Calabacitos

Calabacitos, translated means "tender little squash", or you can call it Summer Squash casserole or hot dish. This is a wonderful side dish to almost anything. You can cut the recipe in 1/2, or double, triple as needed without changing the integrity of the recipe. This is also a very easy dish to cook inside or outside in dutch ovens. If you are camping, you can do the prep work at home then throw it together in the dutch oven and bake in the camp fire.

You can adjust the ingredients as you like. More zucchini, less yellow squash or vise versa. You can use any kind of cheese or a mixture of cheeses. You can use any kind of peppers you like or mix and match. I have added tomatoes, topped with scallions. So in other words, you can follow the recipe or adjust to your liking.

3 Lbs yellow squash (summer crookneck) cut into thin rounds
1-1/2 Lbs zucchini squash, cut into thin rounds
1 large diced yellow onion
1 large red bell pepper, seeded, large diced
5 ears of corn kernels, or the equivalent
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced, substitute any peppers you like
2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350*

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook;
squash, onions, bell pepper with 1/2 cup water or add more if needed until tender

Drain liquid completely, the dryer your mixture the better. Mash with potato masher

Add, cheese, corn, peppers, sour cream and salt. Mix well

Pour into a 9x13 buttered baking dish, or dutch oven liner. Sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake until bubbling and slightly brown on top. Serve hot.

You can top with diced green onions. You can add green chili's. This is a good one to experiment with. This is a great pot luck dish. If you have left overs, you can add chicken to mix it up. Enjoy.