Cooking in parchment paper (en papillote) on the grill during hot weather has become an addiction! It’s such a great way to keep the heat out of the kitchen and to minimize both prep and clean-up. Last week I made this stacked vegetables ‘en Papillote, and Bobby and I both agree that it’s as good and maybe even better than the Italian Sausage with Vegetables ‘en Papillote. It’s completely different in ingredients, texture, smells and flavors, and makes a very hearty and delicious vegetarian meal. It could also be used as a side to a meat entree’ if desired.
When I started putting these stacked vegetables ‘en Papillote together, I was aiming for something like a vegetable lasagne without the noodles, but then if you don’t use the noodles, can you call it lasagne? I used thin slices of Yukon Gold potatoes for the carbohydrate and that turned out to be what really held this meal together and took it beyond just a bunch of steamed vegetables. Bobby said that it was like eating a vegetable au gratin but without the breadcrumbs and all the cheese. The potatoes, the herbs, the super fresh vegetables, and a touch of cheese all blended together to provide a memorable dish.
Stacked Vegetables ‘en Papillote
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled, ¼” to ½”slices
- 1 medium Yukon gold potato, sliced very thin
- 2 large Roma tomatoes or other meaty tomato, sliced
- 1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into 1” strips, then cut in half
- 1 medium onion, ¼” to ½” slices
- 1 cup fresh spinach, torn
- Dried sage
- Dried oregano
- ¼ cup feta, crumbled
- 1 cup Romano, grated (set ¼ cup off to the side to use after the vegetables are cooked)
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic-infused olive oil or olive oil and garlic powder
- In a bowl large enough to hold the eggplant slices, add 1 tsp. salt and enough water to cover the eggplant. Stir to dissolve the salt. Place the eggplant slices in the salt water and weigh down with a plate. Set aside until ready to stack. (This keeps the eggplant from turning brown.)
- Slice and chop the remaining vegetables, grate the Romano and crumble the feta.
- Prepare the grill for medium heat (350° F to 375° F) or preheat the oven for 350° F (177° C).
- Tear off two pieces of parchment paper long enough to roll the top over the stack of vegetables. The parchment should be wide enough and the stacks short enough to tie the ends of the parchment after closing the pouch.
- Drain the eggplant. Don’t worry about patting dry. The moisture will help the cooking process.
- Assemble by placing the slices of vegetables side-by-side in a single row in the middle of the parchment across its width. Create the stacks using 3 to 4 slices of each vegetable in the following order with alternating layers of either cheese, herbs or oil as described below:
- onion, eggplant, brush eggplant with garlic infused olive oil,
- potatoes, salt and pepper, some of the Romano cheese,
- tomato, light sprinkle of crumbled sage,
- eggplant, brush with garlic infused olive oil,
- half of the spinach, half the feta cheese,
- potatoes, salt and pepper,
- roasted red bell pepper, onion, a little Romano cheese,
- eggplant, a drizzle of oil and sprinkle of oregano.
- Pull the paper up above the vegetables and fold the paper until it almost comes in contact with the vegetables. Tie each of the ends using trussing string.
- Make a second stack using the rest of the vegetables, repeating the above procedure.
- Place both pouches on a sheet pan. Place in hot oven or on the grill. Cook for 15 minutes then turn sheet pan and cook another 15 minutes.
- Open the pouches, transfer to plates and serve with a sprinkling of Romano cheese.
Serving size – One pouch provides a nice vegetable side dish for 2 people. If you plan to make this the meal, then expect to use at least 1 1/2 pouch.
The vegetables – This is a perfect mix of vegetables in both flavor and texture. The spinach could be eliminated if you don’t have any or you could actually add more than what’s called for here.
Don’t skip the step where you soak the eggplant in saltwater. This keeps the eggplant looking freshly cut even through the cooking process. I love the way the eggplant cooks in this dish. It doesn’t get mushy or tough. It cooks just right!
If you don’t have a roasted bell pepper, you may need to roast one or just use a sliced, raw pepper. I’ve used roasted green chile which is a fabulous complement to summer vegetables and adds a bit of spicy as well.
Yukon Gold potatoes work great in this dish because they do tend to cook faster than some other types of potatoes. Even though I slice them thin they don’t fall apart. They cook perfectly. Other types of potatoes work, just make sure to slice really thin.
The herbs – Use fresh or dried herbs. Both work quite nicely. However, if you use fresh herbs, add more than what is called for in the recipe.
The garlic oil – If you don’t have garlic infused oil, use olive oil and a sprinkling of garlic powder.
Cooking method – This method of cooking is so easy. For this meal the only prep is cutting up the vegetables, stacking them, and wrapping in parchment. The cleanup is easy – just throw away the used parchment. Even though I cook this on the grill, it could easily be baked in the oven. Just use the temperatures provided in the recipe.
Vegan version – Omit the cheese; however, since cheese does add salt to the dish, add a touch more salt and brush one or two more layers with the garlic infused oil.
I apologize for not having pictures of the cooked dish. On every occasion that I have cooked in parchment, once we broke open the pouch and smelled the escaping aromas, we couldn’t waste the moment getting pictures. You definitely want to eat these meals while they’re hot.
I would again like to thank Sarah of All Our Fingers in the Pie!. Sarah was the host of the July 2012 Daring Cooks’ Challenge. She challenged us to learn this new cooking technique and to even go beyond the more typical form of cooking en papillote in the oven and to use the stove top or barbeque instead. And that’s exactly what I have done.
This recipe for Stacked Vegetables en papillote was featured in the Huffington Post article: Dinner in A Bag: 14 Recipes for Cooking in Parchment, April 5, 2013.
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What a beautiful little dish! (and the vegetables don’t look so bad either ;))
seriously though, this would be perfect along side veggie burgers or meat burgers or even aside pasta.
btw – while i’m all for re-naming and re-claiming dishes – without some form of noodle, it’s my opinion you can’t call it lasagne. gratin? sure… or how about a fresh veggie bake?
thanks for sharing with us at the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link-up! I hope to see you again this week with more seasonal & whole/real food posts! xo, kristy.
Thanks Kristy!! Oh I love fresh veggie bake! That works for me. 🙂
Beautiful, simply beautiful! What a great idea. Thanks for sharing that. I found you on fresh Food wednesdays.
This is really original! It must be tasty and healthy at the same time.
I Love vegetables. This recipe is awesome♥¸.•*´¯*♥
Wow! That looks great! So many veggies! I love how you are so thorough in your descriptions and instructions. Thanks for sharing at Meatless Monday!
This is a charming vegetable presentation. We ♥ en papillote ~ must try with vegetables!
LL
What a wonderfully fresh and delicious summer dish! I can just imagine how delicious it tastes. The colourful vegetables look so pretty all stacked like that.
This looks fabulous! I don’t have a grill this year so would this work as well in my oven? I would love to try it! I have not yet tried egg plant, but have seen so many recipes utilizing it that I’m going to have to give it a try ☺ Thanks for participating in our linky this week!
Thanks Mary! Yes – it would definitely work in the oven! Just preheat for 375 F and cook for 30 minutes. Easy as pie! 🙂
How did you know that I was hoping for a vegetarian en papillote recipe? Looks fantastic!
Just a second sense I guess! 🙂 Thanks!
What a gorgeous recipe! I love using parchment paper and will have to try these delicious veggies. This would be perfect with the herbed fish in parchment that I just fixed.
Your technique is definitely worth a try. Thanks for sharing it on foodie friday.
Hi MJ,
What a beautiful recipe, I can almost taste this wonderful Papillote right now. Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
This is my first time stumbling upon your website and I’m really glad I did! Especially when it’s hot outside, I love cooking outside on the grill instead of heating up the whole house with the oven on, so this will be perfect! Thanks for sharing!
-Sarah
http://www.callmefudge.com
This veggie tower looks beautiful! The technique is so simple and elegant and the result is so healthy and flavorful. No wonder it’s addictive 🙂
Hey first time here and what a treat to the eyes with lovely veggies, glad i hopped onto your space :). Your photos look so divine!
Have never cooked in parchment paper..but have baked a lot using the same. Like the idea of grilling veggie like you did in the recipe..this will be my Sunday treat.
I still have to yet try cooking veggies (or anything else really) in paper. Thanks for sharing your recipe and experience.
OMG! I can imagine all those wonderful flavors married to each other!
The always look so pretty when presented this way but I always land up making a mess while eating.
Now, that is one elegant way to get your quotient of veggies every day. I think even so-called veggie haters would not be able to resist these beauties.
That is a perfect summer vegetable dish, I wish its summer here now but still have to wait for 5 months.
Good stuff. I’d call it lasagna even though it lacked noodles. But really lasagna is a type of gratin (at least it is in my book – it’s exactly the same sort of dish cooked the same way) so Bobby was right on. Anyway, such a flavorful – and easy! – way to prepare veggies. Thanks.
Thanks KR! Bobby makes a great taster because he always provide such wonderful feedback! Kind of like Mrs. KR. 🙂
oh I want this. I just like saying the word papillote 🙂
the vegetable stack looks fantastic and I would be so pleased to have this as a meal.
Hi MJ = this looks absolutely beautiful. Maybe a dumb question, but isn’t there a risk that the paper would catch fire on the grill… or burn through or something? Not that it will matter to me, I don’t have such a cooking method at my disposal alas, I’d have to give them a go in the oven. I’m wondering – what was the reasoning behind the peeling of the eggplant? I’d have thought the skin would have provided a lovely colour addition?!
Thanks Charles! Hey – I’m a teacher – there is no such thing as a dumb question!!! 🙂 Yes, paper burns, but the way parchment paper is made (it’s basically compressed paper pulp) allows it to be used in ovens up to 425 degree F (218 C) before it can ignite. Bobby did get the grill too hot on one batch of vegetables and the edges did burn, but just the edges. In reference to peeling eggplant, I think that’s a personal preference. I peel the large eggplants, like Black Beauties, because I don’t like the texture of the cooked skin, especially with the cooked eggplant. However, I do leave the skin on Japanese eggplant. I guess it’s thin enough to where I don’t notice a texture difference.
Now, those are quite the stacks! Looks good! I might just try this today – I have an extra eggplant! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂 I can imagine that once you open the parchment, all the flavors smell so good. Yum!
Thanks Jane! Hope you like it because I know you’re not that big of a fan of eggplant. I do think you’ll like this however after seeing your tasty little stacks.
I am excited to try this parchment paper idea…I remember reading it in article somewhere a few days before summer started. Of course, veggies are always a summer staple. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
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This is a fun idea, I never thought to do this! We love finding new, fun ways to make veggies:-) Take care, Terra
Beautiful recipe and a great reminder to use this fabulous cooking technique more often.
omg…these stacked veggies look SCRUMPTIOUS!
How marvelous for a summertime lunch, MJ. Roasting vegetables brings out such glorious flavors in them and this presentation is a delight.
I have been meaning to “en papillote” something but I never seem to get around to it. This looks fabulous so I’ve got to pin for later … Happy Friday 🙂
What a gorgeous creation!
Great vegetable dish, my friend! I love cooking en papillote, and this is an amazing way to do it 🙂
I love this recipe. All the vegetables in this sound wonderful. Nice and healthy too.
I loving this new preparation for roasting vegetables. I have to try this for sure.
Great idea and flavor combinations! Perfect side dish for a backyard barbecue.
I love this recipe idea! I will definitely try this!
This looks fantastic, MJ – so light and attractive cooked en papillote as you say. I learned something new too – I knew salt would help get rid of the bitterness from eggplant, but I didn’t know that soaking them in salt water would keep them from turning dark. In fact, I love all the tips at the end of the recipe – very helpful…
Thanks Javelin! My mother taught me the saltwater eggplant trick YEARS ago. It’s a must for me when cooking eggplant.
Thank you so much for sharing these with Made with Love Mondays, MJ – I hope you had a great Labor Day and I’m just now trying to catch up with everything after the holiday 🙂
Love This!!!!!!!!!!
God this is going to be so addicting…. Now you have me glued to this…
Delicious!!
I love this method but have never tried it myself 🙂
Your stacks look gorgeous!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I so rarely cook en papillote–these stacks are gorgeous, and you’re an inspiration for me to start using this method!
It does sound like an addiction! Looking at your gorgeous photos I am afraid it might start to be contagious 😉
Thanks Sissi! This isn’t anymore contagious than your fabulous no bake desserts! YUM!
THank you so much, MJ 🙂
LOL…. I can see you diving into this beautiful roasted vegetables!! I completely understand the lack of pictures of the finished product. Sometimes I have to take my pictures and almost threaten my kids not to stick their fingers in the dish. One of these days they will beat me to my camera. 🙂 Your veggie stacks look fantastic.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this! You totally went on to another level of en papillote and very impressive recipe, MJ!! As a vegetable lover, I like how you used all kinds of veggies and make into this gorgeous dish. I can tell you had some fun with veggies in this dish!
Thanks Nami! I definitely did have fun with the veggies!
MJ what a brilliant idea and such a beautiful noodleless lasagna. I enjoy cooking in parchment for so many reasons but how nice to do it on the grill. Great recipe and beautiful photo.
This is such a great cooking method MJ – I couldn’t agree with you more about the convenience, minimal mess and heat factor (it’s hot, hot, hot!!) – plus, I love how the vegetables get steamed to perfection in their own envelope… a low cost, hassle free convection oven! Your veggie stacks look gorgeous – little bundles of deliciousness – and I like have you’ve worked in the extra greens with the spinach – the feta is a great idea!
Thanks Kelly! The spinach was the one outcome I was disappointed in. It turned black after cooking, so not too pretty, but that’s o.k. Still got the vitamins from it.
Oh my heavens, MJ. This looks absolutely divine!! Pinning and trying this one for sure. Can’t wait for my garden to make me more of these delightful veggies. YUMMMMM!
Thanks Michelle! Wish I had a garden that was producing all these vegetables! Maybe next year.