Tomato and Zucchini Casserole

[Gonna Smoke]

There's a local guy who puts together vegetable boxes with whatever he has available and sells them for whatever people offer. About once a week, a family member will go and buy a couple to give away to friends and family and this past week our daughter got one. It was loaded with beets, leeks, fennel, roma tomatoes, and zucchini, and I do mean loaded. She gave me some of the tomatoes, zucchini, and beets. Not sure what to do and I was looking for something different, I hit the interweb for ideas and this casserole from another website caught my eye.

So here we go...
Here's some of the attendees for this occasion...

Not pictured...

• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• ½ t dried oregano, heaping
• ½ t dried dried basil, heaping
• 1 heaping cup of breadcrumbs
• Course salt and pepper to taste

I thinly sliced the zucchini and tomatoes, chopped one half of the onion and 3 cloves of garlic. In a bowl, I mixed all of the cheese, garlic, and the dry seasonings.

Next, I sprayed a 9x13 baking dish with canola oil and layered half the zucchini in the bottom. Then sprinkle on about ¼ of the cheese mixture. Then a layer of about ½ of the tomatoes and another ¼ of the cheese mixture. Repeat this again using up all the zucchini and tomatoes, 2 layers of each...

Next, I sautéed the onion in ¾ stick of butter until soft. Added in the breadcrumbs and stirred to combine...

Once everything was incorporated, I spread this mixture evenly over the top...

Covered with aluminum foil and baked in a 375℉ oven for an hour. Removed the foil and baked until golden brown, about another 30 minutes...

This was a side to a smoked ½ pork loin, which I had going at the same time, along with roasted beets and sautéed beet tops...

I was worried that this casserole would be watery, but it was not at all. Everyone loved this and said I needed to make it again. With the addition of Italian or some other kind of sausage, this would be an excellent main dish...maybe next time...

 

[gmc2003]

Looks good Charles.

Point for sure
Chris

 

[Steve H]

Interesting casserole. Looks good!

 

[JLeonard]

Not so sure on the beets (never could develop a taste for them). But, the rest of that plate would be gone!
Looks mighty good.

Jim

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Looks good Charles.

Point for sure
Chris

Thank you, Chris!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Interesting casserole. Looks good!

It's definitely something different, but that's what I was looking for. The reviews that I read for it all were good, but one said it tasted like pizza. I didn't get that with this...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Not so sure on the beets (never could develop a taste for them). But, the rest of that plate would be gone!
Looks mighty good.

Jim

Thanks Jim! Beets are one of those things... Our daughter doesn't really care for them, but she tried them this time and said that they actually weren't bad...

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

That does look good. I'm bookmarking this one.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Awesome we do the same thing in a fry pan and no bread crumps.

Warren

 

[Winterrider]

Interesting, looks darn good!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

That does look good. I'm bookmarking this one.

I appreciate that, Dave!!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Awesome we do the same thing in a fry pan and no bread crumps.

Warren

I like that idea, Warren...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Interesting, looks darn good!

It really surprised me and I can only imagine how much better it could be with home grown tomatoes, but hopefully soon...

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

That looks so good Charles and just love those beets! Jeff, jcam222 has a zucchini boat recipe that is worth trying with the big zucchini's.

 

[xray]

That casserole looks delicious Charles!, and something that takes me back down memory lane. My grandparents would make a zucchini stew in the summertime that was basically canned stewed tomatoes, zucchini with some onion, garlic and olive oil. All stuff from the garden.

I’m going to have to remember this casserole for a nice warm day, hopefully soon.