Stuffed Tomatoes

Fresh, ripe tomatoes are the perfect match for basil, cheese, and buttery panko crumbs. This family recipe for stuffed tomatoes is a simple appetizer bursting with summery flavor!

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Table of Contents

• My Granny’s Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Stuffed Tomatoes
• Helpful Tips
• What to Serve with Stuffed Tomatoes
• How to Store and Reheat
• Get the Recipe
• More Fresh Vegetable Recipes

My Granny’s Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe

Sometimes the simplest things can be the best things. These cheese stuffed tomatoes? Definitely one of those things. They are made simply with just a few ingredients, but somehow when those ingredients come together, they’re pure heaven. These sort of taste like margherita pizza!

My Granny has been making these for many years, and thankfully she shared the recipe with me. It definitely comes in handy in the summer months, to help use the tomatoes from my garden!

Ingredient Notes

So what’s in this recipe? Just fresh tomatoes and a few pantry staples! Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list.

• Fresh Tomatoes: I like to use tomatoes on the vine. Look for tomatoes about the size of a tangerine.
• Bread Crumbs: I like panko because of the extra texture they add, but you can also use regular breadcrumbs or homemade.
• Basil: Chop up the basil, and have some extra for garnish if possible.
• Cheese: I use shredded Monterey Jack cheese, but you could substitute other cheeses if you like.
• Garlic: You’ll need a minced or pressed clove of garlic. In a pinch, you can substitute a little bit of garlic powder, but the flavor won’t be as fresh.
• Salt and Pepper
• Butter: Melt the butter before using.
• Oil: For drizzling.

How to Make Stuffed Tomatoes

• Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Prep the tomatoes. Slice the top off of each tomato. Use a spoon to gently hollow each one out. (Reserve the tomato flesh that you scoop out for the filling.) You want to leave a ½-inch-thick shell. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, and set them aside.
• Make the stuffing mixture. Drain any excess liquid from the reserved tomato flesh, and chop it up into small chunks. Place the tomato chunks in a bowl, and add the bread crumbs, basil, cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the melted butter over this mixture, and stir it will to combine.

• Stuff the tomatoes. Fill each tomato shell with the stuffing mixture, until they slightly overflow.
• Bake. Drizzle the tops with olive oil, and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes. When the tomatoes are soft, and the cheese is melted, take the dish out of the oven, and serve warm.
• Enjoy!

Helpful Tips

• Use similarly sized tomatoes: For even baking, make sure you choose tomatoes that are all about the same size. Round tomatoes will be easier to stand up and fill than flatter or more oval tomatoes.
• Don’t scoop out too much of the tomato: Be sure not to scrape the tomato sides too thin, or the tomatoes won’t stand up and stay intact during baking.

What to Serve with Stuffed Tomatoes

You can use these as an appetizer, a side dish, or a light vegetarian main course. Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve alongside this easy tomato dish:

• Grilled Chicken: Juicy grilled chicken goes with everything, especially these summery tomatoes. Try this easy recipe for Grilled Rosemary Honey Mustard Chicken – you’ll fall in love with the incredible flavor combination!
• Salmon Patties: A platter of Crispy Salmon Patties can turn stuffed tomatoes into a savory, satisfying meal. Yum!
• Steak: This Juicy Flank Steak would go great with these fresh stuffed tomatoes for a perfect light dinner.

How to Store and Reheat

These stuffed tomatoes really are best served fresh, but you can store the leftovers:

• Store in the fridge: Place the tomatoes in an airtight container, and refrigerate for 3 – 4 days.
• To reheat: Bake in a 350F oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

Tomatoes become rather mushy after freezing and thawing, so I do not recommend freezing these.

4.8 from 6 votes

Print Pin Recipe

Yield: 6 Servings

Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Fresh, ripe tomatoes are the perfect match for basil, cheese, and buttery panko crumbs. This family recipe for Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes is a simple appetizer bursting with summery flavor!

Prep Time8 minutes minutes

Cook Time15 minutes minutes

Total Time23 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 6 ripe tomatoes, on the vine
• ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 8 sweet basil leaves, chopped (plus more for garnish)
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• Oil, for drizzling

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
• Remove the tomatoes from the vine, and slice the tops off of each. With a spoon, gently hollow out the centers of each tomato (leaving a ½-inch thick shell) and place in an empty baking dish. Set aside.
• Drain any extra liquid from the tomato pulp, and then lightly chop the remaining pulp into smaller chunks. Place the chopped pulp into a medium-sized bowl.
• In that same bowl with the tomato pulp, add in the bread crumbs, chopped basil leaves, shredded cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir until fully combined.
• With a spoon, gently fill the empty cavity of each tomato with the filling, until it is slightly overflowed. Drizzle the tops with olive oil.
• Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Storage:

These stuffed tomatoes really are best served fresh, but you can store the leftovers.

• To store, place the tomatoes in an airtight container, and refrigerate for 3 – 4 days.
• To reheat, bake in a 350F oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 185kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 403mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g

© Jessica – The Novice Chef

Cuisine: American

Category: Appetizers & Snacks

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