Baked Brie Casserole

Skill Level: Easy
Sticker Shock: $$$
Taste: ★★★★

This is a very tasty casserole. The flavors work together very well. I did notice it lost some of its tastiness if I didn't have a bit of each layer on my fork. I like Brie, but the Brie flavor tended to take over if one or two of the other layers weren't included in a particular bite. This sounds ridiculous as I'm typing it, but I don't know how else to describe it!

My daughter wouldn't touch it (she's two-and-a-half and very rarely has interest in dinner), but my son (18-months-old) gobbled it up, as he does pretty much anything I put in front of him. My husband enjoyed it but noticed the same thing I did about the flavor.

I think this will be a dish that we have maybe two or three times a year. I could see it being something I crave every so often. I don't think it will become a regular part of our meal rotation, though.

Oh, and just for reference, I chilled mine for about six hours before putting it in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 small zucchini , cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices (about 2 cups)
cooking spray
6 oz bread, sourdough, torn into bite size pieces (equal to 6 cups)
brie, 4.5oz package
1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, halved (or grape tomatoes )
1 cup egg substitute
2/3 cup evaporated, nonfat/skim milk
1/3 cup fresh chopped green onion
3 Tablespoons fresh dill weed (or 1 tablespoon dried dill weed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

In a covered medium saucepan, cook zucchini in a small amount of boiling, lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain zucchini. Set aside.

Meanwhile, coat a 2 quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray, and arrange 4 cups of the bread pieces in the prepared baking dish.

If desired, remove and discard rind from cheese, cut cheese into 1/2 inch cubes.

Arrange cheese evenly over bread in baking dish, arrange zucchini and tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups bread pieces.

Combine egg product, evaporated milk, green onion, dill, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour evenly over mixture in baking dish.

Lightly press down layers with back of spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and remove plastic wrap from casserole, cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition information: Servings Per Recipe: 6; Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193.1, Total Fat: 6.5g, Sodium: 592.4mg, Total Carbs: 20.1g, Dietary Fiber: 1.2g, Protein: 12.7g