Mom’s Super Simple Tomato and Zucchini Bake is a delicious vegetarian meal to keep on hand for night’s when you’re just too tired to cook. It’s also a great way to use up all of your garden fresh tomatoes and zucchini!
When we were kids, our Mom had an uncanny knack for being able to create “something out of nothing.” No matter what mundane items were kicking around in the kitchen or pantry, she could always turn it into an amazing dish that we all gobbled down.
Our father used to tease her about this, but truth be told, he could do it too. We have many fond memories of Dad just chucking things into a pot and turning it into creative dishes that we liked to call “Dad’s Surprises.”
I think this must have something to do with their joint love of vegetable gardening. For as long as I can remember, our parents always had a garden.
When we were really young, they had an amazing greenhouse off of a beautiful slate patio. It was a very special place for them and we loved being invited in. My brother used to race his Matchbox cars up and down the long raised beds and we would spend hours deadheading and pruning anything our Mom told us to.
One recipe that came out of “something from nothing” is this Super Simple Tomato and Zucchini Bake. One of the things that their gardens always mass produced was endless supplies of zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes. As a kid, I felt like they were everywhere I turned.
Needless to say, if our parents wanted us to eat them all summer long, they had to get creative with ways to prepare them.
I can still remember the first time my Mom served us this dish. I’m not sure if it’s a casserole per say, but it does get heated in the oven and smells amazing the entire time it’s cooking.
I really shouldn’t call this a recipe because in all reality, you just slice, dice and toss stuff into the dish. If you have 2 zucchini – fine. If you have 3 tomatoes – great. If you have a different amount – no problem. It works no matter what the quantities are. You really just need to eyeball it and don’t go overboard with the cheese.
MOM’S TOMATO AND ZUCCHINI BAKE
Ingredients:
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Mozzarella, shredded
- Parmesan, shredded
- Seasonings to taste: Jane’s Crazy Salt, Jane’s Crazy Pepper, anything else you feel like using like onion powder, basil, or oregano
Directions:
Step 1: Heat oven to 350. Wash and slice zucchini and tomatoes into disks, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
Step 2: Arrange a layer of zucchini disks in the casserole dish. Next, add a layer of tomato disks on top. Then, sprinkle with shredded cheese and seasonings. Repeat until all vegetables are used.
Step 3: Place casserole dish into oven and bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot!
Happy cooking,
Daniele
