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 |
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.
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! |
