Cajun French: le cachat (lu ka-sha) – squash
Squash casserole was a holiday dish in our families. The squash was cooked down until you couldn’t tell it was squash. Then shrimp or ground meat was added along with seasonings, topped with cheese and baked. This recipe was developed because we were looking for a different to make squash casserole. Some of the squash remains firm along with onions, andouille and other seasonings and ingredients. This dish is perfect for any meal and especially during holidays and birthdays.
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
Cajunville Baked Squash
Casserole
2 pounds yellow squash, quartered lengthways and sliced in 1/8″ half moons
1 ½ cups sliced red onion, sliced same size as squash
4 oz andouille sausage, cut in half lengthways and sliced in 1/8″ half moons
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
⅔ cup Mexican Crema
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon Cajunville seasoning or other Cajun seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
Topping
12 ritz crackers, broken up not crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
½ teaspoon hot paprika
½ teaspoon chili lime seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (more, if you like)
⅛ teaspoon Cajunville seasoning or other Cajun seasoning
½ cup grated very sharp cheddar cheese,
¼ cup chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 convection or 350 conventional.
Heat a cast iron skillet, one you can bake in, over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes.
Add olive oil along with squash, cook 5 min. Carefully turning squash once or twice.
Add onion and andouille, cook 10 min, stirring occasionally, until the squash has cooked down and released much of its moisture.
Remove mixture from skillet placing in bowl to cool.
Beat together the egg, crema, butter, sugar, salt, Cajunville seasoning, rosemary, and thyme. Add the cooked squash to the egg mixture and stir until combined. Pour the squash mixture back into the skillet.
Mix the topping ingredients together. You’ll want to crumble the crackers a little, but keep some of the bits intact.
Layer the top of the casserole with topping mixture.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until firm.
Serve warm.
