Summer squash with Tex-Mex seasoning is a great way to enjoy fresh squash from the farmers market. With crunchy tortilla chips as a base you’ll love this cheesy Tex-Mex casserole.
Hearty enough for meatless Mondays or served as a side, you’ll want to try this spiced up squash casserole.
If you think you’ve done everything possible with your summer squash, and your family is sick of it, I have just the solution for you. Don’t roll your eyes thinking this is just another blah squash casserole, it’s not even a little boring. This squash casserole recipe is spicy, and bursting with flavor and somehow the tortilla chips stay crunchy.
I was planning on serving this as a side with shrimp one night, but it was so good, I put the shrimp back in the fridge and we enjoyed it all by itself. With all the flavors you could even trick your squash haters into eating this. Since you’re sautéing the squash, frozen squash will work when you run out of fresh squash.
With a little crunch from tortilla chips and spice from the seasoning, you get both texture and flavor that’s hard to achieve with summer squash all by itself.
Why you’ll love a Tex-Mex casserole
- This dinner cooks in just 30 minutes!
- Everything Tex-Mex tastes better
- Another great recipe to enjoy seasonal fresh zucchini and squash
- A great meatless Monday dinner
What you’ll need
- Yellow squash and zucchini – no need to peel them, just wash and slice!
- Jalapeno – slice the jalapeno in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds before dicing the jalapeno.
- Ro-Tel tomatoes – canned tomatoes with diced green chiles have a perfect amount of kick to add to a dish when diced tomatoes are needed
- Green chiles – these come diced in a can from your local grocery
- Chicken broth – you could also use vegetable broth
- Half-and-half – not as rich as heavy cream, but thicker than plain milk
- Sour cream – what’s Tex Mex without sour cream?
- Cilantro – if cilantro doesn’t taste like soap to you, chop up a good amount, stems and leaves included.
- Cheeses – pepper jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
- Tortilla chips – add them to a ziploc bag and crunch them into small pieces with a meat mallet
- Pantry staples – cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic, flour, salt/pepper
How to make Tex-Mex casserole with squash
Step 1
Cook the squash, onion and jalapeño until they’re soft and then add some garlic. Stir in some flour to thicken it and then gradually add broth and tomatoes. Once it has thickened, add some half and half, sour cream and cilantro.
Step 2
Add crushed tortilla chips to the bottom of a casserole dish and top with the squash mixture. Then add lots of cheese to the top and cook for 30 minutes or until it’s brown and bubbly. The cheesy will be nice and gooey.
What to serve with a squash casserole
You can add some roasted shrimp or try Tequila grilled chicken if you’re looking for a protein to round out this dish.
It’s also great with a simple burger or hot dogs if you’re having a cook-out.
FAQ’s and tips
Tex-Mex food refers to food from Texas that originated people of Mexican descent. A big difference is the use of yellow/orange cheese which is not typically used in Mexican food.
Both squash and zucchini boast nutrients and vitamins good for you but zucchini has less calories overall than squash.
Yes, the entire body, skin and seeds included, of the yellow squash is edible and can be enjoyed cooked.
If you keep the vegetable on the counter, it’ll last 1-4 days but you can add a few days to its lifespan if you move it to the fridge.
Enjoy a little more Tex-Mex flavor
More Squash Recipes
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Adapted from The Homesick Texan
Tex Mex Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups yellow and zucchini squash thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes drained
- ¼ cup green chiles diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup half-and-half
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups tortilla chips crushed
- salt/pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Heat butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add squash, onion and jalapeño and sauté until onions are translucent and the squash is soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, and seasonings and cook for 1 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until a light-brown paste forms, about 1 minutes. Gradually add broth, tomatoes and chilies and stir until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the half and half, sour cream and cilantro and remove from heat.
- Add the crushed tortilla chips to the bottom of the casserole dish and top with the squash mixture. Add cheese to top and cook for 30 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can adjust how spicy it is by adding the seeds of the jalapeno if you want it spicy, or leaving it out altogether for a milder version.
- This is best served the same day. The juice from the squash mixture will make the tortilla chips mushy if it sits overnight, still delicious but the texture isn’t quite the same.
- You can substitute any of your favorite cheeses for the pepper jack and cheddar.
- You could use frozen squash if squash are not in season.
Nutrition
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Hi, you missed the Green chiles in the description of when to add them.
Thanks I added it in, they are added with the tomatoes.