Cream Cheese Basil Summer Squash Recipes

SUMMER SQUASH CHEESY BAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Sauté onions and garlic in two or three tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• 3. Prepare a baking dish (approximately 8x8) with non-stick cooking spray.
• 4. Spread the onions and garlic on the bottom of the baking dish.
• 5. Stack zucchini and yellow squash alternating vegetables. Make rows in the baking dish, standing the vegetables vertically in the pan. Continue until you fill the pan.
• 6. Sprinkle squash with dried basil, salt, and pepper; then drizzle with olive oil.
• 7. Cover pan with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
• 8. Uncover pan. Cover vegetables with Parmesan cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes.
• 9. Then cover vegetables with mozzarella cheese and return to oven for about 5 minutes until cheese gets golden brown.
• 10. You can also place it under the broiler.

SAUTEED SUMMER SQUASH WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Cut the squash in thick slices. Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the squash over high heat so that it is golden brown on both sides, but not overcooked. It should still be slightly crunchy. Remove with a slotted spoon as the pieces are cooked and place them in a serving bowl.
• Add the garlic to skillet, cook until golden. Add with oil left in pan to the squash. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with basil and toss. Serve hot or at room temperature.

PAN-COOKED SUMMER SQUASH WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan, until the zucchini is lightly seared and beginning to soften, three to five minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant -- less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have begun to cook down, about five minutes. Return the zucchini to the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender and translucent and the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce. Stir in the basil, and taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and serve hot, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.