Tomato Zucchini Casserole

Tomato Zucchini Casserole (from AllRecipes, Servings: 4, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 ½ cups grated Cheddar cheese

·         1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         ½ tsp. dried oregano

·         ½ tsp. dried basil

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced

·         5 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

·         ¼ cup margarine

·         2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

·         ¾ cup fine bread crumbs

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x9-inch pan.

2.      In a large bowl, combine Cheddar, Parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3.      Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the pan. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese and herb mixture on top. Arrange half of the tomatoes, and top with another ¼ of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

4.      Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until they have absorbed the butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

5.      Cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

This is not something that I would normally make because of the amount of cheese in it; however, I am glad that I tried it.  I made it for Easter lunch at my mother’s – I chose it because my stepfather is picky about the vegetables that he will eat.  Tomato and zucchini are both on the list.  Although it is not healthy, I made it according to the directions (for the most part, I did use margarine instead of butter) instead of trying to “health” it up.  I found that I needed 6-7 plum tomatoes, but I was using medium-sized ones.  If I was making it for myself, I would probably add another layer of veggies to the dish.   I also used triple cheddar instead of regular cheddar cheese.

Health aside, this dish was mmm-mmm, good.  It was very cheesy in the middle and the top had a nice crunchy, breading texture.  It was a tad runny because of the water from the tomatoes, so I recommend drying them or sprinkling with a little garlic salt before layering in the casserole.  My family loved it and wanted the recipe – they ate almost the whole dish, which has never happened before!  The zucchini also stayed a little crispy, which was a nice component with the tomatoes.  A winner in the taste department!  Just watch the portion control…