Halve four tomatoes to make eight small filled tomato halves. The filling combines cream cheese and mozzarella, with optional Parmesan. Serve warm as a starter or side dish.
4 portions of 2 halves. About 15 minutes preparation and 20–25 minutes baking.
Ingredients
- 4 medium, firm tomatoes
- 200 g full-fat cream cheese
- 50 g grated mozzarella
- 25 g grated Parmesan, optional
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml), divided
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley or basil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stalks and halve them. Scoop out the seeds and watery centres, keeping the outer walls intact.
- Lightly salt the insides and leave the halves cut-side down for 5 minutes. Pat dry gently. Grease a baking dish with 1 tsp of the oil and arrange the tomatoes cut-side up.
- Mix the cream cheese, mozzarella, garlic, herbs, pepper and remaining 2 tsp oil. Taste before adding salt, as the cheeses are already salty.
- Divide all the filling between the eight cavities. Add the optional Parmesan on top. Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, until the filling is hot and the tomatoes have softened but still hold their shape.
Ricotta and other variations
You can replace the cream cheese with 200 g ricotta. Mash it thoroughly; if very dry, mix in up to 1 tbsp milk (15 ml). The texture will be grainier. Do not add extra liquid to the baking dish.
Storage
Refrigerate covered leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 24 hours, keeping them at 0–5°C. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. The tomatoes may release more water after chilling.
Storage guidance: Food Standards Agency.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stuff whole tomatoes instead?
This version is designed for eight halves. Whole tomatoes have different cavity sizes and baking times; use the stated cut to distribute the filling as intended.
