I can vividly recall the first time I ever made a summer yellow squash casserole. I was perplexed. Mix up mayonnaise, sour cream, and an egg, add fresh corn and chopped onion, layer between slices of yellow squash, and top with sharp cheddar and buttered Ritz Cracker crumbs. Bake. I mean. Whoa. It just seemed like tooooo muuuuch stuff. But once baked, sure enough, all the ingredients did work and come together, and it hit all the right notes. Rich, savory, creamy, tangy, and a little sweet for balance. The flavor blew my mind, and I started making one with my family every other Sunday that summer so we could eat the leftovers throughout the week. It tastes better the more it sits. And when I would meet people up north who had never had one I would freak out and make them one.
Love the goopy hot mess that it is. I do. With a special occasion brunch in mind, I started thinking it would be interesting to make this classic southern casserole a little more fun, and a touch more refined. Initially, I had been thinking a lot about how to combine all the flavors and somehow make a galette. Maybe aged cheddar and sour cream or crème fraîche in the crust?
Here's what happened. I had some extra yellow squash, goat cheese, aged cheddar, and puff pastry on hand, so I decided to work with that, and these tarts are what I came up with.
They turned out really well! The puff pastry and aged cheddar is the sub for the cheese and buttery Ritz Cracker topping, the herbed goat cheese is a sub for the tanginess of the sour cream / mayonnaise, and the squash, onions, and corn are sauteed first before being baked so the flavors can meld together a bit and get a little sweet.
The leftover tarts stored nicely in the refrigerator. They pack well too. Thinking these would also work great for a road trip or beach outing. Or a bright desk lunch. Better yet, share them with a co worker and eat them outdoors. Instant lunch picnic.
Southern Summer Squash Casserole Puff Pastry
Ingredients:
8 squares of puff pastry
1 large yellow squash
2 ears of corn
4 oz of goat cheese
½ large yellow onion
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
3 tbs butter
Kosher salt to taste
ground pepper to taste
fresh chives for garnish
Directions:
Prep: Thaw out puff pastry the night before in the refrigerator.
Make: Thinly slice squash. Chop onion. Cut corn kernels from corn cob. Saute onion and corn in butter until softened, add squash, and cook until soft. Season with kosher salt and ground pepper. Set aside. Grate cheese. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place puff pastry squares on the lined baking sheets, then place a plate gently on each square and cut around the plate to make circles. Poke holes all over with fork. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, then dot with goat cheese. Layer with squash and onion, sprinkle corn on top. Bake until puffy and crisp. About 10 minutes. Garnish with minced fresh chives.