Skillet tomato casserole

I know it may be hard to believe, but I’ve been having a hard time keeping up with all of the tomatoes this summer. Sadly, a couple of them have had to go straight to compost. My friend (and CSA buddy) Claire shared this recipe with me as a good way to use a bunch of tomatoes.

The recipe turned out to be a bit dangerous for me…after I had taken the skillet out of the oven, I had a blonde moment and accidentally grabbed the handle of the pan. #Ouchie. Dinner with a side of first-degree burns. After that I kind of lost my appetite and decided to drink the pain away instead. Now that my hand is recovered, I have been taking the leftovers for lunch this week and have made peace with this dish. As Claire told me, it’s not the recipe’s fault that I burned myself! 

Mise en place

I was worried that the bread would get too soggy when it was reheated in the microwave. It did get soggy, but not annoyingly so. I also discovered the addition of the shredded mozzarella cheese with my lunch today – because how can you go wrong with more cheese?

Bread, tomatoes, and greens

I used cannellini beans instead of Great northern beans and substituted kale and beet greens for the frozen spinach (added at step 3 with the tomatoes). I also decreased the salt from 2 teaspoons to 1/2 teaspoon. That would have been a whole lotta salt! I didn’t have any fresh basil so I omitted that as well.

Skillet tomato casserole
Serves: 4-6
Source: The Law Student’s Wife via Claire

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups bread, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar

Bread tomatoes, greens, and beans

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed with excess moisture pressed out
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Place rack in the upper third of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lunch is served!

2. Heat 1 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large and deep ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cubes are evenly browned.

3. Add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook until the tomatoes break down, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat and stir in the beans, spinach, and basil until well mixed. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil.

5. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Remove from oven (carefully!) and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and enjoy!