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Aside from sauces and salads, tomatoes make an excellent casserole when combined with a few basic ingredients. This ombre tomato gratin has a crust made of bread cubes and is topped with succulent tomatoes in various shades to create a light-to-dark effect. Talk about a show stopper!
For this recipe you’ll need at least 3 colors of tomatoes. To achieve this you’ll need to get some varieties of heirloom tomatoes, in similar sizes if possible, so that the top of the casserole has a uniform appearance.
The bread cube base for this dish is best if you can get each square really crispy in the skillet before you add the wet ingredients. This prevents the bread from getting too soggy in the baking process later on.
Some cream is what makes this a gratin, and it’s mixed with the bread cubes before adding the colorful tomatoes on top.
Just arrange the tomatoes from darkest to lightest on top of the bread and you’ll soon have a visual feast as well as a literal feast. Sprinkle with some cheese and spices and then all that’s left to do is to bake it until the tomatoes have cooked and lost some of their moisture.
For a fresh and hearty take on a casserole this ombre tomato gratin is a show stopper in both the looks and that taste department.
Ombre Tomato Gratin
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 10 slices bread, cut into 1/ 2” cubes (to make 5 cups)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 lbs medium heirloom tomatoes (at least 3 colors), sliced 1/4 inch thick
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add bread and cook for 6-8 minutes or until crisp.
- In large bowl combine cream, 1/4 cup Romano, marjoram, thyme, garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Add bread cubes to greased 9”x13” baking dish. Pour cream mixture over cubes. Toss lightly to coat each piece.
- Top with tomato slices arranged from lightest to darkest. Top with remaining cheese. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and cooked off and tomatoes are lightly browned around the edges.
Recipe adapted from Eating Well.
