This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Meijer. The opinions and text are all mine.
I love this time of year when the produce department is overflowing with late summer vegetables. The tomatoes are ripe, the zucchini and yellow squash are overflowing, and don’t even get me started on the juicy tomatoes and fresh sweet corn.
It’s no secret that I love buying my produce at Meijer! They work with local farmers so that when I’m buying in-season produce, it was most likely grown at a farm right near my house. I can always count on them to have everything I need, regardless of what recipe I’m preparing.
How cool is that?
I find myself eating so many more vegetables this time of year and cutting up several watermelons every week. I’m basically living my best life.
One of my favorite dishes to make is this Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin.
My friend’s mom used to make it every summer, and I would always beg her to make extra. When I got married, she gave me the recipe so that I could start making it for my family.
It’s truly irresistible. All of the vegetables combined with the cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings make you feel like summer is happening in your mouth.
Sometimes I have to remind myself not to eat the ENTIRE dish.
And my whole family loves it, so I usually double the recipe to make sure we all can eat what we want and have enough for leftovers.
I love that I can combine my favorite late-summer vegetables into one dish. And I especially love that it all tastes so magnificent together.
Personally, I like to serve it with fresh sweet corn and sliced watermelon, but you could also serve it as a side with whatever you’re tossing on the grill. It would also be the perfect dish to take to a potluck or grill out (just be sure you serve yourself first because people are going to go NUTS for this!)
My husband prefers his straight out of the oven, but the kids and I have found that we also like it straight out of the fridge the next day.
See how flexible this recipe is?
It’s also super easy to make!
How to Make Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin
The first thing you’ll need to do is gather your ingredients.
You will need:
2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
4 tomatoes
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
one small onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup of breadcrumbs (I used gluten free bread, but you can use the bread of your choice.)
1/3 cup shredded cheese (I used dairy-free mozzarella shreds. You can use regular mozzarella or try parmesan cheese.)
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons thyme
Next, you’ll prepare the vegetables.
Preheat your oven to 375 °.
Cut your zucchini, squash and tomatoes into equally-sized slices. You can use a mandolin to be exact, or you can just eyeball it like I do. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Once you have everything sliced, toss it together in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Mix together.
Doesn’t that look so crisp and delicious?
It really is.
Don’t feel bad if you decide to just serve it as a salad like this. It seriously tastes amazing.
Now it’s time to sauté your onions and garlic.
In a large frying pan (or dutch oven), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in your onions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir occasionally until the onions are tender and turning brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with oil and spread the onions and garlic along the bottom. This will add to the overall flavor of your dish while keeping the zucchini, squash and tomatoes from getting soggy in their own juices.
Next step? Create your vegetable pattern!
Now comes the fun part. Place zucchini, squash and tomatoes on top of the onions, in rows on their sides, alternating as you go.
This is the perfect step for kids to help with. My daughter loved creating the pattern for each row.
Now you’re ready to add your topping.
Mix 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons parsley flakes (or finely chopped fresh parsley) and 2 teaspoons thyme (or finely chopped fresh thyme).
Sprinkle your topping evenly over your dish.
Finally, let’s start cooking!
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake until the veggies are nice and tender, the cheese is melted, and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned (about another 15 minutes or so).
And enjoy!
Like I said earlier, I like to use this as my main course with a side of sweet corn and watermelon, but you can serve it however you like.
Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin Recipe
For those of you that prefer an official recipe card that you can print and share, here you go.
This simple recipes combines fresh zucchini, squash and tomatoes to create a delicious vegetable bake gratin. Topped with breadcrumbs and cheese, it is a super tasty dish that the whole family will love. It’s easily modified to be gluten free, dairy free and/or vegan depending on what breadcrumbs and cheese you use. YUM!
Ingredients
Scale
FOR THE TOPPING
1/4 cup of breadcrumbs (I use gluten free, but you can use the bread of your choice.)
1/3 cup shredded cheese (I used dairy-free mozzarella shreds. You can use regular mozzarella or try parmesan cheese.)
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
FOR THE VEGGIE BAKE
2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
4 tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
one small onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
Instructions
Heat oven to 375°
PREPARE YOUR VEGGIES
Cut your zucchini, squash and tomatoes into equally-sized slices. You can use a mandolin to be exact, or you can just eyeball it like I do. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Once you have everything sliced, toss it together in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Mix together.
SAUTE THE ONIONS AND GARLIC
In a large frying pan (or dutch oven), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in your onions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Stir occasionally until the onions are tender and turning brown.
Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with oil and spread the onions and garlic along the bottom. This will add to the overall flavor of your dish while keeping the zucchini, squash and tomatoes from getting soggy in their own juices.
CREATE YOUR VEGGIE PATTERN
Now comes the fun part. Place the zucchini, squash and tomatoes on top of the onions. Place them in rows on their sides, alternating as you go until the dish is full.
PREPARE THE TOPPING
Mix 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons parsley flakes (or finely chopped fresh parsley) and 2 teaspoons thyme (or finely chopped fresh thyme).
Sprinkle your topping evenly over your dish.
BAKE
Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Then uncover and bake until the veggies are nice and tender, the cheese is melted, and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned (about another 15 minutes or so).
ENJOY!
Notes
This recipe can easily be modified based on the breadcrumbs and cheese you use to be gluten free, dairy free and/or vegan.
It can be served warm or cold.
Store, covered in the fridge and eat within one week.
[email protected] Hi, my name is Anna, and I'm here to share my stories, make you laugh and help you feel better about your crazy, messy, fabulous life. Learn more here.
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