Stuffed Tomatoes–Printable Version

To view the full post of this recipe with photos and additional information, click here.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

-4 large, wide tomatoes

-8 oz. fresh mozzarella, quartered (or equivalent amount of shredded cheese)

-1 small (4.5-oz) can mushroom pieces and stems

-1-1/3 cups spaghetti sauce (about 1/3 cup per tomato)

-2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Begin by preheating oven to 375 degrees. Take tomatoes remove stems. Core out the center flesh and seeds with a metal spoon or small paring knife.

Chef’s Note: The more overripe the tomatoes are, the better they are for stuffing, because if the middles are too firm, it’s harder to scoop out the middle flesh without accidentally puncturing through to the outside somewhere. Expiring tomatoes have more “give” to the flesh and are more flexible in this capacity.

Place the cored tomatoes in a glass baking dish, making sure all will stand up on their own. Next, quarter the fresh mozzarella log and stand a cheese wedge up in the center of each tomato. (If you have to use shredded mozzarella, that’s fine too–just sprinkle about 2 ounces down inside each tomato hole.)

Drain a small can of mushroom pieces & stems and sprinkle mushroom bits around each cheese wedge (inside the tomatoes).

Next, pour spaghetti sauce over each tomato center, being sure to allow some to drip down inside and some to cover the tomato tops. Sprinkle tomatoes with Parmesan cheese or garnish to taste.

Bake tomatoes for approximately 25-30 minutes or until all filling has had time to heat. (If you’re working with solid mozzarella that has come straight out of the refrigerator it will take longer than you might think to thoroughly heat and melt inside the tomatoes.)

Remove from oven. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers to be reheated one-at-a-time in the microwave later.