Tomato Vegetable Casserole

My parents were just in town for the weekend and requested that I cook at least one meal for them, since they LOVE my cooking . We had a fun filled weekend planned - from Long Island City to Hoboken, Staten Island Ferry to South Street Seaport. We literally walked everywhere. With that, eating at my place was a bit hard but I planned ahead and had a meal in mind for their first day in town. 

My good friend Hillery and her mom made a heavenly delicious tomato veggie casserole a few weeks back. It smelled soooo good, but unfortunately had real bread crumbs in it so I couldn't partake in the goodness. I knew it'd be easy to make this g-free so that's what I had planned for my family. It was a fan favorite for sure! My parents have been trying to make healthier choices so this was the perfect meal for them. :)

 Recipe:

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 tbsps olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
2 small or 1 large zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
Salt and pepper
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp gluten free Italian-style bread crumbs

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Toss the potatoes, bell pepper, carrots, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 9x13  baking dish to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss until coated. Spread vegetables evenly over the bottom of the pan.

3) Arrange the onion slices evenly over the vegetable mixture. Arrange the zucchini over the onion. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomato slices over the zucchini.

4) Stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the Parmesan bread crumbs over the vegetables in the baking dish. Drizzle with the last tablespoon of olive oil.

5) Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender, and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Be sure to prick the potatoes to ensure they're tender. I had to cook for about 50 minutes to reach desired tenderness.

This meal was a wonderful blend of veggies with a perfect blend of tomatoey-cheesy Italian goodness!

My plated dish. :)