This keto yellow squash casserole is mouth-wateringly delicious. It’s made with flavorful yellow squash, has a creamy, cheesy sauce, and a perfectly crunchy topping. You only need 10 minutes of prep and 8 easy ingredients to make this yummy dinner. This easy gluten free squash casserole recipe is also low carb, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
Do you know how those crazy busy days get and the last thing you feel like doing is cooking? That was recently, and I can’t even tell you how tempted I was to hit up a fast-food joint. Then I started to remember that I had everything I needed to whip up this quick and easy 20-minute dinner!
It was painless to throw together, and the entire family gobbled down every bite. I am so glad I didn’t give in to temptation just to save time. Because as fast as this keto casserole was to make, I wouldn’t have saved any time when you think about loading up and driving. Plus, this gluten free squash casserole recipe was so scrumptious!
Ingredients
Yellow Squash - Yellow summer squash is obviously the main ingredient. If you have one that is big with big seeds you will want to remove them first.
Green Onions - Green onions (aka scallions) add a lot of flavor to this dish. They are cooked with the squash and used as a garnish.
Heavy Cream - Alternatively, you can use light cream or half and half.
Egg - Egg works to thicken the sauce.
Cheddar Cheese - Shredded cheddar cheese gives a lot of flavor. I like to use sharp cheddar but mild cheddar works as well.
Parmesan Cheese - Parmesan is used for the topping along with the pork rind crumbs to replace bread crumbs.
Pork Rinds - Crushed pork rinds are the main ingredient in the topping and work well to replace breadcrumbs in gluten free recipes.
Butter - I use salted butter but unsalted butter will work as well.
Salt & Black Pepper - You can add these to your personal preference. If your pork rinds are salted you will use less than if you have unsalted pork rinds.
How To Make Keto Yellow Squash Casserole
Step One: Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Step Two: Cook the chopped squash in a skillet with water over medium heat to medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Step Three: After cooking the squash, drain it and add green onions to the skillet. Sautee then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step Four: Add the squash to a well-greased baking dish. Top with the egg beaten with cream.
Step Five: Sprinkle the squash in the casserole dish with 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
Step Six: Crush pork rinds and place in a bowl. Add parmesan cheese to the pork rinds and combine.
Step Seven: Add some melted butter to the pork rind mixture and stir.
Step Eight: Place the pork rind mixture on top of the squash.
Step Nine: Bake the gluten free squash casserole recipe until the top is bubbly and brown, which is around 20 minutes.
Step Ten: Garnish with chopped green onions and serve. It is also great with a dollop of sour cream.
Variations
As with many of my recipes, you can adjust this keto southern squash casserole to fit your preferences. It’s easy to add in or swap out your favorite ingredients. Here are a few ideas to try out:
Zucchini - You can mix or match zucchini with the yellow squash in this low carb gluten free casserole. Just don’t add more than 4 cups total of the veggies.
Mozzarella Cheese - Either swap out the cheddar entirely or do a combination of the two. Mozzarella adds a lovely flavor.
Dairy Free - I haven't tried this as a dairy free gluten free recipe but I think coconut cream and nutritional yeast could work to replace the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese. You would just omit the cheddar cheese.
Italian Seasoning - Add some Italian seasoning to the pork rind mixture for some extra pizzazz. I would start with 1-2 teaspoons and go from there.
Mushrooms - If you are a mushroom fanatic, you will love the texture and flavor the add to the keto casserole.
Bacon - Doesn’t everything taste better with a little bit of bacon?
Chicken - Chop up some cooked grilled chicken breast and toss into the keto casserole. This is perfect if you want to add some meat to the mix.
Common Questions
Is Yellow Squash Casserole Healthy?
Yes, of course, this gluten free squash casserole recipe is healthy. Each time you eat it, you are getting lots of vitamins and minerals. Squash has potassium, vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin E. Plus, you will get vitamin C, folic acid, iron and calcium in the onions. This is just the beginning of all the tasty nutrients you get, so eat up and feel good about it.
Can I Make Keto Yellow Squash Casserole Ahead?
Yes, you can make this keto dinner casserole ahead of time. Bake the gluten free squash casserole recipe as directed then allow it to cool down completely. Once it’s cool, wrap it up with plastic wrap tightly, then place in the fridge. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Additionally, you can freeze squash casserole, and it will last around 1-2 months. It’s just important to make sure it’s completely airtight and protected. Defrost by putting in the refrigerator the night before.
This is a fantastic freezer meal or perfect for meal prepping if you like to do that. Sometimes we will make a double casserole and freeze one for later.
How Do You Reheat Yellow Squash Casserole?
Make sure that the gluten free summer squash casserole is defrosted if you had frozen it. Then you can place it in the oven at 375 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. You just want it to be hot, and then you can serve it. Additionally, you can heat it in the microwave. I prefer to cover it with a paper towel, so it doesn’t pop all over the microwave. Start with 30-second intervals for smaller serving sizes. This is perfect for a quick and easy lunch idea too.
What To Serve With This Gluten Free Squash Casserole Recipe:
One thing that I love about casseroles is you can serve them by themselves and have an entire meal. When we have a larger crowd or appetite, I will serve it with some other things. Here are some of my go-to recipes:
- Cucumber Tomato Salad With Lemon Dill Dressing - So creamy and flavorful.
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin - One of our favorite proteins!
- Zucchini Salad With Lemon & Feta - This is the perfect starter to this tasty squash casserole.
- Baked Chicken Legs in Oven - These are very simple but flavorful and pair perfectly with this squash casserole.
- Stuffed Mushrooms With Bacon & Cheese - Whether you serve this as an appetizer or side dish, it’s a crowd-pleaser.
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Keto Yellow Squash Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups yellow squash, chopped
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- 1 egg
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- ½ cup pork rind crumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshly chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the chopped squash into a skillet with a couple tablespoons of water over medium-high heat, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain the squash, and add the green onion to the skillet. Saute for a minute, and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the squash mixture in a well-greased 9x9 baking dish.
- Mix together the beaten egg and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, and pour this mixture over the squash in the casserole dish.
- Top the squash with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Crush up about 2 oz. of pork rinds to create ½ cup of crumbs.
- Pour ¼ c of parmesan cheese into the bowl with the pork rinds, and stir to combine completely.
- Add the melted butter into the bowl with the pork rind mixture, and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the pork rinds crumbs over the top of the squash casserole.
- Bake for 20 minutes until browned and bubbly. Top with freshly chopped green onions for garnish.
Nutrition
Originally Published July 24, 2019. Revised and Republished June 1, 2023.
Cynthia says
Very delicious. Have made this several times.
Wendy symonds says
I made this tonight but used a yellow onion and didn’t have heavy cream so substituted sour cream with 1 tablespoon milk. I forgot to add the Parmesan cheese to the pork rinds so I hope it turns out, I used sea salt and cracked pepper pork rinds.
Jane says
this is a great recipe! Thank you For helping me with all of this yellow squash!
Dianne says
This was excellent! Instead of pork rinds, I used same amount of almond flour. Next time, instead of green onions, my husband and I think we should try green chilis instead of the green onions! Thanks...
VS says
Easy and the whole family loved it!
Marianne says
Made it tonight. I added minced garlic, chicken and topped with home made bacon bits after I took it out of the oven. I also used 1/4 cup of frying Magic and only 1/4 cup of pork rinds. It was delicious. Me and my husband enjoyed it. My 9 year old didn’t like the squash and my 5 year old ate it all but said he didn’t like it lol. I’ll definitely make it again for me and my hubby.
Debbie says
The best recipe! Making it again tonight. I used both summer & zucchini. I sliced an onion and pepper thin to add. Used BBQ flavored pork rinds. So good.
Susan says
This was delicious! But it doesn't serve 6. I doubled it, and ended up with 8 servings. I also substituted gluten free Panko bread crumbs because I didn't have pork rinds. It increased the carbs a bit, but still delicious. Will definitely make this again!
Sonya Contino says
Delightful creamy flavor!
I did some editing to make this my own and to use things I had on hand including a ton of squash and zucchini. I added another 2 cups of squash, a quarter of a sweet Vidalia onion in with the green onions along with a dash of granulated garlic and substituted Beanitos Cheddar Puffs for the pork rinds. Didn't change anything else and it came out wonderfully! Golden brown on top and creamy squash casserole underneath. I think ill use sharp white English cheddar on top next time just to add another layer of YUM!
Kelly says
This was so yummy! I don’t particularly love pork rinds, but it was the perfect substitute for bread crumbs! My new favorite recipe!
Brook says
This was so good! The nutrition provideed, is that per serving or for the whole thing?
Taryn says
For one serving.
Amber W says
Made this last night using squash my neighbor gave me. It was DELICIOUS! I used a yellow onion instead of green onions, since that’s what I had on hand. My stepfather couldn’t stop raving about it.
Nannette says
Oh wow so yummy! I added some steamed broccoli I had left over from breakfast casserole.
Catherine says
I just made this! It was delicious! I added a couple of tablespoons of almond flour to the pork rind topping. I WILL be making this again and again! Yum!
Linda says
I was thinking of doing the same thing. Glad to see it Turned out well.
Judy P. King says
I made it tonight and it was delicious! My husband said it was the best squash casserole he ever had. My problem will be not eating all the leftovers at once! 🙂
Pamela Hicks says
What size or weight would 1 serving be? I'm on a counting calorie and entering nutrition information diet, so thanks for the nutrition information. When you list the kcalories are those the same as regular calories? Thank you for your assistance.
Taryn says
I’m sorry I don’t have that information. If you have a kitchen scale you can weigh your casserole dish empty and after baking this to find that out. And yes, those are regular calories.
Katrina K says
Add 1/2 a lb of browned breakfast sausage and WOW this recipe is amazing. I browned the sausage first to give it plenty of time to drain as much as possible while I prepared the rest of this recipe to the letter. Loved it!
Maria Turner says
I made this last night it was great!!! My husband loved it!!!
Diane says
I love this recipe. I do tweak it because I like sautéed onion better than green onion. So I sauté the chopped onion in butter then add in the squash and water. I follow the recipe as is the rest of the way.
I was wondering if this would freeze well?
Savannah Caporal says
I've been waiting for someone to make a low carb version of squash casserole! Growing up in the south, this has been a favorite food of mine for so long! I'm so excited to try this recipe!
Connie says
It seems like you left out the part where you mix the sautéed green onions with the cooked squash. I followed the exact recipe and had to sprinkle the cooked onions on top of the pork rind mixture.
Angelia says
Hi, Connie. Step 3 says to drain the squash then add the green onions to the skillet. You also sprinkle some green onions over the top of the casserole for garnish in step 11.
I’m making this tonight and can’t wait to try it!