Recipe - Bubbly Hot Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

This is a great summer stuffed tomato recipe that is also popular with the low-carb crowd due to the lack of added bread crumbs, rice, or packaged stuffing mix. 

Tomatoes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Plum tomatoes are the ideal choice for this recipe due to the fact they are less watery than other tomatoes which makes the pulp you scoop out firmer. The tomato itself has a more concentrated flavor than many varieties.  That's why sauces are often made from plum tomatoes. You can, if you choose however, make this recipe with regular slicing tomatoes as well.

In some areas tomatoes might not be ready yet, but I couldn't wait to share this one, after the homemade mozzarella recipe from Monday - it's just too tasty!  So if you don't have ripe tomatoes yet, you may want to bookmark this one for later....

Bubbly Hot Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes
(Makes 4 servings.)

Ingredients:

4 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn small
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the plum tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the insides out onto a work surface, setting the tomato shells on a baking sheet, cut side up.
3. Chop up the insides that you scooped out and put in a bowl.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix together until well blended.
5. Spoon this mixture into the tomato shells on the baking sheet.  Top with more Parmesan cheese if desired.
6. Put in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
7. Remove and let cool slightly. Serve warm.

Recipe - Broiled Garden Tomato Basil Salad

If you're a tomato lover like me, this one will have you drooling just reading the recipe!

Broiled Garden Tomato Basil Salad
Image by Alaina B. via Flickr(Makes 8 individual salads.)

Ingredients:

4 large sweet beefsteak tomatoes
olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, coarse chopped
8 fresh baby mozzarella balls, cut into small pieces
4 strips bacon, diced and crisp fried, drained

Directions:

1. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half across the 'equator' and carefully cut out the insides, chop up and put in a bowl.
2. Add to the bowl with the tomato pulp, the kosher salt, black pepper, basil, and mozzarella balls pieces. Mix to combine.
3. Place each tomato 'bowl' cut side up on a broiler pan and brush lightly with olive oil.
4. With slotted spoon, fill the bowls with the tomato-basil-mozzarella mixture, making sure you don't get too much tomato juice in the tomato bowl.
5. Place under preheated broiler at 5" away for about 3 to 4 minutes or until tops brown, tomato softens, and cheese is melted.
6. Remove and let cool slightly.
7. Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top and serve warm.

More Scrumptious Tomato Recipes: