Tex-Mex Squash Casserole

In attempt to use up our last mess of squash we brought back from KK's garden, I stumbled upon this squash casserole recipe. I have to say I was kind of skeptical at first...I'm just a huge fan of "regular" squash casserole and this just didn't seem anything like it.  However, it is tex-mex and I love all things tex-mex.  It's also a little healthier.  So, I went for it...and it turned out de-li-cious! 



Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 pounds summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
• 2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
• 1 4-1/2-ounce can chopped jalapenos, (about 1/2 cup), drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 1/4 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, (about 7 ounces), divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup mild salsa
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and 3/4 cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
3. Bake until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and red onion.

 A few notes:  I cut all the ingredients in half since the original recipe made 12 servings...way too much for just the two of us and I only had about 3 squash left.  Also, we used fresh peppers instead of canned - it really was not spicy at all but you may want to tweak this part if you're not a big fan of peppers.  We also just used some sharp white cheddar cheese we already had on hand instead of the extra-sharp....Oh, and I put a little more salsa on top just to make sure there was enough to spread around.  I'm no Julia Child or anything so these aren't necessarily recommendations.  :)  Just thought I'd let you know I changed up a few things and it still turned out ok!

Here is the link to the recipe:  Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

Seriously...yum!  Try it!!

Tour de Georgia

Our trip to Georgia (in photos):

Day One: lunch with the nieces at BK...

my little cousins Carlie and Keri graduate from WCHS.  These two were such a part 

of my high school days. They were my little sidekicks and my biggest supporters. :) It makes 

me very nostalgic but I was so glad to be able to see them graduate 10 years (I'm old!) later!

Day Three:  Cruisin' in my "rental" car from Dixie Auto Salvage. Who really needs a mirror?

Day 8ish:  Mae Mae's Dance Recital

 {tap routine to Flintstones - Maley behind Fred}

{cousin Cooper is so proud and can't wait to get a trophy like this of her own!}

{B-Dub saved the day and went and got the flowers we all forgot}

 Next Day:  Ladybug said she'd drive me back to Mississippi

KK shows off her green thumb

Farmer KK has a pretty impressive spread 

(of course let's give credit, where credit is due - Chipper did a lot of the "ground work")

We finally get on the road....blowout 5 miles into our trip.

{Yes we are towing another car behind us and this was after 

B-Dub and R-Dub had already spent 5 hours trying to get the vehicles ready 

to go.  Let's just say this was the straw that broke B-Dub's back.
Chipper came to assist and we waited until the next morning to leave.}

Next Day:  We finally make it to Gainesville to spend a couple days with friends on Lake Lanier.

{Does anyone have a cold Miller Lite?}

Day 11: Home Sweet Home and the plants survived! I think my neighbors

may have took pity and quenched their thirst a couple of times...

Well, just some typical times - unfortunately there are some other great parts of our trip that I didn't get on camera.  It was so good to catch up and spend some quality time with good friends and most all of our family

P.S. I'm already back in Georgia...flew back down last night for another brief stint. Charleston bound in the morning for a Bachelorette Celebration! I'll be riding shotgun with Bessie to most likely witness Sarah's most dramatic night yet :) 

{us-just a few (11!?) years ago}

Stay tuned for more typical times...