Stuffed Tomatoes

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com Stuffed Tomatoes

I have never stuffed a tomato before...well, not like this anyway. I have stuffed those little tomatoes with chicken or tuna salad, but making a stuffed tomato much like you would make a stuffed pepper is new to me, and I LIKE IT!

Here is how I made this recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 cup rice

3 tbsps butter

2 cups water

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

5 tomatoes

1/2 lb Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

5 slices asiago cheese

Rice: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over mid-high heat. Add 1 cup of rice and saute until lightly toasted. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.  When rice is fully cooked, salt and pepper to taste and add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley. Set aside.

Filling: While rice is simmering, line an 8-9" baking dish with foil and grease with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cut tops off tomatoes and scoop out the pulp to hollow the tomatoes. Chop tomato pulp and reserve. Brown 1/2 lb Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage. When browned add 1/2 chopped yellow onion and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Continue cooking until sausage is fully cooked and no longer pink, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. When sausage is fully cooked and veges are tender and translucent, add reserved tomato, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, and 2 cups of rice. Give it a taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.  

Bake: Fill tomatoes and bake for 20 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until tomatoes are soft and heated through. Top each tomato with asiago cheese and cook until melted. Serve with remaining rice and enjoy!