Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats (Gluten Free)
Frugal but Comforting Family Fare:
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats (Gluten Free)
The Care to Cook Recipe Challenge
This is an old family recipe, one that has been welcome on my table for many years and before that on my mum and grandmother’s table too…..a recipe that is comforting and yet frugal, a recipe that “pads” out the meat but is still big on the love…….a recipe that uses local seasonal ingredients, such as the tomatoes, onions and herbs and is egg free and gluten free…..it’s a great way to get your five-a-day incorporated in to a family meal too…..and, it’s my entry for The Care to Cook Challenge, which is being run and hosted by my lovely friend Vansether over at Bangers and Mash. Vanesther is also my Guest Host for Herbs on Saturday this July, and as this has a liberal dose of oregano in the stuffing , I am also adding it to Herbs on Saturday challenge too……as well as a few more challenges, as you will see at the end of my post!
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats (Gluten Free)
Let’s talk about The Care to Cook challenge……for the last few years Vanesther has worked with a charity called TACT, which provides fostering and adoption services to help some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK. Their aim is to help these youngsters find loving homes and a fresh new start in life…….The concept of family is very important to TACT; providing a safe, stable and caring home environment is so crucial and it makes a massive difference in supporting children and young people who find themselves in the care system for all kinds of reasons. Young people need to feel valued, made to feel special and loved, and need to be listened to when they are ready to share.
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats (Gluten Free)
One of the simplest ways to bring family together and welcome new people into our home is through food. Family meals all too often are something children in care have missed out on. Because the family meal is so important, TACT has launched its very own cook book called Care to Cook, packed full of delicious starters, mains and desserts kindly donated by TACT’s adopters, supporters and staff. To help raise awareness of Care to Cook, Vanesther at Bangers & Mash is calling on food bloggers and food lovers to submit their own favourite family recipes, and one lucky person will receive a copy of the cook book signed by TACT’s new celebrity patron, TV chef and best selling cookery writer Lorraine Pascale.
So, this is where my recipe comes in; it is a family favourite, a recipe that can be made ahead of time and can even be frozen at the stuffed and oven-ready stage…..it’s NOT expensive to make and it’s VERY family friendly, my daughter used to LOVE this meal when she was little, just as much as she does now that she is all grown up! My Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats can be served with spuds, salad, bread, rice or pasta – the recipe can be increased to feed a crowd or for VERY hungry people too……it takes advantage of seasonal veggies and the oats adds extra health benefits….
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats
The last time I made a batch of these last week, I had excess stuffing, so I also used an aubergine to stuff and bake alongside the tomatoes……the excess aubergine flesh was fried separately, to add the the existing mixture, and it was delectable. One large aubergine will feed two people for a light lunch with salad. I served my Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats with a simple herb salad, using basil, which goes so well with tomatoes I think……
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats
As I mentioned earlier in my post, this humble little recipe sits in rather well with a few more blogging challenges……..so here goes my list:
As it is FRUGAL, I am entering it in to Helen of Fuss Free Flavours Frugal Food Fridays event……which, is being hosted by Jen over at Blue Kitchen Bakes……..
….and it is VERY simple and in season, so it’s a GREAT candidate for Ren’s Simple and in Season event too……which is being hosted by Fleur this month!
Another favourite event is the One Ingredient monthly challenge, which is hosted by Laura and Nazima on alternate months, and this month the ingredient is TOMATOES and Laura is hosting over at How to Cook Good Food…..
…..and finally, I am also entering this into my own Herbs on Saturday event too……hosted by the lovely Vanesther this month over at Bangers and Mash!
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats
And here is the recipe!! Have a GREAT Tuesday and see you later on……..Karen.
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats (GF)
Print recipe
| Serves | Serves 4 as a light snack or 2 as a full meal |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 45 minutes |
| Dietary | Gluten Free, Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack, Starter |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Barbecue, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Valentines day |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 4 large stuffing tomatoes (or other vegetables such as aubergines and round courgettes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 200g lean minced beef (or 2 x 100g beefburgers, crumbled)
- 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 50g oats (I like to use jumbo oats)
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional
- 150g Quorn mince (for the vegetarian option)
Note
An old family recipe that ekes out the meat by adding oats; these stuffed tomatoes can also be made veggie style by adding Quorn mince instead of minced beef, and I have even used cooked lentils before too. Four large tomatoes will serve 4 people as a light snack or starter, and 2 people as a full meal......although, it all depends on the size of the tomatoes, and larger ones can be used with smaller tomatoes, to suit an average family of different ages and with different appetite sizes! Use other vegetables too, such as aubergines, peppers or round courgettes. This is a Gluten and Egg Free stuffed tomato recipe. (The tomatoes can also be frozen at the oven ready stage.)
Directions
| Step 1 | Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C). Cut the top off the tomatoes, and carefully scoop out the middle of the tomatoes with a spoon, leaving a thickish wall of tomato. Set the tomato flesh and seeds to one side. At this stage you can sieve out the seeds if you like and just keep the tomato flesh. Chop the tomato flesh into small pieces. |
| Step 2 | Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, quite a large one, and add the diced onion - fry over a medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until it is soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, before draining and setting to one side in a bowl. |
| Step 3 | Add the minced beef or Quorn to the pan and fry over a medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the minced beef is cooked and brown. Put the onion and garlic mixture back into the pan and add the chopped tomato flesh, cook for a further 5 minutes before seasoning to taste. |
| Step 4 | Add the chopped fresh oregano, Parmesan cheese and the oats to the meat/Quorn mixture and mix well, before adjusting the seasoning to taste. |
| Step 5 | Place the tomatoes into a large baking/roasting tin or an oven proof dish and then fill them with the filling mixture, gently packing it down well into the tomatoes; replace the tomato lid on top of the stuffed tomatoes and drizzle the rest of the oil over the top of the tomatoes. Pour a little water into the baking tin or dish, and place the tomatoes in the oven, bake for 25 to 30 minutes. |
| Step 6 | Serve hot or cold with seasonal salad and lots of crusty bread for juice mopping. |
| Step 7 | NB: If there is any stuffing mixture left over, stuff another tomato or other vegetables with it, or freeze for future stuffing sessions! |
Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs & Oats
Stuffed Tomatoes and Aubergines with Herbs & Oats
PH6PTVMPGWS8
Jenny @ BAKE says
I love the idea of using oats to pad out the meat, we usually use something like couscous. Lovely idea and a lovely post!
Karen says
Thanks Jenny, I REALLY love the addition of oats in this, and it adds a lovely texture too! Karen
Camilla says
Fab recipe, have never stuffed a tomato before but will definitely make this recipe. Just love the photos with the dappled sunlight, great job!
Karen says
Thanks Camilla, and thanks for pointing out the recipe template duplication too….will see to that later when I have an hour spare! Takes forever to delete them……let me know if you make this recipe! 🙂 Karen
Jude A Trifle Rushed says
What a super recipe, and as you say a great way to spread a meal. I’m going to try and join the Care to Cook challenge as I’m already a supporter of TactCare, what a great way to get people involved in such an important issue, thank you for highlighting it.
and five challenges I’m so impressed. I find organising myself to take part in one or two a challenge, it’s all the posting of icons and links which I find exhausting, you as always are n inspiration.
Jude x
Karen says
Aw thanks so much Jude! I actually only made this for TACT and then realised that it would fit the other challenges so well, so added all the links and badges, and you are right, it took me AGES to add them!!!! I NEED to reply to your DM…..sorry for delay…..my message box has been playing up lately but now I can read my messages again! XXX 🙂 Karen
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
This sounds wonderful and I am so impressed by the recipe being gluten free and having the option to use either meat or veggie quern mince means you can cater for both. I bet it tastes equally as good with or without the meat. Now oats padding out a dish is new to me, but I love this idea and the fact that it is so cost effective!
Thanks so much for entering One Ingredient with this dish xx
Karen says
Thanks Laura! Yes, most stuffed tomatoes have breadcrumbs in them, but oats are so much nicer and give a LOVELY texture as well as flavour too! I am LOVING one ingredient this month as I am a tomato fiend! xxx Karen
Ren Behan says
A lovely recipe Karen, thanks for entering it into Simple and in Season, but more importantly, for introducing us to Care to Cook. Although I am officially on hols now I will try my best to post a recipe and submit one, too. Hope all is well. Love the tomatoes and adore stuffed aubergine, so this recipe is perfect for me.
Karen says
Thanks Ren….and VERY simple and in season too! I am a BIG lover of anything “farcie” and cannot wait for the round courgettes to come in to season, VERY soon! 🙂 Karen xxx
Jen says
Thanks for entering this into Frugal Food Fridays, this is a perfect dish for all the challenges. This is something I would definitely fancy making now that summer has arrived. Thanks also for highlighting the Care to Cook challenge as I didn’t know about it before.
Karen says
Thanks Jen – This was a PERFECT meal for the challenge and I am so glad you like my entry! 🙂 Karen
Dominic says
oooh Karen, your photo’s are divine, they are making my mouth water… stuffed toms can sometimes be so dull but these are truly incredible… what a wonderful and authentic recipe to share, thank you x… also thinking that TACT could be a good charity to be involved with mums show… what do you think?
Karen says
Thanks Dom….these were JUST delicious and SO easy to make too….the stars of the show being the LOVELY fresh seasonal tomatoes….TACT would be a GREAT idea for Mum’s Show – I suggest you have a wee word with Vanesther at Bangers and Mash! Thanks darlink! XXX 🙂 Karen
Vanesther says
Karen – this is amazing – thank you so much for submitting this into the Care to Cook Challenge – and of course Herbs on Saturday too! This is the epitome of good family food and a dish that would make any one feel incredibly welcome. I know how much this means to TACT as you’ve helped generate some fantastic awareness for the challenge and the charity amongst the blogging community – so thanks once again! 🙂
Karen says
I am SO pleased to be able to support you and this amazing charity Vansether, and I’m more than happy that you like my post too! I DO have another one up my sleeve too….hopefully if I don’t run out of time! I will keep sharing your challenge and I hope that awareness is raised in some small way…..Karen 🙂 xx
Homemade by Fleur says
Lovely recipe Karen. You just can’t beat a stuffed tomato for the perfect summer evening supper. I’m sure this will go really well with a wee glass of red too :). Thanks for entering Simple and in Season. X
Karen says
Thanks Fleur and yes, these would be SO good with a glass of chilled Chablis as well as a red!
cakeboule says
These look bursting with flavour and goodness what is not to like!
Karen says
Thanks! VERY easy and also healthier than most stuffed vegetables too!
Janice says
That looks lovely, so tasty.
Karen says
Thank Janice, these were LOVELY and yes, tasty too!
mary says
Great minds think alike! stuffed veggies are the way to go!
Mary x
Karen says
I KNOW! I LOVED yours Mary and SUPER new look on your blog too! 🙂
Javelin Warrior says
A beautiful and delicious dish for a wonderful cause, Karen – thanks so much for sharing about The Care to Cook and TACT and I’m going to pop over to read more about the challenge. I love that this is a family favorite. Some of the best recipes I’ve ever tasted are the ones that have been passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter/son, etc. Love this post…
Karen says
THANKS JW! I agree that old family recipes are often the best and can be SO simple too….food heritage is so important, and these make use of oats to “pad” out the meat, when times were hard! Karen 🙂
kellie@foodtoglow says
What a lovely lot of cooking challenges! This sounds and looks fantastic and fits the frugal bill to a tee, but with a lot of healthy ingredients that are often missing from a frugal diet. Lol that we both have stuffed tomato recipes!
Karen says
I know – we are the stuffing queens Kellie! 🙂 Karen
workinglondonmummy says
I love this recipe and the photos are wonderful. Thanks afain for linking! x
Karen says
GLAD to link up Nazima! Glad you like these stuffed toms!