Sunday, September 11, 2016

Stove-Top Skillet Cheesy Squash Casserole - Low Carb

Yesterday was a busy day here. We're still getting situated in the new house and working on the final unpacking. We're beginning to hang pictures and decorate as well. I finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. I'm still waiting for one more appliance to arrive...my fridge. It's supposed to come this week...but I'll believe it when I see it! I ordered it 1 month before we moved in so it's been over 2 months now.

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the coming fall weeks when I can sit back and enjoy the house and start my fall baking. I'm dreaming of pumpkin, cranberries and the smell of cinnamon in the crisp cool fall air. Meanwhile, yesterday was yet another unbearably hot day here in the Atlanta area. It was 95 degrees before noon; I'm sick of the summer weather and it's been an unseasonably hot summer to boot. Hubby and I began our Saturday morning yesterday with going to get our address changed on our driver's licenses. We got there at 8:00 (they opened at 7:30) and we were already number 270 and 271 in line!!! We stood and waited for over 1-1/2 hours to do what took less than 2 minutes to do when we finally got our turn. Ugh...the joys of moving!

I decided to keep dinner simple and cool. I made a very simple chicken salad (chicken, a tiny bit of onion, celery, diced pickles and mayo). I've been craving my Yellow Cheddar Squash Casserole recently but did not want to add any additional heat to my kitchen at the end of a hot and exhausting day. I decided to experiment a bit with making a "stove top skillet version" of my cheesy squash casserole. It turned out great. Now, I'll be honest...it wasn't as pretty as the golden brown oven version, but it was every bit as delicious. If you wanted to brown the top a bit after cooking, place skillet (ovenproof skillet only) under the broiler for a few minutes until browned. I tweaked the casserole recipe a little by bumping up the amount of squash and slightly reducing the liquid part since it was going to cook covered in a skillet on the stove instead of uncovered in a dry hot oven. I snapped a few photos of my Stove-Top Skillet Cheesy Squash Casserole and included the easy peasy recipe for it below as well. It only took about 20-25 minutes to cook and it kept my kitchen much cooler than turning the oven on would have. Enjoy!


Ready to cover and cook on the stove
Cooking for 20-25 minutes
Ready to serve

Stove-Top Skillet Cheesy Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

8 cups yellow squash, sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (powdery style)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
Dash cayenne pepper, optional
1 cup blanched almond flour, divided
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Paprika, optional

Directions:

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons butter in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute squash and onions (do not add any water).  Cook until tender (covering pan while cooking hastens cooking time). Uncover skillet and increase heat to high to cook off any remaining liquid in bottom of pan (or drain off any remaining liquid). Remove skillet from heat.

In a medium bowl or glass measuring cup, beat eggs, milk, and Parmesan. Stir in salt, pepper, and optional cayenne. Set aside.

Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup almond flour to skillet of cooked squash, mixing until evenly distributed. Pour egg and milk mixture over squash, combining well. 

In a separate small bowl, place remaining 1/2 cup of almond flour and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cut butter into the almond flour with a pastry/dough blender or fork until crumbly (like you do when making a topping for a fruit crisp). Add remaining 1 cup of cheddar and cut into flour and butter mixture with dough blender until coarse and crumbly. Top squash with crumbly mixture; sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cover skillet and cook on stove top over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until casserole is set and cooked through (no jiggling when skillet is gently shaken). 

        

2 comments:

Ditamac MI/FL said...

I assume 8 servings @ 1 cup each?? Any carb info on this recipe? Could I use have zucchini & yellow squash. Would it taste as good??? Thanks for all your hard work. I don't know how you can still add recipes for us while opening up your house after moving. Thanks

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi there Ditamac,

I'd agree with the approximate serving size (3/4 cup to 1 cup). Yes, you most definitely could use both types of squash (green and yellow). I'm not sure if it would taste differently or not. I don't see why it wouldn't taste good. I don't have the carb count handy on the recipe. I usually use one of the free carb counters online and add up the carbs in the full recipe, subtract the fiber from the total carb count and then divide by the number of servings I get. Fortunately, I am almost settled in to my house now. I still have projects to do but not anything that is pressing. Thanks!