Recipe of the Week: Cheesy TomatoCasserole
Wednesday, June 6, 2012 by domesticateddilettante
Somehow I missed posting a recipe last Wednesday. Mea culpa – I was playing catch-up from our Memorial Day weekend trip. (I can only use that excuse for so long, but I’m gong to milk it for all its worth!)
And this week’s recipe is not my own, but it’s a pass-along that I’ve tweaked to suit our tastes. I got it from a 2006 Southern Living article – and they got it from Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House, a fixed-price, fixed-menu, family-style eatery in nearby Lynchburg (not as famous as the distillery but it is a local legend and must-try spot if you’re in the ‘hood. Our church’s “Silver Streaks” make a pilgrimage down there every now and again. They *say* they’re only going to Miss Mary’s but they might be doing the JD tour, too. As long as they aren’t driving the bus home, what happens in Lynchburg can stay among friends. Grin.)
courtesy photo.net
This recipe is a great way to use up any remaining jars of last season’s canned tomatoes, if you are trying to clear them out to make way for this summer’s crop. Or commercially canned ‘maters work great too. It is a quick and easy, comfort-food side dish that goes especially well with pork. In fact, I think for a a year or two, I made this casserole every time I roasted a loin.
Ingredients
32 to 35 ounces canned tomatoes, drained (and chopped if they’re not already diced)
15 Ritz or other buttery crackers, crushed (you can crush a few extra for a topping)
1/2 cup (or more) shredded sharp cheddar (I use an extra sharp for the flavor)
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 egg, well-beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 (or more) teaspoon paprika
coarse pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease or butter a small (8-inch square or pie plate) glass casserole dish. While tomatoes are draining, saute onion in butter until soft and translucent; set aside. Mix all ingredients together; sprinkle with additional cracker crumbs and/or cheese if desired (I do.) Bake for 25 minutes or until top is bubbly. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note: For smaller families, you can cut the recipe in half, still using a whole egg. Just place it in a smaller dish – a small, shallow gratin dish works great.
Happy eating!
Terry
Posted in Cooking | Tagged casseroles, cooking, Lynchburg, recipes, side dishes, tomatoes | 5 Comments
5 Responses
on Friday, June 8, 2012 at 12:12 pm | Reply
gardengirl204This reminds me of a favorite summer recipe of mine – Tomato Pie! Must find it before the tomatoes start ripening!
on Friday, June 8, 2012 at 7:46 pm | Reply
domesticateddilettanteWe tried tomato pie last year, and it kind of fell flat with us. But I’m sure we’ll mount up and try again this year once the tomatoes start coming in!
on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 10:31 am | Reply
Linda BAnother good sounding treat. The green peas in your Bacon-Tomato Pasta salad was a nice addition.
on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 9:44 am | Reply
Dee Nash (@reddirtramblin)I bet it’s delicious. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m luck I don’t live where the wind is quite so voracious. I don’t think I could live in the western part of Oklahoma where it is so very windy. More like Tulsa, I’m surrounded by hills and dales and lots of trees. As for Lake Eufala, it was red because they’ve had so much rain. It clears up to a nice, muddy green (LOL) after the rains stop. Hope you had fun in my Sooner State.~~Dee
on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 9:57 am | Reply
domesticateddilettanteWe had a truly wonderful weekend. I got to pick out some new (old) Fiestaware pieces at a local antique store, pick beans with our host (since my own aren’t ready yet), help my hostess put in a new bubbler fountain we snagged at a fabulous pond store in Shawnee. And snap a lot of pics of a cute-as-a-button grandson of said host and hostess. And caught up on our lives with their daughter and son-in-law, and visit with my parents. In short, a terrific time. It flew by, as time with good friends and family usually does. Green lake water, huh? Well, we don’t have pristine sparkling clear lakes around here either. But regardless of their color they sure do feel good on a hot summer day!
Linda B
Comments RSS
