Shake Up Your Usual Scalloped Potatoes With A Delicious Tomato Swap

If you want a delicious side that's relatively easy to make but still looks decadent, creamy scalloped potatoes are a good way to go. While scalloped potatoes are certainly a delicious side dish, there's another platter with a similar name that you can try: scalloped tomatoes. Also called breaded tomatoes, this recipe is quite different from its potato namesake and doesn't contain the rich, creamy sauce, but it's still a tasty side to add to your dinner spread.

It's made primarily of tomatoes and bread baked together in a casserole dish to form a flavorful and hearty side. For those who love the cheesiness of scalloped potatoes, you can also finish the dish off with a healthy dose of the dairy product as well, giving it a gorgeous gooey golden finish and adding to the flavor. Many recipes also add a dash of brown sugar to help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and add a touch of sweetness. The resulting meal won't be at all similar to scalloped potatoes, but it's still a simple, fast, and, most importantly, tasty side to have up your sleeve.

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Choosing The Right Ingredients

The bulk of this recipe is tomatoes and bread, and which ones you select make a big difference to how the dish comes together. For the tomatoes, either use fresh or canned diced tomatoes. Diced canned tomatoes come already prepared and contain plenty of juices to add flavor to your meal -- an easy choice for time-saving. However, fresh tomatoes can also work well, and you can select different varieties depending on what flavor you want in your final dish. Beefsteak is a juicy variety that can help retain moisture in your dish. Or, you could add a pop of color with blue tomatoes or other colored varieties. Whichever you choose, either dice them or cut them into slices.

You also don't want to overlook the bread. Breadcrumbs can work for simplicity's sake, but you could also go for cubed bread. A crusty French loaf can work well as it can stand up to the liquid in the meal and add a buttery flavor. Also, think about what herbs you want to add. Keep things simple with just salt and pepper, or add some sweet herbal notes by adding dried or fresh basil. Or, a dash of paprika sprinkled into the dish or over the top can add some smokiness to your meal. Another choice could be to add some pungency with minced garlic. Feel free to play around with different herbs and spices to add depth and taste to your scalloped tomatoes.

The Methodology Behind Scalloped Tomatoes

With your ingredients selected, it's time to put everything together. Now, there are several different ways of going about this, but typically, you'll start by preheating your oven. Either 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit should work here. Just note that if you go with a higher temperature, the casserole won't need to cook for as long — it should take around 30 to 35 minutes at this temperature or 45 minutes at the lower option.

You'll start by greasing your casserole dish. Then, add 3-4 tablespoons of oil, bacon fat, or butter in a saucepan. The type of grease you use here will alter the flavor, with fat and butter giving more richness. For this step, you can either add sliced onions and cook them to golden brown to add more heartiness and sweet vegetable flavor to your dish, or you can immediately add the bread cubes or crumbs. Next, add any seasonings to the mixture, including brown sugar if you go that route. Add your tomatoes and combine the whole thing before pouring it into your casserole dish. For those using cheese, this is the time to add it. Fresh parmesan, feta, or any other style you like will add flavor and give a gorgeous golden brown, bubbly topping to your meal. Then, all that's left to do is bake the dish, serve it up, and enjoy a delicious scalloped veggie that's different from the classic potato meal!

Read the original article on Daily Meal.