Savory Stuffed Tomatoes: A Bite of Summer Bliss
From backyard dinners to breezy lunches, this dish does it all with style.
Stuffed tomatoes are a timeless staple in Mediterranean kitchens—and for good reason. As someone who has been preparing these vibrant, flavor-packed gems for years, I can confidently say they are as practical as they are beautiful.
Whether you’re planning a quick weeknight meal or looking to impress with something wholesome and eye-catching, stuffed tomatoes check all the boxes: easy to make, nourishing, and bursting with fresh, seasonal flavor. Plus, they bring a bright, rustic charm to any dinner table.
The perfect combination of sausage meat, tomato juice, and bread nestled inside a perfectly ripe tomato. Heaven for your senses.
You will have everyone ask for seconds.
Which kind of tomatoes are best to use with this stuffed tomato recipe?
Any variety of round plum tomatoes can be used for stuffed tomatoes.
I used heirloom tomatoes for this recipe.
However, the red Beefsteak tomato is readily available in all grocery stores.
Regardless of the tomato you select, look for one that is plump, round, and bright in color.
Please ensure they are large enough to hold your stuffing.
There are so many beautiful tomatoes appearing on our market shelves. Since we live in a southern state, our season starts a bit earlier than the rest of the country.
Nothing like smelling a fresh tomato!
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed to make this savory baked stuffed tomato recipe
This is a short introduction. The ingredient list is also brief. It includes essential items that you may already have in your pantry. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.
Tomatoes: Medium size for a light dinner, larger size for a more consistent dinner. They should not be too ripe but just firm enough to the touch.
Garlic: adds the perfect touch to your tomatoes
Shallot: always welcome, and they have an excellent soft taste once cooked.
Flat leaf parsley: the best in all cooking, as it is rich in parsley oils and gives a great flavor to all your cooking.
Cooked ham: regular store-bought or holiday leftover ham gives this dish a fantastic flair.
White bread: remove the crust, and break it into chunks. Once combined with the tomato seeds, you will never feel that there is bread in your dish. However, it is the perfect binding agent. You may use day-old bread if you wish. Make sure that it soaks up all the tomato juices.
Worcestershire sauce: gives a bit of an extra layer of flavor to your stuffing.
Sausage meat: Select one that is not too fatty and has not been blended with too many herbs. The most straightforward the sausage meat is, meaning no extra spices added, the better it tastes.
Equipment needed
I only recommend what I use and love.
Mixing bowl: easy to save your seedlings and mix bread and meat.
Food processor: easily chops parsley, ham, and garlic quickly. Of course, this step can be eliminated by chopping everything by hand.
Ovenproof baking dish: make sure the borders are higher so your tomatoes are nicely nestled when baking.
Cooling rack: this helps eliminate the extra water the tomatoes contain before stuffing them.
What do you serve with your stuffed tomato recipe?
I am a salad lover; therefore, perfectly seasoned butter lettuce with shallot vinaigrette is my pairing of choice.
In addition, mint peas make a fun combination of light flavors.
Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to create these excellent stuffed tomatoes
As with all cooking, have all your ingredients ready before cooking.
Gently cut the cap or stem part of the tomato, approximately 1 inch in diameter. Do save the caps.
Remove all the internal seedlings and interior membranes with a small teaspoon and set them aside.
Season the cavities of the tomatoes well with salt and turn them upside down on a cooling rack to release more of their water content.
Add the chunks of white bread to the tomato seedling bowl.
Meanwhile, chop the parsley, garlic, and ham in a food processor or by hand.
When the parsley is well-chopped, add it to the bowl with the bread and work with your hands to create a homogeneous stuffing.
Season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
Butter an ovenproof dish and start filling your tomatoes with the sausage stuffing.
Fill the tomatoes and ensure that some filling overflows.
Place the stuffed tomatoes in your buttered dish, cover the cap with your stuffing, and bake in a hot oven.
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, your roasting time will vary.
Larger tomatoes will take approximately 45 minutes to cook in the oven.
More petite tomatoes will take about 25 to 30 minutes.
Substitutions and suggestions
You can make this vegetarian by substituting the pork with a sautéed mix of mushrooms and a couple of tablespoons of white wine.
Have leftover rice? This recipe is the perfect place to substitute pork with cooked rice.
Orzo pasta also makes a great filling. Cook your orzo with frozen peas to make a fun stuffing.
Furthermore, these stuffed tomatoes pair well with a variety of meat fillings; therefore, you can enjoy them with ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
Storage and reheating options
If you are fortunate enough to have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator or freeze them.
Refrigerator:
Store any leftover stuffed tomatoes in a high-sided plate glass container for up to three days.
Freezer:
Allow any leftovers to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in your freezer for up to a month.
You can place them in an ovenproof container and put them frozen in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes at 350°F.
Freezing will affect the texture of the tomatoes. For the best results in flavor and texture, I prefer to bake and eat these on the same day.
Ingredients needed to make this Stuffed Tomatoes recipe
4 medium-sized tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 small shallot
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
4 slices cooked ham
2 slices of white bread, crust removed and cut into rough pieces
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ pound sausage meat
salt and pepper
butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F
Cut the caps of the tomatoes off, about 1 inch from the stems, and set them aside.
Remove all the seeds and interior membranes from the tomatoes and set aside in a bowl.
Season the interior of your tomatoes with salt and turn them over onto a cookie cooling rack to allow more water to drain.
Meanwhile, in the food processor, chop the parsley, garlic, and ham.
Add to your bowl the tomato seedling, the white breach chunks, and the sausage meat. Mix well and add the chopped parsley, garlic, and ham to the bowl. Season with pepper and salt and add Worcestershire sauce. Mix well to obtain a homogeneous stuffing.
Butter an oven-proof dish. Fill the cavity of your tomatoes with the stuffing and add a bit more to overflow a bit, and place in the buttered dish.
Place the cap over your tomatoes and place them in the hot oven for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Let it sit for a few minutes before eating, as the content will be pretty warm.
Enjoy!
If you enjoy those delicious stuffed tomato recipes, look at my other recipes.
Salmon with Olive Oil and Tomatoes
BBQ Chicken With Parsley, Lemon, Garlic Salsa
Wrinkly tomatoes don't make for good pictures... but they sure taste good.
This is awesome! I like!
Why don't you give this a try?
It just started this week: https://open.substack.com/pub/thisisgastromancy/p/july-creators-challenge?r=5pvlm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false