Rats in the Kitchen??!!

Hannah is not grateful, actually, for rats in the kitchen. She is grateful for cooking. The kitchen is her happy place. Here, she shares one of her favorite recipes (that might, or might not, include rats).

by Hannah Hall

One thing I am grateful for is the ability to cook. I find myself in the kitchen almost all the time, not because I am hungry, but because it is my happy place. This is because whether I am making food for myself or others, it always brings a smile to somebody’s face. 

And, recently, since I have been hearing the word “ratatouille” thrown around a lot, thanks to the internet extravaganza that is Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical, I have been pondering about this iconic French stewed vegetable dish. This inspired me to dig up an old Cheesy Ratatouille Casserole recipe and share it with the blog. This ratatouille recipe, however, is seriously the farthest thing from traditional (as you can tell by the Americanized name). It is just a fun meal I got from a magazine when I was a youngin’.

Usually, I like to serve it with some rice, butter, n’ chicken, but if you’re feeling something else, try it on some dough as a flatbread, or instead with some pappardelle for a pasta dish! So together, let’s grab our utensils, and get to cooking!

Cheesy Ratatouille Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion (more or less)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 medium zucchinis
• 1 bell pepper
• 4 baby bella mushrooms
• 1 eggplant
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½  tbsp balsamic vinegar (as much or as little as you like)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes (~28oz)
• **1 cup red beans (not kidney beans) OPTIONAL**
• 1 tsp thyme
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp fennel seeds
• ⅛ tsp ground coriander (you can replace this and the 4 spices above with 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning if you don’t wanna find all the spices)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• **1-2 cup your choice of mixed shredded cheeses (eg. parmesan/mozzarella/provolone/gruyere/asiago…etc)**
• Fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Finely chop onion and garlic. Roughly chop zucchini, pepper, eggplant, and mushrooms.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot. Cook onion and garlic for 3 mins.
4. Add salt, pepper, veggies, balsamic and extra oil. Cook for 7 minutes, or until golden colored. 
5. Add tomatoes, beans, and spices. Cover and simmer for 30 mins. Stir occasionally. 
6. Check if it is at the thickness you want, and, if it is, move on to step 7. 
7. Transfer all of it into the casserole dish, and top with the cheese.
8. Place in the oven uncovered for 30 mins or until the cheese is melted and browned. 
9. Serve and top with fresh basil! 

As Gusteau says, “Anyone can cook!” (even if you don’t have a rat under your hat). Enjoy.

What-are-you-Grateful-For Editor: Evan Spry