Tomato season is in full swing, and it would be a shame to let the summer pass without incorporating sweet, bright, juicy tomatoes into our days as much as possible. (Tomatoes are super good for you, by the way, as they are packed with antioxidants and cancer-fighting phytochemicals). So we are simply loving this recipe for cheeseburger stuffed tomatoes from The Endless Appetite.
In addition to being delicious and easy to prepare, this recipe is keto-friendly, paleo-friendly and Whole 30-friendly. All you need is firm, ripe tomatoes (like red beefsteak tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes), ground beef, onion, garlic and burger toppings like pickles, ketchup, mustard and cheddar cheese.
To prepare the cheeseburger stuffed tomatoes, you first brown the ground beef, then stir in your ketchup, mustard, pickles and other traditional cheeseburger toppings. This is going to be the filling you scoop into your hollowed-out tomatoes, so this is where you can tweak the recipe a little bit to add whatever flavors and fixings you generally like on your burgers. That might mean a dash of Worcestershire sauce, Thousand Island dressing, mayo or even Sriracha.
When you’ve finished the filling, you’ll need to prepare your tomatoes per The Endless Appetite’s recipe instructions. After you fill your tomatoes, you’ll top them with the cheese of your choice (the recipe calls for cheddar, but you can go for American or pepper jack or whatever you prefer). Then you pop it into the oven. The recipe’s author advises against putting them in the oven too long because this will turn the tomatoes mushy.
Serve for dinner alongside a green salad, sweet potato fries or grilled corn on the cob. Yum!
If you’re not a meat-eater, but you want to get in on the stuffed tomato action, we recommend this recipe for grilled stuffed tomatoes from Patrick and Gina Neely. It calls for stuffing the scooped-out tomatoes with cooked orzo, goat cheese, parmesan, green onions and chopped basil. You’ll then throw on the grill for 10 minutes. This is a delicious, veg-friendly way to enjoy the sweetness of summer tomatoes!
We love this handy tomato guide from Nature Fresh that demystifies which tomatoes work best in every recipe, whether you are making Cheeseburger Stuffed Tomatoes, tomato soup, fresh pasta sauce, or even grilling tomatoes as a side at your backyard barbecue.