5 Ingredient Fix

Do you guys watch 5 Ingredient Fix on the Food Network? It's become one of my new favorites.

Since I'm never home when it's actually on, I had a bit of a mini-marathon on Saturday morning catching up on old DVR-ed episodes.

First and foremost host, Claire Robinson, a Memphis, Tennessee native turned New Yorker, is adorable.

Her simple dishes are perfect for whipping up after a busy day at work. They require a few ingredients (hence the show's name) and tend to be pretty simple to prepare.

She also stays true-to-her-roots by preparing a ton of Southern-inspired recipes from a much more hip, much less Paula Deen, perspective.

For example, how delicious does her Green Tomato and Vidalia Onion Gratin recipe look?

Tomato & Vidalia Onion Gratin

Ingredients

1/4 lb. bacon
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 large Vidalia onions, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
4 large green or firm under-ripe heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
6 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Render bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the cooked bacon, along with 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat; pour the fat over the breadcrumbs and toss to coat.

Add the onion rounds to the skillet in batches and cook, without breaking the round slices apart, until there is some golden color, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.

To assemble the gratin, overlap the green tomato slices in one row in a large baking dish (9 x 11).

Next, make a row slightly overlapping of the partially cooked onion rounds, being careful to keep the slices intact.

Repeat steps until all tomatoes and onions are used; season tomatoes and onions heavily with pepper and lightly with salt.

Crumble the bacon over the vegetables; sprinkle the grated cheddar over the top followed by the breadcrumbs.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly; if the top is getting too brown, loosely cover with foil. (Yield 4-6 servings)

Perfect for warmer weather and perfectly Southern.

P.S. Claire has a really rocking cute pup named Newman.

(images courtesy iwproductions, poptower, my wooden spoon, the food network and food network humor)