Easy Succotash with Zucchini and Butternut Squash

Summer zucchini squash and butternut squash combine in a flavorful succotash side dish. This succotash is a perfect summer-to-fall side full of Old Bay flavor and buttery corn cooked in taste-packed bacon fat. It’s also a quick and easy side that makes for a colorful addition to the supper plate.

Have you ever just said to yourself, I need something new? I grew up with the traditional meat, potatoes, and a side, so it has been my standby to ensure there were always three things on the plate. The protein, the starch, and the vitamin-packed side. This is one reason this side dish makes me happy. It’s a vibrant side dish with red and orange peppers and has many vitamins hiding in plain sight.

Traditionally you wouldn’t pair zucchini with butternut squash as they are from two different seasons, and zucchini is softer than butternut squash. However, we are using cubed frozen butternut squash, which has a fair bit of extra moisture compared to its freshly peeled from the garden state. They make a magnificent pair in this powerhouse side dish when cooked together. In fact, this side was so well received that I have been asked to double the recipe next time!

The other aspect you will love about this side dish is that it’s not overly expensive. Frozen squash can often be found on sale, and zucchini is in season, making it extra low-cost to purchase. The corn is canned, so it can be bought and kept in the pantry. The only pricy ingredients are the peppers and spice blend. If you need help finding Old Bay Seasoning in your local grocer, there are alternative recipes online. However, be aware that you will eat something completely different if your ratios are off. Take it from me. I tried it on last year, and it was so heavy on cinnamon that it didn’t come close to being Old Bay Seasoning. Which incidentally can be found on Amazon.

So what makes a succotash a succotash? Corn! The traditional dish was made by the Native Americans, who had a lot of corn in their diets. You must use corn to make a succotash but scour the web you will find all sorts of varieties on this vintage recipe. The other aspect of succotash is to make sure your ingredients are all chopped to a similar size. Small cubes or pieces just slightly larger than a kernel of corn is the accepted standard for a great succotash.

Let’s make some tasty succotash!

The first step we are doing is gathering ingredients. When working alone in the kitchen, it’s imperative to have everything ready or close at hand because timing is so important. This summer-to-fall succotash is forgiving, though, and will likely turn out fine even if you find yourself out of the bacon grease the recipe calls for. You can sub in any oil that is good for frying.

So step one after gathering the ingredients is to cut up the veggies into the same bite-sized pieces. Peel and smash your fresh garlic and set aside from the veggies. You will also have had the butternut squash out dethawing for at least an hour beforehand, so it’s now ready to go.

Grab the Old Bay Seasoning and the garlic, and head over to the stove. Heat your frying pan and add the bacon grease; we use a generous tablespoon. Once the fat has become liquefied, add the smashed peeled garlic and saute for half a minute before adding the corn to the pan. Corn is a funny vegetable because it takes extreme heat to make it blacken, so you don’t have to worry too much about that while cooking this dish.

Add to the pan your thawed butternut squash. It’s going in now to heat it up and cook it entirely. If it is still a tad icy, don’t fret. We will ensure it’s completely thawed and heated through before serving. In fact, after three minutes or so, test to see if that happens. Yeah? Now you can add in the rest of the chopped veggies.

Zucchini and peppers take much less time to soften and get cooked than winter squash. That’s why this recipe only works with frozen butternut. Do not use fresh cubed squash, as it won’t cook properly. If you want to use fresh parboil, the squash cubes before adding to the succotash.

Add in the Old Bay Seasoning one tablespoon to start with. If you find that’s too bland for your palette, add in a bit more. Be careful to not overdo it, as it is rather salty. Also, if while cooking you find the butternut is starting to break down and stick to the pan, add in more bacon grease to keep things unstuck. Be careful to add only a little, though, as you don’t want to make your side dish a grease fest!

Serve this tasty summer-to-fall succotash right away for dinner. Succotash goes excellent with chicken, beef, pork, or lamb, so it is a terrific recipe to have in your repertoire!

Substitutions for the summer to fall succotash.

• If you have access to patty pan summer squash, you can add some or sub in instead of the zucchini.
• Old Bay Seasoning is a distinct blend of spices which can be salty. If you aren’t a fan you can leave it out and add in a half teaspoon of black pepper.
• If you don’t have red and orange peppers don’t panic any sweet pepper for color works. Avoid green peppers though as they can become bitter when cooked.
• If you don’t have reserved bacon grease-start- and instead in the recipe sub in cooking oil or butter. Be careful with butter though as it has a tendency to burn.

Expert Tips:

1. When you cut the vegetables be sure to cut them uniformly. If you don’t they will cook at varying times making some parts of the dish crunchy and some soft.
2. Use a low-medium heat to cook this dish on to prevent burning the peppers and green onion.
3. Use a non-stick pan to make this side dish so that the butternut squash will not stick.