Squash Creole

Fresh squash and tomatoes are paired with Vidalia onion and sweet bell peppers, topped with cheese and buttered breadcrumbs and baked.

Vidalia onions, okra, vine ripe tomatoes and green beans, freshly shucked corn, butter beans, southern peas and sweet bell peppers, yellow crookneck squash, zucchini and garden-fresh cucumbers.

I just love the veggies of summer.

Have you gotten your fill yet?

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Now... to be honest, we southerners don't stop enjoying our hearty casseroles, chicken and dumplings, pot pies, roasts, beans or even soups and gumbo, just because Mother Nature calls up scorching summer heat.

I know. We're a bit crazy like that.

But it's these beautiful summer vegetables at their flavor peak right now that really draw many of us in, and I try to find as many ways to enjoy them as I possibly can before summer is gone.

In fact, it is not at all unusual that we make a complete meal out of nothing but garden vegetables - with a little sweet tea and cornbread on the side, of course.

Since The Cajun doesn't have the same love of vegetables that I do, this is pretty much a main dish meal for me. To be perfectly honest, that works out just fine because with fresh summer squash, sweet Vidalia onions, garden fresh tomatoes and sweet bell pepper, it is right at the top of my favorites.

Here's what you'll need to make my Squash Creole:

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 cup of chopped Vidalia onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
• 2-1/2 pounds of summer squash, sliced or chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
• Cajun seasoning, to taste, optional
• 1 cup of shredded cheese
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
• 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs

Starting with a sauté in the skillet, the dish benefits from a quick bake, and once I turn it out into a casserole dish, I top it with some cheese - usually cheddar but certainly use whatever your favorite cheese happens to be. Sometimes I've used pepper jack, and I love the spicy kick it gives.

I also like to finish with a buttered bread crumb topping, and while plain dry or fresh breadcrumbs are great, panko is also excellent to finish the dish, as are crushed saltines or Ritz crackers.

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Hre's how to make it!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 1-1/2 quart baking dish and set aside. 

Chop or slice the squash.

Peel three nice sized tomatoes. A soft skin peeler (#ad) makes a super easy job of it and no more boiling!

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.

Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the squash and cook until it begins to soften.

Get those tomatoes all chopped up. You can do that right in the bowl with a good pair of kitchen shears (#ad).

Add the tomatoes, sugar, flour, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning to the squash.

Toss to blend.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs 

Distribute cheese and crumbs evenly on top. 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

It's a wonderful side dish, very simple to make, and one that really highlights the overflowing bounty of fresh squash and tomatoes available right now. Frankly, you may want to double it because it only tastes better the next day.

This dish is equally delicious when made with cabbage. You'll need about 5 cups of rough chopped cabbage but let it cook down just a tad bit longer - about 10 minutes - before adding the tomatoes and remaining ingredients.

For more of my favorite squash recipes, check out the collection on my Pinterest page!

Posted by DeepSouthDish.com on July 8, 2026

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