Crunchy Baked Tomato Onion Gratin Recipes

CRUNCHY BAKED TOMATO & ONION GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat half the oil in a pan and gently soften the onions and garlic for 15-20 mins until really soft and sticky but not browned. Put the onions, tomatoes (halve the large ones), herbs, sugar and breadcrumbs in a baking dish, season well and toss together.
• Drizzle with the remaining oil, scatter with a few more herb sprigs and bake for 1 hr until going golden on top and the tomatoes are juicy.

GREEN TOMATO AND VIDALIA ONION GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Render bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add the bread crumbs to a small bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet and stir into the bread crumbs. Add the onion rounds to the skillet in batches and cook, without breaking the round slices apart, until there is some golden color, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
• To assemble the gratin, overlap the green tomato slices in 1 row in a large baking dish, about 9 by 11 inches. Next, make a row slightly overlapping of the partially cooked onion rounds, being careful to keep the slices intact. Repeat steps until all tomatoes and onions are used. Season tomatoes and onions lightly with salt and heavily with pepper. Crumble the bacon over the vegetables; sprinkle the grated Cheddar over the top followed by the bread crumbs. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 30 to 45 minutes. If the top is getting too brown, loosely cover with foil.

BAKED TOMATOES OREGANO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place tomato slices close together in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is lightly toasted.

BAKED COURGETTE & TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Sprinkle the courgettes with a pinch of sea salt flakes and lay them on a plate with another plate on top. Put a weight or tin on top to help push out the liquid.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, for 5 mins until thickened. Tear in the basil, if using, and season.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and oil a roasting dish. Combine the flours in a bowl. Pour away the water from the courgette. Dip the courgette slices into the egg, then into the flour, and arrange in a layer over the bottom of the dish. Top with a few slices of mozzarella, followed by a layer of the tomato sauce, and repeat with another layer of courgette, mozzarella and sauce. Toss the cheese and breadcrumbs together, then scatter over the top.
• Drizzle with a little more olive oil, and bake for 40-45 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve with a herby red onion salad and some bread to mop it up, if you like. Can be frozen for up to two months.

JULIA CHILD'S PROVENçAL POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and place a rack at the middle level. In a large saucepan, combine onions and 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir to coat over low heat. Sprinkle lightly with salt. At a gentle simmer, cook uncovered until onions are softened and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown; lower the heat if necessary. When done, fold in tomatoes just until heated through. Set aside.
• In a small food processor or a mortar, add the anchovies - anywhere from 6 to 12 fillets, depending on their size and your taste. Add garlic, herbs and a dozen grinds of pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil (or use the oil from the anchovy can, if you like). Crush or pulse together into a chunky paste, thinning with oil as needed to make a loose, fluid mixture.
• In a medium-size baking dish, spread a quarter of the onion-tomato mixture. On top, arrange half the potato slices, then half the anchovy mixture. Add half the remaining onion-tomato mixture. Build one more layer with remaining potato slices, anchovy mixture and onion-tomato mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and drizzle with olive oil.
• If the dish is very full, place on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and have absorbed all of the juices in the bottom of the dish, 40 to 50 minutes. Test by tasting a bit of potato; it should be soft all the way through, with no raw taste. If the top is browning too fast, cover very loosely with a sheet of foil. If the top is not brown enough when the potatoes are cooked, broil briefly until deliciously glazed.
• Serve gratin hot or warm. Can be cooled and reheated later the same day, but do not refrigerate.