Italian casserole with potatoes

A delicious casserole with an Italian twist of vegetables, herbs and easy béchamel sauce. The spicy vegetable sauce combines wonderfully with the creamy béchamel sauce and the potato slices. A kind of lasagna with layers but with potato, really delicious

20 M + 40 M oven time

The difficulty level of this recipe is: medium.

Vegetarian recipe

Ingredients

For 4 people

• 250 gr mushrooms
• 400 gr Italian stir-fry vegetables
• 1 outing
• 1 clove garlic
• 350 gr tomato Frito ( Heinz )
• 2 teaspoons Italian herbs
• 600 g potato slices
• 1 zucchini
• 2 handfuls of grated cheese
• 250 ml milk
• 25 g flour
• 25 g butter
• basil leaves (for garnish)

Preparation

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and pre-cook the potato slices for 5 minutes. Then drain them and let them steam off.
2. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Slice the mushrooms. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the onion, garlic, mushrooms and Italian stir-fry vegetables for 6 to 8 minutes until done.
   
3. Add the tomato frito and Italian herbs to the pan. Stir well and let the vegetable sauce simmer for a few more minutes so that the flavors can soak in. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
4. In the meantime, cut the courgette into thin slices. Do not pre-fry or boil these, they will cook in the oven later.
5. Now make the béchamel sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir well with a whisk and let this mixture cook for 1 minute. Then add the milk little by little and keep stirring until you have a smooth sauce. Let it simmer gently on low heat for another 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Season with some pepper and salt.
   
6. Take a large oven dish and start with a layer of the vegetable sauce. Spread a layer of potato slices over it and place slices of courgette on top of it like roof tiles. Spoon some béchamel sauce over it.
7. Repeat these layers two more times: vegetable sauce, potato slices, zucchini and béchamel sauce. Finish with the grated cheese.
8. Place the Italian casserole in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Let it sit for a few minutes and garnish the dish with the basil leaves before serving.

Tips

How do you store a casserole dish?

Let the casserole cool completely before covering it with foil or placing it in a well-sealed container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I always warm up a casserole in the microwave first and then put it in the oven or on the combi setting for a nice crispy result. You can also freeze it: cut into portions, pack airtight and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How do you prevent a casserole from becoming watery?

Prevent a watery casserole by briefly frying or draining vegetables such as courgette or other vegetables first. Preferably do not use frozen vegetables, or let them thaw and drain well. Let the casserole stand for a few minutes after baking so that excess moisture is absorbed. A little cornflour or breadcrumbs on the bottom can help to absorb moisture, especially with moist ingredients such as tomatoes.