Tabouli Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

Well, it is almost the end of August, which for many, marks the conclusion of vacation days and pool time for the year.  School started again today (hard to believe I’m already halfway through college!), which also means not only is there no more vacation, but there’s also no more free time- at all. Oh joy.

I know during the busy fall season, which we are so quickly approaching, there’s rarely enough time to prepare a long and time consuming meal. Thus, I am giving you this little gift of a recipe. These tabouli stuffed tomatoes are easy and delectable. You can make the tabouli that morning before class or work, or even the day before it you’d like! Once the tabouli is prepared, all that’s left is a few minutes of baking and wa-la! You have a delicious and simple entrée dish on your hand.

Pair these tomatoes with some Parmesan Zucchini chips or a tossed salad and you will have a five-star meal. You might even have a few moments of free time!

Ingredients:

• 4 Large tomatoes
• ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• ¼- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 box of Tabouli
• 2 Tbl olive oil (or amount directed necessary on the tabouli box)
• juice from ½ a lemon

Directions:

1. Prepare tabouli as instructed on the box- usually this involved adding about 2 cups hot water to the dry tabouli, allowing it to sit, covered, in the refrigerator for one hour.  Then add the olive oil and lemon juice, and allow the tabouli to sit another 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator.
2. Once tabouli is ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8 inch cooking pan with a light layer of non-stick cooking spray.
3. Slice a layer off of the top of each tomato, removing the stem and allowing an opening in the top of the tomato.
4. Using a spoon, remove the inside of the tomato, both the meat and seeds. Be careful not to poke through the side or bottom of the tomato! Generally you can scrape along the inside of the tomato’s wall, removing the flesh from thick layer of skin.
5. Arrange each tomato in the dish so that they can stand up on their own.
6. Fill each tomato with an even amount of tabouli.
7. Cover the tabouli with a thin layer of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and warm all the way through.
9. Serve and enjoy!

 

Notes and Tips!:

• This recipe is super easy, but time management is crucial! You don’t want to forget to make the tabouli in advance because it takes an hour minimum to set. It is perfectly fine to prepare the tabouli several hours, or even a day, in advance, as long as it is stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
• If you like this recipe, you may also like: Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes, Mint, and Goat Cheese