Considering we are at the peak of tomato season, I thought it would be appropriate to share a tomato-packed recipe that has become one of our summer dinner favorites. I can’t resist taking advantage of tomatoes while they’re in season and oftentimes buy them in bulk or snatch up the pretty heirlooms at my local farmer’s market. If you’re anything like me and have an arsenal of tomatoes sitting on your counter just waiting to serve their purpose, then I am here to alleviate the angst and make sure that those tomatoes fulfill their destiny.
This dish is flavorful, filling, quick to throw together, and requires zero stove-top time! Quinoa is the main star of the filling and gets “beefed” up with tomatoes, beans, and spiced with taco seasoning. Taking the extra step to stuff the tomatoes turns it into an impressively presented, made-with-love, healthy dinner.
These have been in our dinner rotation all summer and get cleaned up every time. Reminiscent of taco salad, they will be gobbled up by your family in the blink of an eye!
Simply gather your ingredients.
Place all the ingredients in an oven-proof baking dish and give it a stir to combine.
Then, cover with aluminum foil and pop it in a 350°F oven for 55-65 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked. Set aside to cool.
Once the dish is removed from the oven, slice off the tops of four beefsteak tomatoes and remove their seeds with a large spoon to create a cavity.
Fluff the quinoa filling with a fork and fill each tomato cavity.
The tomatoes then go back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle some more cheese over each tomato and pop it back in the oven for another minute or so, until the cheese has melted. Finally, garnish with some fresh cilantro and serve.
Taco Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 Can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 Cup Mexican-style shredded cheese blend, divided
- 1 Cup water
- ¾ Cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- ½ Can (7.5 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ Packet (17.5 grams) taco seasoning
- ½ Cup fresh cilantro, chopped, divided
- Juice from 1 lime
- 4 beefsteak tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In an oven-safe baking dish, combine the diced tomatoes, ½ cup of cheese, water, quinoa, beans, taco seasoning, ¼ cup of cilantro, and lime juice. Stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 55-65 minutes or until the quinoa is tender. Set aside to cool slightly before fluffing with a fork.
- Cut off the tops of the beefsteak tomatoes. Carve out the seeds with a large spoon to create a cavity. Fill the tomato cavity with the cooked quinoa. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle each stuffed tomato with the remaining cheese and return to the oven for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Garnish with the remaining cilantro.
These look wonderful! I’ve only made stuffed peppers before, not tomatoes, but I have a feeling I’ll like these even more than stuffed peppers.
:) I can only take bell peppers in small increments (aka diced), so these juicy tomatoes worked very well for my palate :D
I really like how this one was written :) Such flair
I have my moments :)