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Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil. That’s it. (Well and a little olive oil, salt, and maybe balsamic…) Three little ingredients make for one simple salad that’s sum is greater than its parts. It just doesn’t get better than a Caprese salad – the combination of that milky mozzarella with sweet tomatoes and herby basil. It’s so simple. And so amazing.
It’s so amazing that we couldn’t help trying to make a casserole version of it. (You know we love a casserole.) And we’re so glad we tried. This one’s a show stopper.
We relied on those three main Caprese staples – tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil – and added in a little onion and garlic to punch up the flavor. Everything is folded into a creamy egg base before being topped with more cheese and tomato slices before it heads to the oven.
We use two tomatoes here. One is chopped and mixed in with the egg base, while the other is sliced and arranged on top. For the chopped tomato, you want to make sure you remove all of the seeds. If they’re left in they end up making the mixture too watery. And no one wants that to happen.
The end result is a fluffy, light egg bake with all the classic flavors of a Caprese. It makes for a great breakfast casserole or a nice light lunch. Really, it’s just plain delicious any time of day.
Caprese Casserole
Yield(s): Serves 6-8
1 hour
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes, one sliced, one seeds removed and chopped
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Once cool, toss together the onions and garlic with the chopped tomatoes and basil. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and top with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper, and pour over the cheese layer in the baking dish.
- Lay tomato slices gently over the top of the egg mixture. Season with a little additional salt and pepper and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake until set and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let cool on wire rack 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley or additional basil if desired. Enjoy!
Adapted from Fresh April Flours.