Tomato/Onion/Mozzarella Casserole

This was a favorite dish that I made for Mother's Day Dinner. Out of everything I made, this dish was my husband's favorite. It was even good the next day as leftovers.

Fresh Tomatoes. Fresh Mozzarella. Roasted to perfection.

What is it about some veggies that when you saute or roast them, the flavor changes and they taste delectable?! Especially onions and mushrooms. YUM.

This I know for sure: Tomatoes, Basil, Mozzarella and Balsamic Vinegar go VERY well together. Some food have a Ying and a Yang...well, for tomatoes this is IT.


Ingredients:

5-6 large tomatoes, sliced
1-2 red onions (depending on the size), sliced
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
1 Tb dried basil, or fresh basil, finely chopped OR dried Italian seasoning mixture
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

To make:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

After your tomatoes, onions, and cheese is sliced...layer. *Note: Tomatoes have a lot of juice. If you can try to remove as much of the juice/seeds as possible, that will help. In addition, Salt brings more of the juice out of the tomatoes. So, after this dish is cooked, it will be sitting in the juices of the tomato etc. You can drain it carefully if you like.

Layer in 9x13 inch baking dish. Onion. Tomato. Cheese. etc. etc. Overlapping slightly.

Drizzle with Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle dried herbs, garlic, and salt and pepper evenly on top of the layers.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake until cheese is lightly browned and onions are tender. 30-45 minutes.

*Serve immediately. The cheese will stay softer, the sooner you serve this dish and it will loose it's heat, somewhat fast.

Enjoy this elegant side dish for a special dinner or any occasion. If you have fresh tomatoes growing in your garden this year...this is another GREAT option to use them!