From the menu of ... Three Dollar Cafe, 8595 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 770-992-5011
Q. I moved here from New York 34 years ago and had never eaten squash to any extent until I arrived in Georgia. Have never particularly liked it until I tried the squash casserole at Three Dollar Cafe. They fix a great plate of wings, but the casserole is fantastic. Can you please, please get that recipe for me? Thank you. -- Ruthy Horvat, Roswell
A. One secret to Three Dollar Cafe's squash casserole is chicken base, a concentrated paste that you mix with water to make chicken stock. It's usually diluted 1 teaspoon base to 1 cup water. In this recipe, it's used to add chicken flavor to the casserole without adding lots of liquid. It's a nice staple to keep in your refrigerator for those times when you need chicken stock but don't have homemade or packaged available. Since chicken is listed first on the ingredient list, it adds more chicken flavor and less salt than bouillon cubes. Look for it in the soup section of your grocery store.
Three Dollar Cafe Squash Casserole
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8
1 1/2 cups water
4 medium yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon chicken base
White pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups panko or regular seasoned breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
10 slices American cheese
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add squash and zucchini and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
While squash is cooking, in a medium skillet melt butter and sauté onion over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine squash and sautéed onion. Stir in eggs, sugar, salt, chicken base, white pepper, breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese. Mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with American cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned and casserole is bubbling.
Per serving: 425 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 18 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 32 grams fat (19 grams saturated), 141 milligrams cholesterol, 1,146 milligrams sodium.
RELATED
About the Author
