Zucchini Casserole

Connie Bucy shares a recipe that's been in her family, in unwritten form, for years. Now, it's finally on paper ... and online. Here's Connie's take:

The history behind this recipe is questionable at best - my dad's sister, Aunt Alice, came to stay at our home for a while years ago and she concocted a zucchini casserole one evening that was by far the best I've ever had. Unfortunately, I never got a recipe from her (if there ever was one) and this past summer, with an abundance of veggies in the garden, I decided to re-create what I could remember of her dish. Since I have never written it down, this past week I made it and wrote th recipe at the same time.

Ironically, this time I remembered that she used to put about 1/4 cup of Italian bread crumbs into her dish, so thought I would try it that way. For me personally, I prefer it without the bread crumbs, but each to their own. It is a rather juicy dish, so you may like it better with the bread crumbs.

2 medium zucchini
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped or sliced
½ red pepper, chopped (or purple or orange or a combination)
½ yellow/green pepper, chopped

4 mushrooms, sliced
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. garlic powder, or a couple of fresh garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup sharp or medium cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup romano or parmesan cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (optional)

Saute all veggies in butter except mushrooms & tomatoes until al dente (about 5-10 minutes), add seasonings and then add mushrooms, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Pour mixture into baking dish and add cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is browned or veggies are done to your liking.