Veggie Cream Toast

Part of this blog is to be my own recipe box.  I know I once made a thing with ham, cheese, and a cream sauce baked with toast, but I can't find it.  Maybe it was pre-blog.  So, I changed up what I had planned to make and did this.

Actually, I changed it up a lot.  I keep putting "quiche" on my calendar, then not making it.  It's mostly a work schedule thing.  I think I'm slotting it on a day off, then that changes and I don't want to wait an hour for a quiche to bake.  I could always pre-make it and freeze for later, but I'm really trying not to fill the chest freezer with prepared meals.

I had already bought the quiche ingredients when the work schedule came out, then sighed and looked for another way to use them.  I could have done a Swiss-based alfredo sauce, but I didn't have any flat pasta, and making it would place me back in the same time frame as a quiche.  I did have bread, and that toast casserole thingy came to mind.

What I came up with would be great for a brunch.  I even put an over-easy egg on one slice for added protein.  Should have put it under the sauce.  You could thin out the mixture into a cream soup, or use it as pot pie filling.  It's the freshness of not completely cooking the tomatoes that brightens it, and the cheese makes it hearty.

1 Tb butter
*1/2 C diced onion
1 Tb flour
1 C milk
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
*1/2 C green veggie (I used chopped asparagus)
*1 C shredded Swiss cheese
salt and generous amounts of pepper to taste
8 slices of toast for serving

1.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Cook the onion until softened, 5 minutes.  Add flour and stir until cooked into an onion roux.

2.  Gradually add the milk, stirring frequently and waiting for it to thicken before adding more.  You can add in some of the pepper now, but hold off the salt for a bit.

3.  Stir in tomatoes and asparagus and bring everything back to a simmer.  Stir in cheese to melt, then taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

4.  Spoon over toast and serve hot, maybe with a side salad.

Difficulty rating  π