Tomato, Squash, and Red Pepper Gratin

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since the last time I did a blog post! Time goes by so fast, and I have no excuses!

So a few days ago I received the latest Cooking Light magazine in the mail, and it had the recipe for this Tomato, Squash and Red Pepper Gratin, and I had to try it! Johnathan and I had a cookout over at our friends house last night, so I brought this along as a side dish. I wish I had an after picture of the casserole dish, because it was cleaned out! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dish, so I thought I'd share the recipe!

Tomato, Squash and Red Pepper Gratin

• 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided 
• 2 cups chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 1 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 3 ounces aged Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• Cooking spray 
• 1 1/2 ounces French bread baguette, torn **
• 1 (12-ounce) beefsteak tomato, seeded and cut into 8 slices
• 
  
• Preparation:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. 2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 teaspoons oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 3 minutes. Add bell pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add squash and garlic; cook 4 minutes. Place vegetable mixture in a large bowl. Stir in quinoa, 1/4 cup basil, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper.
3. 3. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, milk, cheese, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to vegetable mixture, stirring until just combined. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7–inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. 4. Place bread in a food processor; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until toasted. Arrange tomatoes evenly over vegetable mixture. Top evenly with breadcrumbs. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until topping is browned. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil.

**note: Instead of making my own breadcrumbs, I used store-bought croutons. I crushed them and placed them on top of the casserole before baking. Definitely a time saver!