Summer tomatoes are bountiful and at peak deliciousness right now.
Its a relatively quick dish that doesnt require hours of cooking anything down, and (bonus!
), theyre already in personal serving cups.
Turducken them, make them pizza-filled, or hamburger them.
Serve them stuffed with a cold salad or slaw.
Egg salad or pasta salad would also make an incredible filling.
If you tire of cold snacks, take it a step further and make baked stuffed tomato cups.
(A great solution for out-of-season tomatoes when the craving hits mid-winter.)
If you plan on roasting these stuffed tomatoes in the oven, use a cooked filling.
A surefire winner is buffalo chicken and rice stuffed tomatoes (recipe below).
To make stuffed tomato cups, hollow out the tomatoes first.
Take the tops off of the tomato and discard them (or use them for something else).
Using a metal spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds, and any large ribs, into the trash.
I do this directly over the trash can to avoid making a watery mess.
If youre making cold stuffed tomatoes, set the tomato cups on a serving dish.
If youre planning on roasting them, set them in an oiled baking dish.
Get the tomatoes snug and pressed up against each other.
As they cook, they will soften, and theyll support each other better if theyre close.
Fill each tomato cup with your hot or cold filling of choice.
If roasting, bake at 425F for 20-30 minutes.
The skins will rip and the tops will have some toasted spots.
Top with shredded cheese or chopped herbs before serving.
The following recipe is for buffalo chicken and rice stuffed tomatoes.
Make it vegetarian by subbing in tofu or cauliflower.
It all tastes great in buffalo sauce.)
Lightly oil a small baking dish.
Prepare the tomatoes by hulling them with a small knife.
Scoop out and discard the water and seeds with a metal spoon.
Set the tomatoes, opening up, in the baking dish.
Tomatoes should be close to each other, dont be shy about squeezing them together a little.
Put a little cooking oil in a skillet and cook the chicken chunks over medium heat with the salt.
Cook until lightly charred.
Put the chicken in a small bowl and sprinkle on the garlic powder.
Add the rice and buffalo sauce and stir it all together.
Fill each tomato cup all the way to the top with the buffalo chicken mixture.
If using cheese, top each tomato with cheese and broil for 3-5 minutes.
Top with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute.
