Parmesan Baked Yellow Squash Recipe (2 Ingredients)
This Parmesan Baked Yellow Squash recipe is amazingly delicious and ridiculously easy, requiring just two ingredients: sliced yellow squash and freshly grated Parmesan!
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If you enjoy fresh summer produce and yellow squash recipes like this one, you'll also love Baked Parmesan Summer Veggies, Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes, and Summer Pasta Salad!
Since the earliest days of the blog, one of my most popular recipes every summer is my Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds. On one hand, it makes me laugh, because that recipe is SO easy (only 2 ingredients!) that it almost doesn't qualify as a recipe and I almost never posted it. On the other hand, I completely understand how that recipe goes crazy every summer, because not only is it super simple to make, but it's also completely addictive. It's seriously my favorite way to eat zucchini. In fact, I can polish off whole pan of those babies in no time flat! But unfortunately, my family loves 'em, too, so I'm typically forced to share... 😉
Well, that recipe hadn't been around long before I started receiving comments asking if it could be converted into a yellow squash recipe -- AKA, summer squash. And the truth was, I'd never tried Parmesan Baked Yellow Squash before, because (1.) it was hard for me to believe that the zucchini version of this recipe could be improved upon, and (2.) I typically only cared for yellow squash recipes when cooked in very specific ways (think cheesy, cracker-topped, baked Southern Squash Casserole).
But the question intrigued me, and so I decided to give this Parmesan Baked Yellow Squash recipe a go. And Y'ALL...not only was this recipe for yellow squash every bit as tasty as its zucchini cousin, but it was equally addictive, too!
As soon as I finished taking the original photos for this post, my then-7-year-old, my husband, and I stood around the plate and polished off every last one of these suckers (we grabbed them with our fingers and I'm not even sorry). This Baked Yellow Squash recipe was like the best kind of appetizer, and I admit to feeling just a tad smug that the three of us had downed two whole, nutritious yellow squashes in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients
Parmesan Baked Yellow Squash turns soft and tender in the oven with a chewy, flavorful topping of cheese. And I suppose I've already let the cat out of the bag as to the fact that this yellow squash recipe only requires TWO main ingredients!
- Yellow squash. If I have a choice of sizes, I prefer using more petite yellow squashes as compared to jumbo yellow squashes. A bigger yellow squash comes with larger, more plentiful seeds, and I think this yellow squash recipe turns out better with less emphasis on the seeds.
- Grated Parmesan. Freshly grated Parm is highly recommended as it's going to give you the smoothest melt...more on that below.
I also like to season my yellow squash slices before adding the Parmesan. Salt and pepper work just fine, but I typically use garlic salt for extra flavor. Some people prefer to omit the salt/garlic salt because they find the Parmesan salty enough. And others have mentioned sprinkling their squash slices with other seasonings or even dried herbs.
So feel free to experiment and figure out your own preferences!
How to Make Baked Yellow Squash
It's hard to believe that a yellow squash recipe requiring just two simple ingredients could be so yummy. But it is...and it's super easy to make, too!
- Simply cut your yellow squash into slices that are no more than ¼-inch thick (remembering that they'll shrink in diameter and thickness as they bake). Arrange them on a baking sheet and season to your liking.
- Then use a small spoon to top each piece of squash with a mound of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the yellow squash is soft and the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can even broil them for a minute or two at the end to get that cheese nice and golden brown, which is what I like to do (just watch them carefully so they don't burn!).
The Best Parmesan for Baked Yellow Squash
I'm inevitably get questions about the Parmesan cheese that can be used for this yellow squash recipe.
And my recommendation is to use freshly-grated Parmesan! You can either grate it yourself or buy it already-grated from the cheese counter area of your grocery store (you want to avoid pre-grated Parm that has anti-caking agents added). I just feel like real grated Parmesan is going to melt more smoothly and result in the best flavor and texture.
That being said, if you want to try using real shredded Parmesan on your Baked Yellow Squash, just be prepared for melting and browning that may look slightly different than what you see in these pics.
And if you decide to use the contents of that ubiquitous green shaker can...well, don't hold me responsible if it doesn't melt at all. 😉
So who's ready to love yellow squash more than you've ever loved it before?
(Or at least like it in the event that you hated it before...) 😉
This Parmesan Baked Yellow Squash recipe is one of my all-time favorite summer sides!
You've never seen your family scarf down a veggie so fast... 🙂
More Summer Side Dishes
- Marinated Tomatoes
- Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad
- Tomato, Cucumber, & Poppy Seed Salad
- Simple German Potato Salad
Parmesan Baked Yellow Squash Recipe (2 Ingredients)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized yellow squash
- Garlic salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the center position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (OR foil lightly misted with nonstick cooking spray).
- Wash and dry the yellow squash, and then cut each one into ¼-inch thick slices. Arrange the squash rounds on the prepared pan, with little to no space between them. Lightly sprinkle the squash with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper. Use a small spoon to spread a thin layer of Parmesan cheese on each slice of squash.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the Parmesan melts and turns a light golden brown. (Watch these closely the first time you make them and pull them out of the oven early if the Parmesan is golden before 15 minutes. Alternatively, you may broil them for a minute or two at the end of the cooking time to speed up the browning.) Serve immediately.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- This yellow squash recipe does not get crispy or crunchy. The squash gets soft and tender and the melted Parm turns almost chewy. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture. This recipe is not amenable to being made ahead of time.
- You may season this yellow squash recipe to your liking before mounding on the grated Parmesan. I like to use garlic salt and pepper for extra flavor, but regular salt and pepper will work just fine. Some people have commented that they find Parmesan salty enough and prefer to omit the sprinkle of salt altogether. Others have used alternate seasonings or even dried herbs. This baked yellow squash is customizable to your preferences!
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is going to melt the smoothest. Freshly shredded Parmesan will work as well but may not melt as smoothly. Parmesan with anti-caking agents added (such as from a can) may turn lumpy when melted or may not melt at all.
Nutrition
I am excited to try this as we have an abundance of squash growing from our garden. Have you heard anyone pickling squash? I am so desperate for these squash not to go bad. Soon I will be giving them to neighbors. But they all prefer our tomatoes and will actually come knocking on our door for tomatoes. Not squash people I think. Please let me know if you hear of a yummy squash pickling recipe. Text me! Adrienne
Hi Adrienne! How lucky you are to have so much fresh squash! I'm sorry that I can't help you out with a pickling recipe, but maybe you could give a copy of this recipe along with your squash delivery to your tomato-loving neighbors and they'll be converted to enjoying squash as well? 😉
Anyone tried not sprinkling any salt to
C if the Parmesan will be enough salt because I did both and they were extremely
Salty
Hi Carol! You can absolutely omit the salt if you find the Parmesan to be salty enough. 🙂
Not quite what I was hoping - I had visions of them being slightly crisp or chewy but they were pretty soggy. I'd also recommend using garlic powder or maybe some chopped fresh garlic instead. Garlic salt + parm made for some super salty squash. Will definitely try this again as I'm always looking for quick ways to enjoy yellow squash.
Easy to make, and very tasty!
We loved this and made it a sheet pan effort with asparagus, too. We cut the squash and laid it on wire racks and then sprinkled on the garlic salt. Let it sit to draw some moisture out. Most delish!
Wonder how these would work in an air fryer?
Hi Terri! That's a great question and I'm sorry I can't answer it, but I've never tried making these in the air fryer. Please let us know how they turn out if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
Made It and tasty but it is a warm dish and I was kind of expecting a crisp.
No, these do not get crispy, as explained in the post. 🙂 The cheesy top turns chewy and the squash underside turns soft and tender.
We made these tonight for dinner and they were OH SO GOOD!! We didn’t change a thing…used granulated garlic and salt instead of garlic salt. Let the broiler do its thing after 15 min of cooking at 425. Thank you!
Would garlic powder be ok to use if you don’t have garlic salt?
Sure! You can sprinkle the squash rounds with a little salt in addition to the garlic powder, or you can leave off the salt if you think the Parmesan is salty enough. 🙂
I tried this recipe by sautéing the squash and it was amazing! Thanks for the idea!
This didn’t work for us but it gets 5 stars for being exactly as advertised. Next time we would top Parmesan crisps with squash disks seasoned with black pepper and red pepper powder. There’s enough saltiness in the cheese. Broil those to heat through the squash while leaving it firm. That would take care of our problem with very soft squash.