Sunday, June 26, 2011

Stuffed Tomatoes with Spinach, Basil and Six Italian Cheeses!

Wi.

Pomodori!  Tomatoes!   With the heat we've had, an early harvest of these large red orbs signals the time to begin using them in delicious summertime recipes.  The perfect round shape of several varieties this year inspired me to bake them with a cheesy, spinach-basil, garlic-y filling.  These stuffed tomatoes are simple, flavorful and can be a delightful luncheon entree or a superb accompaniment to an omelette, frittata, or grilled entree!

Below is shown the stuffed tomatoes before baking in a muffin pan to help them stay upright during baking.



Stuffed Tomates with Spinach, Basil, and Six Cheeses
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1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
2 tsp. "Better Than Bouillon" chicken base or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
salt
5 large tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup shredded 6-blend Italian cheese
1/2 cup diced onion
15 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 jumbo egg
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. freshly grated pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Freshly grated parmesan cheese.
.
Prepare spinach according to package instructions with the chicken bouillon added in.
When cool, squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach.
Cut about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the tomato out of the inside.
Sprinkle salt on the tops of the tomatoes.
On a paper towel, place the tomatoes upside-down to drain liquid.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, spinach, cheeses, onion, basil, egg, garlic, salt and pepper.
Blend well.
In a muffin pan, place the tomatoes.
Top each with a heaping mound of the spinach-cheese mixture.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until the spinach has a golden brown edge on top.



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20 comments:

  1. oh Roz these are just divine, my mom used to do this but never with the spinach what a delicious addition and wonderful idea!!

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  2. Hello,

    These tomatoes look so delicious!


    ~ Gabriela ~

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  3. oh my, I am in love with the look of these. Any leftovers? can I have one please.

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  4. Yum!
    And you are so clever...baking them in a muffin tin! Why haven't I thought of that?!

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  5. I know tomato season will be coming soon...sigh...in the meantime I will have to made do with strawberries and cherries:D

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  6. Oh my gosh Roz! They look sensational! Just perfect as a side to one of my warm, hearty stews I've been cooking up in this cooler Australian winter weather. Thanks for sharing!

    Anne @ Domesblissity

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  7. I can't wait to try this. We don't have 6-blend cheeses here so I'll have to experiment. Can't wait to try it. Your photos look SO good!

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  8. Oh, wow! I'd eat more than one of these. A glass of chilled white wine would top it off perfectly. It's been a bit colder, this summer, than I'd like. So our tomatoes are slowly eeking to ripeness. I can't wait!

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  9. Did somebody just say six cheeses? I just passed out....yum!

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  10. How wonderful! Those stuffed tomatoes sound delicious and I love your photo!

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  12. Roz, Oh my goodness, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am honored and so thrilled to have been "featured" on your blog. You are my "idol" and I am one of your faithful followers. I love your recipes, your colorful pictures, your stories....I LOVE IT ALL!! Thanks again, I'm so happy **fanning face** :) ~Isavortheweekend
    p.s. I am now going to go receive my reward, your feature button :)

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  13. It is good to be back at last catching up with your blogging activities, your photos and recipes are always a delight.

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  14. Oh, I'm so jealous that you already have tomatoes, Roz! These sound like an amazing dish :)

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  15. Hi Roz,
    I am so excited to try this beautiful recipe. We have tomatoes and basil in the garden, yum it is going to be so good! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and come back soon. Have a great week end!
    Miz Helen

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  16. Mmm that looks good, but I’ll have to wait until next summer. The tomatoes around here already are tasting blah.

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  17. Just wondering how this would work with green tomatoes. Anyone try that before. I do love tomatoes with Spinach and this looks wonderful.

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  18. AnonymousMay 10, 2012

    How do you take the tomatoes out of the muffin tin without them falling apart?

    Thanks...

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I enjoy each of your comments and reply to each, both here and on your blog directly! I hope you visit again! Grazie!