Easy Baked Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

This easy recipe for Baked Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes has only 5 ingredients and can be made in 20 minutes or less! They have an amazing balance of textures and flavors and make the best side dish when tomatoes are in season.

Whether it's my legendary Sun Gold Tomato Pasta or the world's greatest Tomato Salad, you can always find me making anything and everything tomato related when it's peak season. Fun fact: This recipe helped me get cast on Season 10 of Food Network Star!

Why this recipe works

• Easy, beginner friendly recipe - anyone can make this!
• Only 5 simple ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare.
• The juicy, ripe tomatoes combined with the oniony chives, tangy, creamy goat cheese and crispy Panko breadcrumbs has an incredible mix of textures and flavors!
• The breadcrumbs are toasted separately and added after baking to ensure they stay crisp and don't get soggy from the tomato juice.

Essential Ingredients

• Tomatoes - This recipe should only be made when tomatoes are in season and at their peak. Look for small to medium sized tomatoes that are round and uniform in size. It helps if they have a flat bottom, but if not you can always slice a tiny piece off the bottom to make them more sturdy.
• Goat Cheese - Use fresh goat cheese or Chèvre for these stuffed tomatoes, not an aged goat cheese. It helps to let the goat cheese come to room temperature an hour or so before using so it's easier to mix.
• Chives - I've tried every single type of herb in these tomatoes and I have to say, chives are the undisputed winner. They add a mild oniony bite that pairs beautifully with the other flavors. If you can't find chives, use very thinly sliced scallions, but only the dark green parts - the light green and white parts are too strong.
• Breadcrumbs - Panko is the best option, as they are so light and crispy, they make the perfect topping for the stuffed tomatoes. Coarse homemade breadcrumbs would also be great.

Step by step instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil the bottom of a small baking dish.
2. If the tomatoes are wobbly, slice a tiny piece of flesh off of the bottoms to make them stand up straight.
3. Cut out the top of each tomato and scoop out some of the flesh. 
4. Liberally season the cavities with salt and pepper, then place in the baking dish. 
5. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese, chives and a little bit of pepper (no salt - the cheese is salty enough). 
6. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and stuff it into the cavity of each tomato. 
7. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to soften and the filling is heated through.
8. While the tomatoes bake, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat, then add the panko and stir. 
9. Toss the breadcrumbs around in the pan continuously until they turn golden brown and crisp. 
10. Top each tomato with the toasted breadcrumbs, sprinkle with more chopped chives and serve.

Tips for success

• Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom of the tomato, make sure there is enough flesh to hold in the filling.
• Try to find tomatoes that are all uniform in size so that the portions are even.
• Don't throw away the tomato juice, seeds and pulp that you scoop out! Add it to Gazpacho, tomato risotto, tomato fritters or pan con tomate!
• Season the tomato cavity generously with salt and pepper - trust me, it needs it!
• Season the goat cheese with pepper only - it's salty enough already.

Faq about Baked Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

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