Vegetable Casserole
Casseroles can often be seen as something you just throw together—which is part of the reason we love them! Being able to dump a few ingredients into a baking dish is one of our favorite ways to “cook” on weeknights.
For this recipe, we wanted to gussy up the idea of a casserole by combining two French dishes: ratatouille and potatoes au gratin. This combination makes for a luxurious and delicious way to get your daily dose of veggies.
Even though we love the stewy eggplant and squash interior, our favorite part might just be the layered potatoes with melty cheese. We used Gruyère, as it's the melty cheese of choice in many French dishes, but feel free to use your favorite cheese to add to this bubbly baked dish.
Tried this recipe? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!
chopped eggplant (from about 1 large eggplant)
Kosher salt
zucchini and/or yellow summer squash (from about 2 medium squashes)
extra-virgin olive oil
cloves garlic, minced
chopped fresh rosemary
chopped fresh thyme, plus more for serving
(14-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
grated Gruyère, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
heavy cream
medium Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt, then arrange on one of the prepared sheets. Wipe out bowl and repeat with squash and 2 teaspoons salt. Let eggplant and squash sit until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering. Cook garlic, rosemary, and thyme, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are reduced and slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Transfer eggplant and squash to skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Gruyère and stir until melted; season with salt and pepper. Pour tomato mixture into a medium baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, season cream with a hefty pinch of salt and a few good cracks of pepper. Layer potatoes over tomato mixture. Pour cream over potatoes.
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, top casserole with remaining 3/4 cup Gruyère, and continue to bake until top is browned and potatoes are tender, 30 to 40 minutes more.
- Top with thyme and serve.
