Ursula's Cooking School
Respectfully submitted by Janie Holbrook

Ursula Knaeusel

As I share this recipe, right up front, I want to thank Ursula Knaeusel for giving me permission to use it. It is delicious; my family insists on this dish at our Thanksgiving gathering each year. Sometimes I even make it as a main dish. It is as rich and flavorful are we are rich in blessings if we just stop to count them all.

I began going to Ursula's Cooking School in 1984 and have continued attending classes (off and on) through 2006. My friends joke that I am a very slow learner! Seriously, Ursula's classes are not just about recipes - it is an opportunity to make new friends, share a love of cooking (and eating), learn about new products and methods of food preparation. With my thanks to Ursula, here it is:
Ursula's Yellow Squash
Casserole
2 oz. butter
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 lb. yellow "summer" squashchopped
in small to medium
pieces
1 cup stuffing mix ( or day-old
cornbread)
2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon
dried basil
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. grated sharp Cheddar
cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
3 eggs (if baking like a casserole)

--------------------------------
2 oz. butter for topping
1/2 cup parmesan cheese for
topping
1 cup stuffing mix for topping

Spray pot with cooking spray, add 2 oz. butter, and sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper while chopping squash. Add squash and sauté all until it is half done. Add 1 cup stuffing mix. (If you are making this part the day before, DO NOT add stuffing mix until you are ready to continue with the recipe.) Turn fire off (remove from heat) and add basil, lemon pepper, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, mix cheeses and mayonnaise. (You can actually serve this now, unbaked, with cheese mixture, sautéed vegetables, and stuffing. It is good this way!) But to continue to prepare like a casserole, add 3 beaten eggs to the cheese mixture BEFORE adding it to the vegetables. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish and pour mixture in.

For the topping, sauté last 3 ingredients for about 3 minutes then cover the top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

To make this a main dish, add 2 cups of chopped cooked meat like chicken, turkey, or ham.

Ursula's Cooking School, Inc.© Atlanta, Ga.

About Squash

Part of the gourd family, the terms "summer" and "winter" for squash are only based on current usage, not on actuality. "Summer" types are on the market year round; and "winter" types are on the markets in the late summer and fall, as well as winter. Thus, the terms "summer" and "winter" are deceptive and confusing. This terminology was never meant to confuse- it just dates back to a time when the seasons were more crucial to man's survival than they are now. "Good keepers" became known as winter vegetables if they would "keep" until December.