New Summer Recipe for Aldi: Squash, Courgette, Pepper and Tomato Gratin

Even if the weather outside today isn't summer like I'm still clinging onto the last remnants of summer and so today I am featuring a Summer inspired vegetarian recipe which I was asked to create using ingredients from Aldi.

A quick trip to my local Aldi store indicated that the supermarket's products do indeed change with the seasons as there were lots of summer-inspired produce and products around - particularly in the dessert aisle! As you may also know their fresh produce tends to be cheaper than other supermarkets as does their organise produce, although this doesn't compromise on the quality.

When I think of summer I  think of lighter meals which incorporate fresh vegetables and fragrant flavours. I decided to create a Squash Courgette, Pepper and Tomato Gratin which featured some delicious summer vegetables as a great lighter alternative to a crumble or pie. The breadcrumbs give the Gratin a slightly lighter topping than a flour/butter mix.

This recipe is really simple to make - you literally just pop everything in one pan to cook, and then into another to cook. It's fantastic for busy people with not much time to prepare a delicious vegetarian meal. You could also pop all of the ingredients into the slow cooker to cook if you wanted to leave it to slow cook all day. To add to our meal, we started with Aldi Garlic and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms as a starter and finished with delicious Aldi Deluxe mini Ice Creams available in four flavours - white milk or dark chocolate and almond. Here is my recipe - I hope you like it!

 Squash, Courgette, Pepper and Tomato Gratin 

Ingredients

5 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 cloves Garlic

1 medium Butternut Squash, chopped into small chunks

1 medium Red Onion, chopped into chunks

300g Quorn Chicken pieces

2 Courgettes chopped into chunks

1 large Red Pepper, chopped

1 large Yellow Pepper chopped

Half a tsp Salt 

2 tbsp Fresh Basil Leaves, finely chopped 

100g Aldi Vintage Reserve Cheddar, grated

250g Fresh Vine Tomatoes, sliced

2 Aldi Ciabatta Rolls, processed into breadcrumbs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic and butternut squash and cook for ten minutes on a medium heat. It may help to soften the squash by putting the lid on to add some steam for a few mins of this process. 
3. Add the red onion and cook for a further five minutes until the onion is transparent. 
4. Add the quorn chicken, peppers, courgettes and salt and continue to cook for a further ten minutes. 
5. Add the chopped basil and two tablespoons of the vintage cheddar into the mix and continue to cook for a further three to five minutes. 
6. Transfer the mixture into a deep oven-proof dish. Drizzle the top with oil. 
7. Meanwhile, process the ciabatta rolls into breadcrumbs. 
8. Combine the breadcrumbs with the rest of the reserve chunky cheddar in a separate bowl. Sprinkle the breadcrumb/cheddar mixture over the top of the vegetables. 
9. Top with sliced tomatoes
10. Cook in the oven for around thirty minutes or until the butternut squash is soft and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
11. Serve immediately. 

Disclosure: Vouchers offered in consideration for recipe development