Grilled Summer Veggie Casserole

Head out to your garden for the ingredients to make this seasonal vegetable dish. Loaded with sweet tomatoes, smokey grilled eggplant and caramelized onions, this casserole is wonderful eaten ad a vegetarian main or served alongside a piece of grilled steak. This recipe makes 4 servings.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 50 minutes

Ingredients
For the grilled eggplant:
1 large eggplant, washed, dried and sliced crosswise into 1/3" rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste

For the caramelized onions:
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt, to taste

Remaining ingredients:
3-4 ripe tomatoes, washed, dried and sliced into 1/3" rounds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
6 ounces grated parmesan
Handful of freshly chopped herbs, for garnish

Directions
Make the eggplant: Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush liberally with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Flip the eggplant and repeat the process. Grill eggplant slices for 3 minutes on each side, or until the eggplant becomes fork-tender. You may have to do this in batches. Once eggplant is cooked, transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.

Make the caramelized onions: Heat oil and butter in a skillet to medium-high on the stove top. Add onions and stir to coat the onions with the fat. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onions become a golden color. The entire process should take about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt the last few minutes of cooking. Once onions are caramelized, turn off the heat and add wine, making sure to scrape up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Set onions aside to cool.

To assemble the casserole, spray an 8" x 8" glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the dish, overlapping the eggplant slightly at the edges. Add a layer of tomatoes. Spoon about half of the caramelized onion mixture over the top of the tomatoes and spread to distribute evenly. Repeat this process until the vegetables have all been used. Sprinkle parmesan and Italian seasoning evenly over the top of the dish.

Bake at 375 F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes before serving.