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Yields:
4 - 6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Summer and tomatoes go hand in hand—and this stuffed tomato recipe proves just how good that combo can be. Big, juicy beefsteak tomatoes are hollowed out and filled with a savory sausage stuffing that’s packed with sautéed onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, plus a kick of spice from pepper jack cheese.
Serve these stuffed tomatoes with a simple green salad or a big hunk of crusty bread and dinner's done! Or offer them as a hearty side dish for steak, grilled chicken, or pork chops. They’re spicy, cheesy, and totally satisfying. Here are some more stuffed vegetable recipes that are filled to the brim with flavor too!
What do you put in stuffed tomatoes?
You can fill tomatoes with all sorts of tasty ingredients. This recipe starts with a store-bought herb stuffing mix as a base and adds celery, onions, peppers, and savory sausage. If you want to go vegetarian, try cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous mixed with beans, herbs, garlic, and cheese. Mediterranean flavors, Tex-Mex blends, and Italian-inspired fillings all work beautifully. Just scoop out the tomato, stuff it full, and bake until tender and delicious!
What type of tomato is best for stuffing?
Beefsteak tomatoes are your best bet for stuffing. Their large size and sturdy, round shape make them ideal for holding a generous amount of filling. They have flat bottoms, so they stay upright in the baking dish, and their thick walls stay intact even as they soften during baking.
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. salted butter, plus more for the baking dish
- 6 beefsteak tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix
- 1 1/4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (about 5 ounces)
Directions
- Step 1Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Step 2Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Slice the tops off the tomatoes (including the stems), and set the tops aside (the pieces should be about 1/2 inch thick). Using a spoon, scoop out the cores, pulp, and seeds. Discard the cores, and transfer the pulp and seeds to the sieve. Press firmly to extract as much juice as possible, then discard the remaining solids. You should have 1¼ cups of tomato juice; discard or reserve excess for another use, or add water if necessary to reach the desired amount. Season the hollowed-out tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and arrange them in the prepared baking dish.
- Step 3Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, black pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the reserved tomato juice and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the stuffing mix and 1 cup of the pepper jack cheese.
- Step 4Fill the tomatoes with the sausage mixture (about a heaping ½ cup each) and top evenly with the remaining ¼ cup pepper jack cheese. Place the tomato tops in the baking dish next to the stuffed tomatoes.
- Step 5Bake, uncovered, until the tomatoes are soft and easily pierced with a paring knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Place the tops on the tomatoes before serving.
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