Pappa al Pomodoro, Panzanella, tomato pudding – there’s a long history of marrying tomatoes and bread to make humble, hearty, and delicious side dishes. For some time, I’ve been thinking of using this idea to make an alternative dressing (I wouldn’t call it stuffing as it must bake in a pan) for the Thanksgiving table. I wanted to make something specifically for people with alpha-gal syndrome who can’t eat butter (or sausage or pancetta or other meaty things that show up in stuffing), and selfishly, I wanted to skip the celery, too, as I’m allergic to it. So I took a different tack.

What I came up with is part gratin, maybe a little bit bread- puddingish, and something that definitely offers the crispy top and moist interior of stuffing baked in the pan. But it is not for people who don’t like tomatoes! Thyme and garlic (and good crusty bread) bring a lot to the party, but chopped tomatoes that get roasted down to concentrate their flavor are what give this its personality. I can’t say that it is an absolute match with turkey, but if you generally have an eclectic mix of side dishes for your holiday — or you hew to Italian flavors — this would be right at home.

Because of the time it takes to roast the tomatoes, this takes two hours to make — but not all of that is hands-on time. And the good news is that it reheats quite well, so it could be made in the morning and reheated, uncovered, for 15 minutes before serving. (Remove it from the fridge a half-hour before reheating.) Also, the tomato-roasting time will depend on how ripe the tomatoes are.

For the people who can eat dairy, this would certainly be good topped with a generous portion of Parmigiano (add halfway through reheating). You could divide this into two shallow gratin dishes — one with cheese, one without.

I’m sure there are other ways to hone this recipe and vary it, and I’ll update this headnote when I’ve had a chance to play around with it some more.

Serves 4 to 6

  • 8 ounces peasant bread (crusty whole wheat is good!), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Olive oil
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces (keep the juices)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
  • 4 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup chicken or (good-quality) vegetable broth

 

1. Heat the oven to 400°. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. Spread in one layer on the baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 12 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and set aside.

3. Lightly oil a large (3-quart) shallow enameled cast-iron or ceramic baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Transfer to the baking dish. Roast, stirring occasionally at the beginning and more frequently at the end, until the tomatoes have released their juices, much of the juice has cooked off, and the tomatoes are just beginning to turn jammy (there should still be some juices in the pan), about 1 hour. Note: depending on the ripeness of your plum tomatoes (and your particular pan), times will vary. Use the doneness tests!

4. Remove the pan of tomatoes from the oven, add the garlic and the balsamic mixture, and stir well. (The heat of the tomatoes will soften the garlic just a bit.) Add the bread pieces and 2 teaspoons thyme and stir everything together well. You will want to use a silicone spatula to fold the tomato mixture over and into the bread pieces to get it well distributed. Then press and smooth it into an even layer. (It will be relatively thin – that’s okay; we want a maximum ratio of crispy top crust to moist interior!)

5. Whisk together the egg and the broth and drizzle and pour over the tomato-bread mixture. Use the spatula to press down again so that the liquid distributes itself. Sprinkle the remaining teaspoon thyme over all. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and it feels firm but still slightly wobbly in the middle, 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.