Cheesy Baked Summer Squash

In the summer time, cooking off the shelf includes cooking out of my garden. Summer squash is one of the things I have been able to grow in abundance, so I have to keep coming up with new ideas to prepare it. There are only so many times I can saute my summer squash or serve it raw with Ranch dressing before my family revolts. The other problem is that the plant grows so fast. One day it is just a few inches long, and then a few days later it is a foot long! That is a lot of squash for one family to eat in one sitting!

Cheesy baked garlic bread was my inspiration for this dish. It looks beautiful, and it tastes great. Even Grace, who hates our summer squash, loved this dish. I hope your own "squash haters" can enjoy this dish too. The recipe does not include exact measurements, as this is a recipe that you can easily adapt to any size squash or family size needed.

Cheesy Baked Summer Squash

1 large summer squash or zucchini
Olive Oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
Favorite grated cheese for melting (I used Mexican blend shredded cheese)

Preheat oven to 425-degrees.

Trim the ends of the squash and slice it in half the long way. If your squash is extra thick on one and and thin on the other, you may want to slice through the wide end again, so that all squash is uniform in thickness. Place squash slices on a baking sheet large enough to fit all pieces. Brush olive oil on the tops of the squash slices. Oil the bottom sides if it is a cut side. You do not need to oil the bottom if it is the skin side.

Sprinkle remaining ingredients in the following order:
1. Garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste
2. Parmesan cheese, generous amount
3. Italian seasoning, to taste
4. Grated cheese (e.g. Mexican blend)
5. Parmesan cheese, a small amount

Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending upon thickness of the slices. To test for doneness, insert a fork into the center of a piece of squash. It is done when the fork slides in without any resistance. (The summer squash pictured was slightly thicker than 1" and cooked in about 20 minutes.)