This creamy gray squash au gratin side dish is flavorful, cheesy, and naturally gluten-free because it uses Chex Rice cereal as a topping. Feel free to substitute other squash for the gray and breadcrumbs for the Chex cereal without altering the taste.
Squash for Gray Squash Au Gratin
This squash au gratin dish is easy to make and is pre-cooked in a skillet and then baked at a high temperature for less than 20 minutes. The recipe calls for gray squash but you can substitute zucchini and still have the pretty green color that makes this dish appealing, or use yellow squash if that is what you have available.
Gray Squash vs Zucchini
If you aren’t familiar with gray squash, it looks similar to zucchini (also called courgette) but is lighter green. Whereas zucchini has dark green skin and a slender shape (as shown below), gray squash is stocky with a rounded blossom end and mottled light green skin.
Gray squash is known by other names such as Mexican gray squash, calabacitas, Lebanese squash, grey squash, or Middle Eastern squash.
Difference Between Gray Squash and Zucchini
Gray squash has a mild, slightly nutty, sweet flavor with crisp flesh. Zucchini has a mild taste that can be somewhat sweet or mildly bitter depending on age and size and has a dense, spongy texture. When using either squash in this recipe, choose younger, smaller squash.
Gluten-Free Squash Au Gratin Dish
This au gratin recipe takes only 10 minutes to bake because you stir-fry the squash before baking. This recipe calls for crushed Chex Rice Cereal instead of regular bread crumbs so it is a gluten-free dish. Because the crushed rice cereal stays crunchy longer, I prefer using it over regular bread crumbs. However, feel free to use regular breadcrumbs or crunchy panko crumbs.
Garlic in Gray Squash Au Gratin
There is a bit of garlic in this dish. If you aren’t a garlic fan, reduce the amount or leave it out altogether. But if you like garlic, this dish doesn’t disappoint! Enjoy!
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Gray Squash Au Gratin
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2-3 large gray squash (about 4 cups sliced) (may substitute zucchini or yellow squash)
- ⅓ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (use 1 clove for milder garlic taste)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Rice Chex Cereal, crushed & divided (may substitute bread crumbs)
- ½ cup cheddar jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter and then add squash, onions, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook on medium for 1 minute and then cover and cook 2-3 minutes more until the squash is softened but still crisp. During the last minute, add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Add the cream and stir, cooking until thickened a little, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheese and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and stir to mix. Pour into a 9 x 9-inch (or equivalent size) greased casserole dish. Top with the remaining bread crumbs and melt the last tablespoon of butter and drizzle over the top of casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until golden brown.