for a bag of sharp cheddar:

Speaking of cheddar, did you hear the joke about the last bag of cheese I bought?

It wasn’t very gouda.

(Maybe I’ll stick to the cheesy meals instead. Grab this recipe–it’s un-brie-lievable!!!)

What cheesy jokes do you know? Throw me your best, then visit Kraft for more cheesy recipes!

Easy Squash Casserole

This easy squash casserole is a cheesy dish that you won't want to miss! Packed with vegetables, this makes the perfect star dish or hearty side dish for a holiday get-together with friends and family.

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Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 10 buttery crackers, crushed
• 1 cup Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese (your choice--I used sharp cheddar)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or milk
• 2 egg whites or 1 egg
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and cook both varieties of squash for 7-10 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
3. In a separate bowl, combine crushed crackers and cheese. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture into the cooked squash.
4. Stir cream/milk and egg whites/egg into the squash mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and spoon the squash mixture into a small pan. (I used a 6-inch ramekin.) Sprinkle remaining cheese mixture evenly on top.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly on top.