Name: Air-Fryer White Bean and Mushroom Gratin
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces cremini mushrooms , trimmed and sliced ½ inch thick; 1 large shallot , sliced thin; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided, plus extra for drizzling; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour; 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or great northern beans, undrained; 1 small zucchini , cut into ½-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons water; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 slice rustic whole-grain bread , cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup); 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

For our sumptuous gratin sized for two, we used protein-rich white beans, meaty cremini mushrooms, and zucchini flavored with tart tomato paste, soy sauce, and thyme. To make our vegetable gratin hearty, we opted to use bread cubes instead of bread crumbs. The larger chunks made the topping a blend of chewy and toasty. We used a pan to hold the ingredients so that the liquid could flavor the vegetables and create a sauce, which we thickened with a combination of flour and the starchy canned bean liquid. The sauce's flavor came from browning the mushrooms and shallot before assembling the gratin. We topped the gratin with lightly seasoned and oiled bread cubes and baked it at a low temperature. The lower portion of the bread merged with the vegetables, creating a pleasantly soft texture, while the upper portion became golden brown and crisp.

Before You Begin

You will need a 6-inch round nonstick or silicone cake pan for this recipe; before starting this recipe, confirm your air fryer allows enough space for the pan.

Instructions

Toss mushrooms, shallot, 1 tablespoon oil, tomato paste, and flour together in large bowl; transfer to air-fryer basket. Place basket into air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking.

Transfer vegetables to now-empty bowl. Add beans and their liquid, zucchini, water, soy sauce, thyme, and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer vegetable mixture to 6-inch round nonstick or silicone cake pan and spread into even layer. Toss bread with remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty bowl; spread evenly over vegetable mixture.

Place pan in air-fryer basket and place basket into air fryer. Set temperature to 300 degrees and cook until sauce is bubbling around edges and topping is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pan from basket and let cool slightly. Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with extra oil. Serve.