Squash and Cornbread Casserole
Take one little box of cornbread mix and transform it into a savory, delicious Squash and Cornbread Casserole! Cornbread mix, yellow squash, eggs, and sour cream come together in this delicious side dish for all your weeknight dinners.
Pair this Squash and Cornbread Casserole with your favorite barbeque sides, soups, stews, and more. Or serve it with some fried chicken, butterbeans, and sliced red, ripe tomatoes.
We’re really fortunate that squash of every kind is available to us throughout the year at our local grocery stores. One of my favorites is the beautiful, brightly colored yellow squash. I like them every way you can think of – sauteed, fried, or steamed with onions.
BeeBop, on the other hand, is not a fan. I’ve never understood that since he does like zucchini. But not so much the yellow version. The only exception – this Squash and Cornbread Casserole.
This is an old recipe that has been in my files for years and years. It’s sort of a cross between a casserole and cornbread, more like an old fashioned southern spoonbread or savory pudding, and makes a great side dish with a ham steak, pork chops, or fried chicken and some field peas, broccoli casserole, or okra.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses a cornbread mix for a shortcut!
- It’s a great side dish for almost any summer meal.
- An interesting cross between bread and a veggie side dish.
- Helps you get your daily quota of vegetables.
🛒 Ingredient Notes
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- Cornbread Mix – (I recommend Jiffy brand for this recipe.)
- Sour Cream – (I’ve tried this recipe with both regular and low fat sour cream and either works fine.)
- Yellow Squash – (You’ll see them sometimes called crookneck or summer squash.)
- Dried Thyme Leaves – (The thyme isn’t absolutely necessary, but I like the herbal flavor it infuses into the casserole. If you use it, be sure it’s thyme leaves and not ground thyme.)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🔪 How to Make Squash and Cornbread Casserole
- Set your oven to preheat to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 8×8 square baking dish and set it aside.
- Finely chop a medium onion.
- Using the large holes on a box grater (or your food processor if you’d rather), grate the squash. Every little bit of it is usable except the very tip top and, honestly, that might be just fine grated in there, too.
I know a lot of people would use the food processor, but I’d just as soon take 3 extra minutes to do it by hand than to clean up the food processor. I’m really old-fashioned that way :-)
👉 PRO TIP: You’ll need about 1 1/2 to 2 medium yellow squash to make three cups grated.
- In a large bowl, add the cornbread mix, sour cream, and egg.
- Stir together until just combined.
- Add the grated squash and the remaining ingredients except the butter. Stir gently to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Dot the top with butter.
- Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
❗Recipe Tips
- You’ll need 1 1/2 to 2 medium-sized yellow squash to make three cups grated.
- Best served warm but can be left at room temperature for several hours before serving.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a low (200-degree) oven.
🔀 Variations
- Stir 1 cup of grated sharp Cheddar cheese into the batter for an extra depth of flavor.
- A finely diced jalapeno is a great addition.
❓ Questions About Squash Cornbread Casserole
Yes, this recipe doubles very easily. For a double recipe, use a 9×13 pan in place of the square pan.
Of course you can. Just make up your favorite cornbread recipe, then add the squash and other ingredients. You may need to adjust the baking time to fit with your cornbread recipe.
Although it’s best served hot and fresh from the oven, you can freeze it if you insist. I’d suggest leaving it in the pan or dish you cooked it in. Wrap the entire thing well in plastic wrap with a layer of foil on the outside. Store in the freezer for no more than 4 weeks.
🧾 More Casserole Recipes You’ll Like
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
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📖 Recipe
Squash and Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- 8.5 ounces cornbread mix recommend: Jiffy brand
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 3 cups grated yellow squash
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Generously grease an 8×8 square baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the cornbread mix, sour cream, and egg. Stir until just combined.
- Add the remaining ingredients except butter. Stir gently to combine.
- Pour into prepared dish. Dot the top with butter.
- Bake 1 hour or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Notes
- You’ll need about 1 1/2 large or 2 medium yellow squash to make 3 cups of grated squash for the recipe.
- Best served hot and fresh from the oven, but may be frozen. To freeze, leave the casserole in the pan you cooked it in. Wrap well in plastic wrap with a layer of foil on the outside. Store in the freezer for no more than 4 weeks.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a low (200 degree) oven.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on September 5, 2014. It has been updated with additional information.
I would compare this to corn pudding. I added some shredded cheddar and sprinkled Parmesan on top with the butter. Very good. I would say this is a good way to “hide” vegetables from the family.
Made it and loved it!
This the best and only way to eat summer squash,,,,Absolutely delicious!
I agree that it’s delicious! I like summer squash just about way you can cook it.
A delicious recipe I’ve made a number of times using a “Jiffy cornbread mix copycat” recipe minus the salt and oil: 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 3 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp baking powder. Compared to similar recipes, this one uses less butter, and it also works well with low fat sour cream. If you’re concerned about the thyme, try 1/4 to a heaping 1/4 tsp instead of the 1/2 teaspoon….thyme really does add to this dish. Thanks, Lana, for a great recipe!
Combines two great foods: yellow squash and cornbread. I use my own basic cornbread as I don’t like sweet cornbread. Smelling this baking is such a joy. Thank you.
I don’t generally like sugar in cornbread, but I do use the Jiffy mix for this specific recipe. Only for convenience.
Hi Lana. Your recipe sounds like exactly what I was looking for with one exception–would it be ok to just cut up the squash rather than grate (making sure to squeeze out the liquid by a process I already use)? My family loves veggies and yellow squash is a fave–we like to recognize our vegetables.
Thanks!
Shae
Hi Shae. I haven’t made the casserole that way so I can’t say what your result would be.
I used fresh squash and also added zucchini. I didn’t have sour cream but found out I could substitute it with some cottage cheese/ lemon juice and a little milk. The jiffy mix was awesome as always but some people don’t like it as sweet so next time I may try a more traditional cornbread mix. I didn’t add cheese. I absolutely loved this recipe! It’s great for Autumn baking!
Made it yesterday, it was delicious and slightly sweet, which confused me since no sweet ingredients were used. However, when I looked back at the ingredient list I discovered that I left out the salt, pepper & thyme. I don’t usually use much salt so that must be why I didn’t notice the lack of them.
I will make this again and, if I don’t forget again I’ll try the to use the missing ingredients.
If you used the Jiffy cornbread mix, it has a fair amount of sugar in it.
Could I sub fresh cut corn for the squash?
I haven’t tested this recipe using fresh cut corn. My guess is that it would work fine, but that makes it a whole different recipe, doesn’t it?
Do I need to squeeze out the yellow squash before mixing up with other ingred? Getting ready to make this.
Thanks
No, no squeezing necessary. Fresh squash isn’t very wet when grated.
This was amazing. I will be making this all summer, for us and to share with others.
I’m so glad to know that it turned out well for you, Mary Ann! That’s great!
This looks very good. Would greek yogurt in this instead of the sour cream?
Thank you.
I haven’t tested this recipe with Greek yogurt.
I always look forward to your e-mails! Will be making this tomorrow to take to my daughter’s house. Thanks for your good recipes!
Thank you so much for being a subscriber, Deborah. I hope your family enjoys the casserole!
Awesome! So refreshing to find an non-traditional (squash, onions, cheese) squash casserole. It is so yummy! I made it with freshly grated squash but as I have been canning squash, I am hoping I can use my canned squash as well. (I don’t care for frozen squash.) I am going to make one for my daughter and add the jalapenos. I’m thinking maybe even add some corn?? Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Glad you like the recipe, Joyce! It is meant to be made with fresh squash as you did. If you try using your canned squash, just be aware that they will have a lot more moisture which could make the casserole soggy. I’d be sure to drain them really well before adding them.
Delicious way to use squash. I sautéed the onions on low for awhile til lightly browned, and added low fat cheddar cheese and low fat sour cream. I also used fresh thyme. Husband enjoyed too. Looking forward to freezing the rest to see how it is later..
I have also found that this recipe works really well with the low-fat products. Glad you enjoyed it that way, too.
I have everything except yellow squash. Can I use zucchini in place it? I have 3 nice medium/small zucchini’s. This recipe sounds so good. Can’t wait to make it.
Hi Rose,
I haven’t tested it with zucchini, but I’ll bet it would work out just great! Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
Recipe is great as written. Two yellow squash and onion grated takes about five minutes, stir all ingredients and bake. This is ready for the oven in 10 minutes.
Can frozen squash be used in place of fresh
I wouldn’t. Frozen squash is very watery and mushy.
Not allowed to print just the recipe
Yes, you can Ginny. You can click either the “Print Recipe” at the very top of the post or the “Print” button in the recipe card itself to print just the recipe. I just tested both methods myself and had no problem getting a print of the recipe only.