Since giving up meat, I have tried many different vegetarian recipes, but this Stewed Vegetable Gratin Recipe still my family’s favorite. This dish is incredibly tasty and satisfying. It gives you beans, veggies, cheese, and bread all in one. Not only that, it is very easy to make. I must say it’s a little time consuming having to cut up all those veggies into small enough pieces to make sure it cooks well, but it’s worth it. I also like to double the recipe and make 2 dishes. I freeze one so I can easily pull it out and pop it in the oven on the nights that I don’t have time to cook.

 

(vegetables while cooking on the stovetop)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves cut crosswise into 1 inch strips

1 19 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 cup plus 2 tbsp grated Parmesan (about 4 oz)

1 baguette, ends trimmed

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies begin to soften, 3-4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and their liquid, ½ cup water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the chard and simmer, stirring, just until wilted, 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the beans and 1 cup of Parmesan. Transfer to an 8×11 baking dish or shallow 2 quart casserole.

Cut the baguette in half crosswise, then lengthwise, into ¼ inch thick slices. Brush one side of each slice with the remaining oil.

Arrange the slices, oiled-side up, over veggies, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with thyme and the remaining Parmesan. Bake until bread is golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

 

Recipe and photo 2 courtesy of myrecipes.com