This dish is so simply prepared, yet yields amazingly complex flavors. Sandy was inspired to make these tasty stacks from ingredients that seemed always to be on hand in her and Michael’s home. Because there are so few ingredients in this dish, it is imperative that your ingredients are quality. We also recommend that you take the time to make your bread crumbs from scratch, as it adds that extra something to the dish. And don’t worry about any extra bread crumbs getting stale; just store them in the freezer and they will stay fresh for months. If you find yourself with extra basil, don’t waste it! Use it to make some tasty pesto (see opposite).

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　Cooking spray

　　3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　8 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh mozzarella

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

　　1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (see page 196)

　　2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Arrange one layer of tomatoes (do not overlap) in the bottom of the casserole dish. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Put a slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each tomato, then top each with basil. Top each stack with another slice of tomato, and season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Combine the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumbs over the stacks.

　　

Step 4

Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are heated through, the bread crumbs are lightly browned, and the mozzarella just starts to melt. Serve hot.

　　

note

Step 5

Vegetarian friendly!

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.