French Stuffed Tomatoes (Tomates Farcies)

A traditional French home-cooked classic featuring juicy whole tomatoes hollowed out and stuffed with a savory mixture of seasoned ground beef, onions, herbs, and melted Gruyère cheese. Baked until tender and perfect when served over a bed of warm white rice.

Ingredients

• 8 medium tomatoes (2 per person)
• 300g (approx. 10.5 oz) ground beef
• 1 to 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp herbs of choice (parsley, oregano, or cumin)
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Slice the top cap off each tomato and place them to the side to use as lids; arrange the hollowed bodies in an oven-safe baking dish.
3. Use a spoon to scoop out the interior pulp and seeds of the tomatoes, reserving the flesh in a mixing bowl.
4. Finely chop the onions and add them to the bowl with the reserved tomato pulp, ground beef, Gruyère cheese, olive oil, and herbs (parsley, oregano, or cumin); season with salt and pepper and mix well until combined.
5. Spoon the seasoned beef mixture evenly into each hollowed tomato shell.
6. Optionally place a tiny dab of butter on top of the meat filling for extra richness.
7. Place the reserved tomato tops back on as lids.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and the meat filling is fully cooked through.
9. Serve warm, ideally accompanied by steamed white rice.