Belle,s Summer Garden Casserole

[Southern Belle 2067]

4 medium tomatoes, peeled and sliced
4 medium zucchini, slices crosswise 1/4 in. thick
2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 pound ground chuck
2/3 cup long-grain rice , uncooked
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup V-8 juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1.4 tsp, ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Longhorn Colby cheese shredded, you can use most any cheese you want

Preheat the oven to 375*F.

Thoroughly grease a 9X12X2 in. glass baking dish. Set aside. Arrange half the tomatoes on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with half of the zucchini, sprinkle 1/2 the salt all over. In a large bowl combine ground beef, rice, parsley, onion, green pepper, V-8 juice, and the spices tsp. more of the salt and black pepper, mix well. Pat the meat moisture into the casserole over the vegetables. Layer remaining tomatoes and zucchini over the meat mixture, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt over the vegetables.

Cover and bake about 1-1/2 hours or until the vegetables are very tender and the meet is done. spread the cheese over hot casserole and bake 15 minutes more, uncover to melt and brown the cheese. This is usually that I will have at the end of the summer when the produce are coming in at a fast clip. Had all of us women scurrying ti cook things for sinner that hey liked, well this dish I made up about 35 ears ago and it is still a favorite of ours.

It is very tasty yummy, children love it to. It did call for tomato juice but the V-8 juice gives it some class.