Stuffed Tomatoes with Golden Crumb Topping

From EatingWell: August/September 2005 — Subscribe Now!

Stuffed tomatoes are classic comfort food. Serve with a mixed green salad studded with garden-fresh vegetables. For vegetarians, omit the beef or turkey.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Tthis was okay, it tasted like it was missing something... i think adding a little more of the tomato to the beef/rice mixture would've made it taste heartier, maybe even mixing in canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce. i also think the...

Stuffed Tomatoes with Golden Crumb Topping Recipe

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

4 ounces 90%-lean ground beef, or 93%-lean ground turkey
1 cup cooked brown rice, or 1/2 cup instant brown rice
4 large ripe but firm tomatoes, (about 8 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup petite green peas, (cooked, if fresh; thawed, but not cooked, if frozen)
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
1 cup breadcrumbs, made from day-old whole-wheat bread (see Tip)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook ground beef or turkey in a small skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling with a spoon, until brown and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
If using cooked rice, go to Step 4. To prepare instant brown rice, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in rice, return to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Add cooked rice to the bowl with the meat.
Meanwhile, slice enough off the top of each tomato to remove the core (1/2 to 1 inch). Scoop out the tomato pulp using a teaspoon or melon baller. Finely chop 1/2 cup of the pulp and add to the bowl with the rice and meat. (Reserve the remaining pulp for another use; see Kitchen Tips.) Season the inside of the tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Add peas, onion, 1/4 cup cheese, parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to the rice mixture. Stir to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the tomatoes and place the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, breadcrumbs, oil and garlic in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the tomatoes.
Bake the tomatoes until the crumbs are golden and the tomatoes are soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/3 cup.
Kitchen Tip: Save the scooped-out tomato pulp to use in fresh tomato soup or pasta sauce. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Per serving: 355 calories; 16 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 35 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 20 g protein; 6 g fiber; 639 mg sodium; 695 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (90% daily value), Calcium (25% dv), Potassium (20% dv), Iron (15% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch,1 vegetable, 1 1/2 high-fat meat