Best Ever Cheesy Squash Burger Bake

Summer brings lots of zucchini and squash to those of us who plant a garden or to those of us who have neighbors who plant a garden. The first few weeks the kids and I search each day, eager to find new ones to pick. After a few weeks, the novelty wears off and the kids are tired of all the ways I try and hide zucchini in everything I make. 

Knowing I had a basket full of squash on the counter and another ten growing in the garden, I decided to get creative. I came up with this recipe that doesn't hide the squash at all. The squash is the main ingredient! My husband and kids sat down to the dinner table quite sure they would want peanut butter sandwiches for a snack real soon since they wouldn't like dinner. They were skeptical to say the least. Little did they know. . . dinner was delicious! They all asked for seconds and emptied the entire 9x13 pan.

Cheesy Squash Burger Bake
4-5 summer squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 lb hamburger, browned
Nacho Cheese Sauce - double recipe
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs

Use zucchini, yellow squash or patty pan. If your squash are larger, slice in half and scoop out the seeds before slicing. You want enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cook sliced squash, onion, and green pepper in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Place in 9x13 pan. Top with browned hamburger. Make a double batch of the nacho cheese sauce recipe and pour over the squash. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes or cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until heated through and squash is tender. Mix bread crumbs with melted butter and spread on top of casserole. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown. Serve and enjoy!

Nachos
5 Tbsp white sauce mix	1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup hot water	1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
⅛ tsp pepper	½ cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tsp dried, minced onion reconstituted
In a saucepan, whisk white sauce mix and water together and cook until smooth. As sauce begins to thicken, add remaining ingredients. Serve over tortilla chips. Top with chili, spiced hamburger, sliced black olives, salsa, etc. You can use pepper jack cheese for a more spicy sauce.

White Sauce Mix
Mix up a large batch—believe me, you'll find a million uses for it. It will become a great time saver.
3 cups non-instant dry milk powder	2 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Mix together and store in an airtight container. Use in any recipe that calls for making a white sauce using milk, butter and flour. It is a completely fat free alternative and tastes great! It will store for up to 5 years on the pantry shelf.