Beefy Tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes

Made: January 25, 2011


I didn't make it exactly as the recipe, mainly since I made Granny's slightly different, and I liked how that way came out. So I stuck with it.

Ingredients:

6-8 medium tomatoes
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato and discard & remove the core.
- Carefully scoop out the pulp; reserve 1 cup for later use (leave a nice 1/2 inch shell of the tomato)
- Invert tomatoes onto paper towels to drain.
- In a non-stick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
- Stir in the basil, salt, pepper and reserved tomato pulp; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) for 10-12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
- Stir in the rice, cheese and egg; heat through.
- Spoon into tomato shells.
- Place shells into 2-quart backing dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are heated through.
- Top with shredded cheese


I had bought 2 4-packs of tomatoes, and I was able to fill all 8 with the meat and rice mixture I had made. So that may vary with how much ground beef/rice you use. I tweaked the recipe for my liking.

I had 1/2 cup of uncooked rice, cooked it through and then added it to the beef. I didn't use it all, but enough to see that it was well mixed/spread around all throughout. I also used the pulp of all the tomatoes instead of just 1 cup. I found that it made the beef and rice more flavorful.

Since I was pressed on time for my Granny's single tomato ... instead of baking it in the oven, I put it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. It seemed to heat it throughout and even made the tomato softer. I liked it better and did that for ours as well. :)
(Recipe used came from Taste of Home)