White Bean and Vegetable Gratin

Whether you consider this a true gratin or not, this dish packs a punch of flavor! I think oven cooking is underrated. When you cook in the oven, you can often just set the temperature, pop in the pan and go about your business as the dish requires very little fussing once it’s cooking. This is definitely one of those meals.

Being a huge vegetable lover, I really don’t mind the washing, peeling and chopping involved in cooking them. However, I know some people find this to be a hassle. If you are one of those people, you should really shop for prepared fresh vegetables. You can buy nearly anything pre-washed and chopped these days. While it is more expensive, you may waste less because you’ll actually use your vegetables instead of throwing them away after they’ve spoiled.

White Bean and Vegetable Gratin

an array of vegetables

garlic, 6 cloves finely minced
red onion, 1 thickly sliced
zucchini, 1 sliced
yellow pepper, 1 sliced
tomato, 1 large, cut into wedges
white beans, 2 cups
fresh thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper
ciabatta bread, torn into pieces

right before going in the oven

Put all the cut up vegetables and beans into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh sprigs of thyme generously. Now toss all of these together. Tear up the ciabatta, or some other equally awesome bread, and toss it with some olive oil before topping the vegetables with it. Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Then uncover for another 20 – 30 minutes, depending on how browned and soft you like your vegetables.

Experiment with the vegetables and different types of beans! Let us know what combinations you like!