Summer Squash casserole featuring fresh yellow summer squash and zucchini rounds in a a delicious layered casserole full of flavored and crunchy browned panko crumbs.
Add 2 tablespoons butter, onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until onions are soft and browned, about 10-12 minutes.
Stir in garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in wine and cook until evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in olives.
Set mixture aside aside.
Steam Vegetables in Microwave
Add zucchini and squash into a large microwave safe bowl and season with salt and pepper. I added a layer of zucchini and sprinkled with salt and repeated until the bowl was full.
Cover bowl and microwave rounds for 8 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Remove Excess Moisture from Squash and Zucchini
Drain vegetables of extra water in a colander.
Once excess moisture is drained, place a layer of paper towels onto a plate and add squash and zucchini to the top.
Add another layer of paper towel on top and gently press any excess liquid from the squash.
Assemble Casserole in Layers
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon ground pepper and mix well.
Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of bread crumb mixture onto the bottom of the baking pan.
Now melt 4 tablespoons butter and mix with remaining panko mixture.
Arrange half of the zucchini and squash in the baking dish on top of the bread crumbs.
Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup panko & butter mixture and top that layer with onion and olive mixture.
Arrange remaining zucchini and squash on top (as final layer) and cover with foil.
Bake casserole in oven for 10 minutes.
Remove foil and discard.
Sprinkle the top of the dish with remaining bread crumbs and return to oven for 10-15 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown.
Add a bit of fresh basil on top.
Let stand for 15 minutes before serving to prevent it falling apart.
Notes
This recipe is fairly "peppery" and so if you like less spice, cut pepper in half.