Description
This Tomato Casserole is a savory and comforting dish featuring toasted French bread cubes combined with fresh, juicy tomatoes, garlic, and fragrant basil, all topped with golden parmesan cheese. Baked to perfection, it offers a delicious blend of textures and flavors, making it an ideal side dish or light main course that’s perfect for any season.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Base
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cups diced French bread cubes (about 1/2 of a loaf)
Tomato Mixture
- 10-12 small fresh tomatoes, chopped (about 2 lbs)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Topping
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Prepare Tomato Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, kosher salt, black pepper, granulated sugar, and minced garlic. Stir thoroughly to blend the flavors and set aside.
- Toast Bread Cubes: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced French bread cubes and toss them to coat evenly. Continue stirring frequently and toast the bread cubes for about 5 minutes until they turn golden brown.
- Cook Tomato Mixture: Add the prepared tomato mixture to the toasted bread cubes in the skillet. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the tomatoes become bubbly. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the fresh chopped basil.
- Assemble Casserole: Spray a medium-sized baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the tomato and bread mixture evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the top, then drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly across the casserole.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the parmesan cheese is browned and the tomato mixture is bubbly.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve immediately while hot for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- You can optionally add a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the casserole before baking for an enhanced appearance.
- Roma or Italian Plum tomatoes are ideal for this recipe due to their dense flesh and fewer seeds, but any tomatoes can be used if excess pulp is squeezed out.
- Fresh basil is preferred, but if using dried basil, only add one tablespoon due to its concentrated flavor.
- For added texture, sprinkle a handful of panko bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese on top before baking.
- This casserole can be assembled several hours in advance and baked just before serving to save time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/6th of casserole)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
