Stuffed tomatoes, or French tomato farcies, are a great way to make the most of garden-fresh tomatoes. You can also use this tomato stuffing topping for fish, chicken, or grilled vegetables.
Stuffing tomatoes is a simple way to serve dinner, and it will look impressive on your dinner table. The main trick is to choose the right tomato. It would be best to have one ripe but still firm enough to hold its shape after cooking.
If you can find some small, cherry-sized tomatoes at the farmer's market, they make great bites for cocktail parties.
- Choose a firm tomato but ripe (the skin should be deep red). If you have time, bring your unripe tomatoes to room temperature before using them. They will ripen faster that way.
- Remove the tops of the tomatoes and set them aside. Scoop the inside of the tomatoes with a spoon and place them in a bowl. Set aside. Chop the onion, garlic, bell pepper, Sautee the garlic, onions, and pepper together until they are soft.
- Add the tomatoes and cook through until soft. Then add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Cook for about 2 minutes more, and then remove from heat. Add bread crumbs and cheese to the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Spoon filling into tomatoes, heaping slightly at the top. Place tops on tomatoes.
- Arrange in a greased baking dish large enough to hold them snugly. Drizzle olive oil over the top of each tomato Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
A few tips for making Stuffed Tomatoes
- Use very ripe plum or beefsteak tomatoes for this recipe because they have more flesh and less juice than cherry tomatoes. You can also use medium-sized round heirloom tomatoes as I did here if you'd like your stuffing to be visible from the outside when you serve them on a plate.
- If your tomatoes have a lot of juice, scoop some out before stuffing them with the breadcrumb mixture to avoid making your dish too soggy.
Provencal Stuffed Tomatoes
Provençal tomatoes are a classic example of the French culinary art known as confit. Confit means to cook something slowly in oil, and it is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. The tomatoes are stuffed with garlic and herbs then baked in olive oil until they become soft and juicy. The result is a truly delicious side dish or appetizer.
- Canned peeled tomatoes work well for this recipe, as long as they are of good quality. I used organic tomatoes from my local grocery store.
- You can also use fresh tomatoes, cut them into pieces, and deseed them before baking.
Uncooked Stuffed Tomatoes
Stuffed tomatoes are a tasty side dish. They look great on the plate, and they smell even better.
These uncooked stuffed tomatoes are quick and easy to make. You need four ingredients: cheese, onions, tomatoes, and salt and pepper.
- The first step is to cut the tomato in half, scoop out the insides, and chop them up. You can also cut off a small slice from the bottom of each half so that it will sit flat when placed on a plate.
- Next, mix grated cheese with chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper (and herbs if you want) and this mixture is what you stuff into the tomatoes!
- You put two or three spoonful of filling into each tomato half, high enough to fill it but low enough not to overflow when you press down on it.
- Place the filled tomatoes in a dish lined with lettuce leaves for decoration. Now your stuffed tomatoes are ready to serve as tasteofhome got it.
Stuffed Tomatoes are healthy option
Stuffed tomatoes are a great way to add more vegetables to your diet. The tomato is a natural choice whether cutting calories or eating more healthfully. The outside of the tomato is edible, so there's no need to peel it. Plus, the pulp that you remove from the inside of the tomato makes a delicious base for soups and stews.
Meat Stuffed Tomatoes
I love tomatoes stuffed with traditional meat, but I also love meatless versions. This is a very easy recipe, using leftover rice and some vegetables. If you want to use meat, add it, browned in a pan first, with the rice and vegetable mixture.
- I'm using raw rice here, but the entire better if you have leftover cooked rice that has cooled down!
- If you don't have an ovenproof frying pan or skillet, transfer your tomatoes to a baking dish before putting them in the oven. They will taste just as good!
Fresh Stuffed Tomatoes
A dish of stuffed tomatoes is a great way to bring some excitement to your brunch table. It's ideal for a small group of guests or to serve as an elegant appetizer at a party. The tomato shells can be filled with almost any ingredients imaginable. In this case, we went with a classic combination of chicken, herbs, and lemon.
Cutting a Tomato for Stuffed Tomatoes
To start, make sure you get a ripe, in-season tomato. You'll know it's ripe if the color is deep red and the skin is smooth, not cracked. Avoid tomatoes with blemishes or soft spots, which can signify decay.
For stuffed tomatoes, you'll want to cut the top off your tomato to create a cap that you can set aside while you hollow out the center of the tomato.
- Use a serrated knife for cutting, so it doesn't slip off the curved surface of the tomato.
- You can use a spoon to scoop out the insides of your tomato, but a grapefruit spoon works even better! The serrated edges are perfect for digging out all the seeds and pulp in one scoop.
How to hollow out tomatoes?
You could use a knife, but it can be tricky. Try using a melon baller instead. The tool's small curved blade is designed to cut fruit in perfect spheres and is just the right size for hollowing out tomatoes. You'll get beautiful, perfectly shaped tomato cups every time.
- Pierce the skin of each tomato with a fork, then put the tomatoes in the boiling water. Boil the tomatoes for 30 to 60 seconds or until you see the skin begin to break away from the flesh.
- Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place them into a bowl of ice water to stop further cooking. Let them sit in the ice water for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Use your fingers to peel away the skin from each tomato once it's cool enough to handle. If any skin remains, use a paring knife to remove it.
- Remove the stem end of each tomato using a sharp paring knife. Insert it just below where you removed the stem and cut around it horizontally at about 1/4 inch deep. Use your fingers or a spoon to scoop out the seeds and core of each tomato.
Freezing uncooked Stuffed Tomatoes
Yes, you can freeze raw stuffed tomatoes before baking.
- If you have the space in your freezer, it is best to spread them out on a tray so they are not touching and then put the tray into the freezer for an hour or two. This will allow them to get frozen enough to where you can put them directly in a Ziploc bag without crushing any of them.
- If you don't think that will work for you, then just put them in a Ziploc bag as soon as they are done and hope for the best. It's more likely that they'll stick to each other, but if you have enough room to separate them, it should be fine.
When it comes time to bake them up, I would suggest putting them directly in the oven from frozen - this way, the filling won't get soggy while the tomato thaws.
Cheese Stuff Tomatoes Appetizers
Baked cheese stuffed tomatoes make a great appetizer or side dish. According to simplyrecipes the cheese filling is cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, and basil.
For these baked cheese stuffed tomatoes, I used cherry tomatoes, but you can also use other types of tomatoes. Just make sure they are firm and not too ripe.
- The filling is cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, garlic, and fresh basil. You can use any other herbs you like, such as parsley, thyme, or oregano.
- If you have leftovers, the stuffing can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for 3 months in an airtight container.
Serving French Stuffed Tomatoes
When it comes to serving stuffed tomatoes, there are many options. The simplest option is to set the stuffed tomatoes on a plate and do as you would any side dish. For example, they could be served with grilled chicken and mashed potatoes.
A popular way of serving French-style stuffed tomatoes is to make them into a complete meal. This is done by adding meat or other ingredients to the filling and serving the tomatoes with a broth sauce. For example, you could fill the tomatoes with ground beef, chopped carrots, and peas and then help them in a brown gravy or tomato sauce.
When serving stuffed tomatoes,
- It is important to remember that the tomato is not just a container for the stuffing but an essential ingredient. Therefore, stuffed tomatoes are usually served warm or at room temperature.
- Any sauce or dressing should be added at the last minute and should only lightly coat the tomatoes.
When you serve stuffed tomatoes, you can garnish them with a few chopped herbs to add color and flavor: basil, chives, cilantro, mint, parsley, tarragon, or thyme.
Fillings for Stuffed Tomatoes
To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Put the breadcrumb, garlic, and parsley into a food processor, then pour the melted butter. Whiz to make coarse crumbs and add a little salt, pepper, and milk if needed to give it a soft consistency – you want it to be moist but not wet.
Spoon the stuffing into the tomatoes, patting down well, so it doesn't fall out when you turn them over. Press in some chopped mozzarella and scatter over some grated Parmesan. Place on a baking tray and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or warm.
Sauces for Stuffed Tomatoes
These tomatoes are stuffed with a classic French béchamel sauce, a white sauce of butter, flour, and milk. The sauce is slightly enriched with grated Emmental cheese, which melts and coats the tomatoes.
- The dish is finished off with more grated cheese on top and briefly baked in the oven until the cheese melts and forms a golden crust on top.
- These tomatoes are not only delicious but also look very inviting — they make a great appetizer or side dish.
- You can also use this recipe given by foodnetwork to make stuffed peppers by omitting the tomato tops, halving the peppers lengthwise, removing the seeds, and filling them with the stuffing.
Stuffed tomatoes with rice and ground beef
This is a popular dish made of stuffed tomatoes with rice and ground beef. It's perfect for those who are watching their figures because it's not only tasty but also low in fat.
Depending on your appetite, you can serve it as an appetizer or a main course!
In its most basic form, the filling starts with browned onions and garlic cooked together for about 10 minutes to form a paste.
- The minced meat is then added to the pan and left to cook for another 10–15 minutes until it turns brown.
- Then the rice is added along with some water, salt, and pepper; this is left to simmer until the rice is cooked through.
- The tomatoes are cut in half (top to bottom), and their insides scooped out and discarded (or used in a different dish). The tomato skins are then filled with the meat-rice mixture and baked in an oven for about 20 minutes at 180 °C (350 °F)
The combination of rice, ground beef, and tomato sauce is delicious and makes a portion of great comfort food easy to make. When you open the oven to take out the baked tomatoes, the aroma that fills your kitchen is amazing!
So these Stuffed tomatoes with rice and ground beef are Middle Eastern dishes with many regional variants. The basic recipe includes tomatoes, onions, parsley, meat (usually beef), and rice. It is generally cooked in olive oil, although some recipes may use butter or margarine instead.
