I know what you’re thinking…. “What the heck is a tian?” Well, a tian is “a mixture of roasted vegetables cooking in a shallow dish, usually with cheese or au gratin. This dish derives its name from the large, round, earthenware cooking pot used in Provence, France.” source. Sounds fancy right? Looks pretty darn fancy too, if I do say so myself (lifts chin up proudly while “I’m So Fancy” starts playing in my head).

Despite looking so fancy and sophisticated, this was actually really simple to make. I have seen these before and always wanted to try it, but never did just because it looks pretty intricate, but let me tell you, if I can get it looking this pretty on the first try, it’s really not that difficult. You’ll have no trouble.

I got the basic recipe from For the Love of Cooking and just made a few minor tweaks. I only used one small potato, and honestly, if i were to make this again, I would leave the potato out because all the other veggies cook so much faster, and potatoes really don’t have as much flavor as tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash, so I don’t think I’d miss it at all. (and yes, I baked this in a pie pan because my kitchen is so small it doesn’t afford me the luxury of having a variety of proper cooking equipment, so I pick and choose. Don’t judge.)

Print Vegetable Tian Ingredients: 2-3 Tbsp olive oil (I used garlic infused but plain will work just fine)

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced (I cut mine into rings, and then cut the rings in half)

2 tsp of minced garlic

1 russet potato, washed

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

3 Roma tomatoes

1 tsp Italian medley seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of crumbled Feta cheese Method: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, and pour in 1 tsp of olive oil. Add the sliced onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent (probably 5-7 minutes). Spray a shallow baking dish (or a pie pan like me if you don't have a fancy baking dish) with non stick spray, and put the sauteed onions in the dish as the bottom layer. Slice the potato, zucchini, squash and tomatoes thinly (I probably did mine about 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch thick). Then, pick a spot on the outside of your dish, and start layering. You sort of have to hold the first slice in place with your hand as you do the outside layer, at least while you're starting it (ps as tomatoes are the flimsiest, I wouldn't have a tomato slice as your first one). Layer around in a circle to complete the outside circle, then start an inside circle, and if you have a little extra room in the middle like I did, just sort of fill that in with the remaining slices. Sprinkle the Italian herb medley and salt and pepper on top, and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Uncover the dish, and sprinkle the Parmesan and feta cheese on top, and bake, uncovered, for another 30-45 minutes (time needed will depend on how cooked the potato slices are. If you're not using a potato, then the dish probably only needs a total of 60 minutes in the oven). Once the potato slices are tender and the cheese is browned and melted, you're done! Let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then have at it! But be sure to take a picture first so that you can show off your mad cooking skills to your friends and family 🙂 3.1 http://www.healthyvittlesandbits.com/2014/09/24/vegetable-tian/

I just love how pretty and colorful it is!

So what do you think, are you willing to give this one a try? It’s a great side dish for any get-together, and I guarantee you people will compliment you on how beautiful it is. Or, you can be like me and just pack it for lunch all week, which was just as delicious, just less showing off. (Although I get to share it with all of you via the blog, so it’s really a win-win situation 🙂 ).

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