Anyone who’s ever had ratatouille can attest to how fresh and wholesome vegetables are in a casserole. Another incredible French dish that’s along the same lines is tian, named for the type of dish it’s often made in. These home cooking recipes are some of the best of French cuisine in my opinion. This dish in particular is so incredibly comforting and it’s a breaze to make!

For our purposes we’re using a cast iron skillet to get the first layer all crispy and delicious. Thin slices of veggies and potatoes line the skillet and are layered with spices, garlic, and a final topping that completes this dish. Unlike ratatouille there’s no tomato sauce in this recipe and the veggies don’t get soggy at all.

The first layer is potatoes and we cook them on the stovetop first to get that browned bottom but to also ensure that they aren’t raw after their time in the oven. If you’ve ever made potatoes au gratin from scratch then you’ll know how they can still be a bit too firm unless they are properly cooked.

The next layer is onion and if you don’t love onion I’d go light on this part. After that is some zucchini and then come the tomatoes. We’re putting these on top so that they can lose some of their moisture.

On top of the tomatoes is a layer of parmesan cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs. These get all brown and crisp in the oven and bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.

I love that this recipe is versatile and you can swap out the listed veggies for whatever you have on hand. Different types of potatoes, squash, and tomatoes all work well here. And the cheese is one you can switch as well.

As if this dish wasn’t already so easy to customize you can switch up the starch you serve this with. I like it with bread, but you can also serve this over rice or noodles. Perhaps this is why it’s a beloved dish in French cuisine – you can make it so many different ways and it always comes out delicious and satisfying.