For those of you who are tired of green beans with almonds for holiday dining, this rainbow colored zucchini casserole (adapted from a Food & Wine magazine recipe) is a delicious alternative. It's also a great dish for potluck dinners, as it can be made ahead and served at room temperature or browned under the broiler at the last minute.
Try using a mix of colorful sweet peppers (the ideal option is a package of orange, red & yellow mini-peppers which are found in some produce sections).
All the vegetables should be a uniform thickness -- I like 1/8" slices, but you can go up to 1/4" if preferred.
Give this dish a try at your New Year's celebrations and expect to receive compliments!
~ Lynn Craig
Zesty Zucchini & Sweet Pepper Casserole
Serves 6-8 as side dish
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
2 cups of thinly sliced sweet peppers - mix of yellow, red and/or orange
1 small onion (approx. 2 cups), thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 lb plum tomatoes, with seeds and pith removed, thinly sliced
5 medium zucchini (1-1/4 lb), thinly sliced on the diagonal
6 Tbsp freshly shredded Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or a mixture)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch oval or rectangular baking dish with olive oil.
In a bowl, combine the sweet peppers, onion, garlic and thyme, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the mixture with 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Spread one-half of the zucchini slices in the dish in a layer, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Spread one-half of the sweet pepper mixture over the zucchini layer. Top with the tomatoes.
Then cover with the remaining zucchini slices, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Top with the remaining sweet pepper mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.
Cover casserole with lid or foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (or until just crisp-tender). Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees, uncover the casserole and bake for about 5-15 minutes longer until tender (do not overcook). Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.
NOTE: To make ahead, the casserole can be baked for 40 minutes, then removed and brought to room temperature or refrigerated until ready to serve. To reheat, uncover the cassole and put under a medium broiler or in a 425 degree oven for 5-15 minutes until tender. Let stand for 10 minutes and enjoy!
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