Hearty Layer Casserole

This is not a recipe to be whipped up last minute. It takes two hours to bake in the oven.  And plan on a little time slicing up fresh veggies. It calls for a 9x13 pan, but I fit it all into an 8x8, which was perfect for the layering, potato on the bottom, then you just build up from there: onion, bell pepper, mushroom, celery, zucchini. A good way to use produce from your garden (or, in this case, a neighbor who coincidentally showed up at my door with veggies from his garden).

The reason this recipe bakes so long is that the veggies are not prepared in any way beforehand. So, after layering raw veggies, pour water in "until you can see it through the vegetables." I did add significantly more cheese, since it only calls for a tiny bit. After the first hour, take the aluminum foil off and let it bake another hour. That's when I liberally sprinkled the top of the casserole with shredded cheese. It just needed more cheese! And salt and pepper. 

This makes for a nice vegetarian dish. The person who submitted it suggested that you can add meat if you wish, but I love the medley of vegetables, and the magic of slicing veggies, adding a little water, and presto, it all comes out perfectly cooked and tasty in two hours!

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