You will love these Baked Tomatoes
Oven Baked tomatoes with mozzarella and parmesan is one of those evergreen appetizer dish that tastes SO GOOD, either way - hot or cold! These tender baked goodies are just too tasty to resist! You will never get bored of this tomato recipe with fresh flavors and simple ingredients. It hardly takes any effort to put together. You just have to slice up tomatoes, season and cover them with cheese and your favorite herb, pop them in the oven and you are done! These little cheesy and tasty tomatoes are ready in 15 minutes. Yes, that is all it takes! This healthy dish is anytime favorite with kids to pack for their school snack box or lunch. This baked tomato recipe is a perfect quick fix meal with crusty bread to satisfy your hunger pangs. Don’t forget to bake some extra for yourself as a treat for your midnight snacking. It’s so addictive! Did I tell you that it’s low carb, and gluten-free? Whenever you need to make something really quick and easy for a snack or an appetizer or even for a main meal, make this tomato recipe with herbs and cheese. This won’t disappoint you! *If you are a fan of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan with herbs like me, why not give a try to these classic summer recipes:
Caprese Salad - a classic family favorite as a side or on toast.Tomato Mozzarella Salad - a dish with fresh flavors, all time favorite.Tomato Basil Soup - You just can’t say ‘No’ to this delicious soup!Pesto Pasta Salad - this is on repeat in our family all year round.
Ingredients
You will only need a handful of ingredients for this so simple and terrific baked tomato recipe. It is so easy, you can simply count them on fingers, you don’t even need to memorize the ingredients list. Here’s what you will need: Tomatoes: Go for large, firm, and ripe tomatoes that’s meaty and juicy, both! I used Beefsteak tomato for this recipe. Mozzarella Cheese: I love to add this cheese especially when I bake tomatoes for kids. Honestly, it’s even my favorite! Even a slight touch of this cheese adds so much of a pizza like flavor to the tomatoes. Parmesan Cheese: It adds tons of flavor to the tomatoes in this recipe making it simply irresistible. You just can’t go wrong with parmesan cheese in soups, salad, dips or sides (our favorite creamed spinach) or savory baked recipes like this one or Turkey Meatballs, Cauliflower Parmesan or Rosemary Potatoes. Fresh Thyme: Adds freshness and earthy flavors to the dish. You can use dried thyme though. Olive Oil: A good quality organic olive oil gives unique flavor and tastes amazing with tomatoes. Salt and Pepper: Season to taste.
How to bake tomatoes with cheese?
To start with, preheat the oven at 400 degrees F. Line the baking sheet pan with parchment paper. NOTE: Parchment lining of a sheet pan makes clean up super easy, no mess at all!
Next, place the sliced tomatoes on lined sheet pan, brush with olive oil and sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper.
Top the seasoned tomato slices with grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle fresh thyme over the slices, now it is ready to go in the pre-heated oven.
Bake for about 6-8 minutes or until cheese starts to melt and turn brown. Turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes for more color on cheese (this is an optional step).
Allow the baked tomato to rest for couple of minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme or chopped parsley.
*Do you see that gooey mozzarella cheese in the pan, gather them along with each tomato slice and serve immediately on a plate as a side with bread, it tastes heavenly, YUM!
Expert Tips
Use firm ripe tomatoes that are juicy and meaty - feel free to use roma or plum tomatoes, heirloom and even cherry tomatoes instead of beefsteak variety.Avoid over baking the tomatoes as they will turn mushy.If fresh thyme is not your thing, you have freedom to use any other fresh or dried herbs you like. You can use dried or fresh basil, oregano, parsley or try my flavorful Homemade Italian Seasoning, you will love it for sure!If you don’t want to use mozzarella, try and use white or yellow cheddar, gouda, fontina and even feta cheese for this recipe.
Serving Ideas
This baked tomato is me and my little one’s favorite way to eat tomato and cheese with a fried or poached egg along side with toasted sourdough bread or baguette for breakfast and of-course as a main dish too! You can serve this as a side with steaks, grilled or baked chicken, fish like salmon or cod along with some fresh salads of choice.
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If you made this Baked Tomato Recipe that is honestly the best and so easy to make, then please be sure to rate and review this soup below! If you’d like more deliciously easy recipe inspirations, follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or YouTube. You can also get all of my newest content delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my email newsletter.