You know that green bean casserole that is always brought out at Thanksgiving? The one that is made with condensed soup and topped with fried onions (and is honestly getting a wee bit dated in my book…)?
Well, that classic recipe just got a facelift, in time to celebrate all those fresh green beans and yellow squash you are currently growing in your summer garden, and that are calling to you from bins and baskets at the local market.
I know you might be thinking, “Oh, that casserole is probably way too heavy for summer… Why is she bringing that recipe out now?”
The truth is, this dish is not simply a replica that heavy green bean casserole that you know and love (or if you are like me, kind of loathe…) made with fresh ingredients. It is a lighter version that highlights the freshness of the vegetables while still being creamy, with a crunchy topping that isn’t the least bit greasy like those fried onions tend to be.
I didn’t realize just how well green beans and yellow squash go together until I tried the combination in this side dish recipe. Of course, I’ve sauteed the vegetables together before, but this is my new favorite way to devour them in one bite.
I don’t know about you, but I am not one that is blessed with a green thumb, as much as I wish I had one. That was the one trait my mother did not pass down to me, so I tend to avoid gardening every year.
That is, until my husband and I bought a house and he decided to pull together a garden himself.
I still refuse to touch the garden, for fear that I will kill everything with the slightest glance. But I am happy to say, I can now experience the brightness of fresh vegetables harvested right from my backyard.
It’s quite a joy for me to indulge in night after night, as the summer plods along.
Two of our favorite vegetables to grow have been green beans and squash. Thankfully, they’ve been growing pretty easily and I am trying to find new and unique ways to use them a few times a week, at the very least.
In fact, if you’re interested in growing your own, I recommend reading up on growing your own green beans and summer squash at our sister site, Gardener’s Path.
This casserole is the newest recipe that I have tried as part of this endeavor, and I have to tell you, it is so creamy and flavorful that my mouth starts to water just thinking about it.
You start by roasting the vegetables lightly, since they will finish cooking while the casserole bakes later. Then you make golden toasted breadcrumbs, and a thickened sauce flavored with sour cream that isn’t too weighed down like other cream sauces tend to be.
You bake all of this together, topped with the breadcrumbs that get extra toasted in the oven to provide a thin layer of crunch to go with the creamy, soft squash, and the light bite that remains in the green beans after cooking them.
It’s a casserole that works year round, but is truly ideal when you are getting the freshest green beans and yellow squash that you possibly can while they’re in season in your area.
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The Best Green Bean and Yellow Squash Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Make the most of homegrown vegetables with the best green bean and yellow squash casserole. It pairs well with any entree.
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow squash, sliced into ⅛-inch half moons
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)
- 4 1/4 cups chopped green beans
- 1 1/2 cups chopped green onions (white and green parts)
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 slices firm white sandwich bread, coarsely ground in a food processor (about 2 1/4 cups crumbs)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (14 fl oz)
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Put oven rack in lower third of oven and put a large baking sheet on the rack, then preheat to 475°F.
- In a large bowl, toss squash with 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 ½ tsp salt, and 1 ½ tsp black pepper.
- Spread one third of the mixture on the preheated baking pan in a single layer. Roast in the oven until tender, stirring once, about 12-15 minutes.
- Transfer cooked squash to another large bowl. Repeat this roasting process with the remaining squash, in two additional batches. If you have a large enough sheet pan to spread the squash in a single layer, use that pan and ignore the instructions to cook in batches.
- In the same bowl you tossed the squash in, add the green beans, onions, and green onions with the remaining olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet in an even layer and roast until onions are golden, stirring once, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer green beans and onions to bowl with the squash. Move oven rack to middle position and reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, then add breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat crumbs. Spread in an even layer on a clean baking sheet and bake without stirring until pale golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil while you continue whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over squash mixture and stir gently until combined well.
- Butter a 3-quart baking dish, spread squash mixture in the dish, and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 40 min
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Stovetop, Baking
- Cuisine: Vegetables
Keywords: green bean, summer squash, crookneck, sour cream
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Chop Vegetables, Make Breadcrumbs, and Measure Remaining Ingredients
Trim the ends of the squash, cut in half lengthwise, and slice crosswise into thin half-moons that are approximately ⅛ inch thick.
Trim the ends of the green beans and chop into pieces that are approximately ½ inch long.
Place the bread in a food processor. Pulse until you have coarsely ground breadcrumbs.
Measure remaining ingredients and set aside.
Step 2 – Roast Vegetables
Place oven rack in the lower third of the oven, place a baking sheet on the rack, and preheat to 475°F. If you have a very large sheet pan, you will be able to cook the squash in a single batch. Otherwise, you’ll need to cook in batches so the sliced vegetable don’t crowd the pan.
Toss the sliced squash in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Spread on the preheated pan in a single layer and roast for 12-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Repeat this roasting method with the remaining squash, working in two more batches if you need to. Remove all of the squash once it’s cooked to a large bowl.
Toss the green beans, onions, and scallions with the remaining olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl – feel free to use the same bowl that you used before to prep the squash, to save on dishes!
Spread the bean mixture the same baking pan and roast for 8-10 minutes until the onions are golden. Make sure that you stir the mixture once halfway through. Note you may need to do this in two batches as well, depending on the size of your baking pans.
Add the roasted green bean mixture to the cooked squash and stir well to combine.
Step 3 – Toast Breadcrumbs
Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and move oven rack to the middle position.
In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Remove from the stove. Add the breadcrumbs with a pinch of salt, and toss to coat the breadcrumbs well with butter.
Spread on a clean baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Step 4 – Make Sauce
To make the sauce, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour to form a roux, cooking while whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the sour cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the sauce over the vegetable mixture and stir gently to coat.
Step 5 – Assemble Casserole
Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter. Spread the vegetables in an even layer in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.
This Casserole Goes with Every Summer Meal
Whenever I stumble across a good side dish recipe, my mind inevitably goes to one question: What can I serve this with?
With the freshness of the vegetables and the lightness of the creamy sauce in this particular casserole, it actually lends itself well to anything that you choose to throw on the grill.
Grilled chicken is a nice option to keep things light, and pork chops are absolutely delicious to pair with the green bean and yellow squash mixture. But don’t stop there! From beef to tofu and everything in between, serve up your favorite protein for a satisfying meal.
What would you like to pair with this casserole? Tell us in the comments below, and rate the recipe when you try it to let others readers know how much you enjoyed it!
And for more veggie intensive casseroles, be sure to check out some of these delicious recipes:
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Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on September 7th, 2009. Last updated: December 29, 2019 at 1:31 am.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Meghan Yager
Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.
glad to hear you had such a lovely weekend! and gurnee? that’s my old stomping grounds. i used to work at the candy store in gurnee mills, and let me tell you, i could weigh a bag of chocolate raisins without even using a scale. yes, those were the days.
but anyway. green bean casserole? yes, life IS grand.
Sounds like a wonderful weekend but this casserole, oh wow.
This casserole looks fantastic. I personally like crispier green beans myself, although my mother loves veggies cooked until they are dead and no longer have any nutrients in them at all… Sad 🙁
I love crispy green beans!
This looks delicious. I tend to throw everything in the pan all at once and then bake it…but maybe that’s just me being lazy (surprise surprise) 😉
Kim, So the one thing the original recipe made a big deal about was that you shouldn’t, for any reason, try to roast all the veggies together; if you do, they’ll turn out soggy. I believe them, I guess, but if you try it your way, I’d love to hear what happens!
Wait, there’s a way to make a casserole/baked thingum like this without the veggies getting all soggy? I just assumed that’s the way life works – and enjoyed my soggy veggies. Actually, I sometimes refer to my “throw it in the oven and bake it” recipes as “mush.” 😉
Good to know that if I roast separately, they’ll stay crunchy/crisp!!
making this as we speak. well, read and write. it looks and smells DIVINE! thank you so very much for this excellent recipe. yum yum!
ok – update – we LOVED IT!! our neighbor did, too. thanks!
JessieV, Yay!! I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know!
Okay this looks just perfect. I’m bookmarking for when I return from my flight home. Actually, I might just make it for my dad when I’m home. That might be just perfect.
kickpleat, Oh, I hope you get to make it for your dad! Tell me what you all think!
So I really need to try this. I love green bean casserole!