vegetarian comfort foods

Grilled Zucchini Casserole with Mushrooms is an amazing summertime vegetarian comfort food. It’s layered with fresh produce and bursts with smoky, spicy and earthy flavors.

Grilled Zucchini Casserole with Mushrooms

zucchini, (washed and dried)

olive oil

yellow onion, (thinly sliced)

jalapeño pepper, (washed and dried, seeds removed, finely chopped)

garlic, (minced)

chipotles in adobo sauce, (finely chopped)

cumin

(about 10 cups) Button

Mozzarella cheese, (grated, divided)

Pepper Jack cheese, (grated, divided)

salt and black pepper

cilantro leaves, (washed and dried)

about ½ large avocado, (thinly sliced)

jalapeño pepper,

Prepare the zucchini: Slice about ½ inch off the ends off of the zucchini and then slice them thinly, about ¼ inch. The easiest way to do this is to use a mandoline. (If you don’t have one, use a Chef’s knife. First cut a base by slicing off a thin strip form one side. Then with the zucchini sitting steady of this base, cut it into thin slices.)

Grill the zucchini: Preheat a stove-top grill (or outdoor grill). On a baking sheet, generously coat the zucchini slices with olive oil and season them generously with salt and pepper. Once the grill is hot, add the zucchini slices — there should be about an inch between them.  Grill until it&#039;s tender and nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside on a baking sheet to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Prepare the seasonings: In a small bowl, combine the jalapeño, garlic, chipotles in adobo and cumin. Set aside.

Sauté the vegetables: Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and stirring often, cook until soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Add the seasoning mixture, stir, and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat to medium-high, drizzle with a bit more olive oil and add about half of the mushrooms. Stirring often, sauté until they’ve shrunk and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the second half of the mushrooms and continue to sauté until all of the mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Mix in the beans and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s How to Season to Taste.)

Assemble: Add an even layer of the grilled zucchini slices to the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish. Cover this with an even layer of about ⅓ of the mushroom-bean mixture. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the Mozzarella and ¼ cup of the Pepper Jack cheese. Repeat this layering process twice more — however, the top layer of cheese will be ¾ cup of the Mozzarella and ½ cup of the Pepper Jack.

Bake: Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and place in the preheated 375°F oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Garnish: After the 15 minutes of cooling time, garnish with the cilantro, avocado and jalapeño slices.

Serve!

An amazing vegetarian twist on a classic. Packed with hearty and delicious flavors, you won&#x27;t be able to get enough!*You can cook dry beans ahead of time (here&#x27;s how), or use canned, draining them first.*Please note that the majority of the cooking time is inactive.

Vegetarian Cassoulet Recipe

roasted garlic, (roughly chopped)

kale

oil marinated artichoke hearts, (drained, roughly chopped)

fresh oregano, (finely chopped)

thyme

tomatoes, (peeled, chopped)

cream sherry

vegetable stock

Cannellini beans

panko breadcrumbs

Use about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat the bottom of a large (about 3½ quart), heavy-bottomed pot (A Dutch Oven is perfect). Place the pot over medium-high heat and add the onions. Stirring every few minutes or so, cook the onions until they are very tender and are beginning to become brown, about 15 minutes. Add the roasted garlic and stir to blend.

Add the carrots and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Then add the kale and cook until it’s completely wilted, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the artichokes, oregano and thyme, and cook for a couple of minutes, until it’s very aromatic.

Deglaze the pot with the tomatoes, sherry and stock. Use a flat-bottomed wooden spatula to scrape any stuck bits of food from the bottom of the pot, back into the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then uncover the pot, turn the heat to medium and cook to reduce the liquid by about half. This should take about 20 minutes.

Fold in the beans and season generously to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)

Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 x 2½ inch baking dish, or two 9 inch pie dishes.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on top and then drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Bake uncovered in the preheated 300°F oven for 1½ hours. Then cover loosely with foil, and bake for another 30 minutes. (If the top isn&#039;t as golden as you&#039;d like, you can place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds.)

Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Vegetarian Cassoulet Recipe

Top 2 vegetarian comfort foods recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegetarian comfort foods recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Grilled Zucchini Casserole with Mus...

Vegetarian Cassoulet Recipe

The most viewed vegetarian comfort foods recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine