Bubbly cheese, a crunchy topping and a caper tang make these Broiled Cherry Tomatoes with Cheese and Panko Crumbs a winner summer side dish.
This is a great way to jazz up cherry tomatoes or any tomatoes for that matter. The Dijon, basil and capers give it some depth and brightness while the cheese and buttery panko topping add richness and texture. All together…a very tasty vegetarian side.
The recipe is very similar to our Simple Gruyere-Topped Tomatoes, but served family style instead of in individual portions.
The dish can be made ahead, up to the point where it needs to be broiled which only takes a few minutes. I like to serve it over a bed of fresh baby spinach (for colour and extra veggies) so I just scoop it off the pan with a spatula onto a platter lined with spinach. You can, however, make it and serve in a pyrex baking dish. Hmm…come to think of it, you can even line the bottom of a pyrex dish with the spinach and layer the tomatoes, cheese and panko topping, then broil the whole thing. I’ll have to try that next time.
Try serving the tomatoes with Easy Maple Lime Salmon, Cedar Planked Chicken, Glazed Pork Chops or over pasta.
Substitutes
- Instead of Gruyere cheese, use Emmental. Raclette or Jarlsberg.
- Use plum tomatoes, cut into smaller pieces, instead of cherry tomatoes.
- Use fresh oregano or thyme instead of basil.
- Use regular breadcrumbs instead of Panko.
Broiled Cherry Tomatoes with Cheese and Panko Crumbs Recipe
Bubbly cheese, a crunch topping and a caper tang make this Broiled Cherry Tomatoes with Cheese and Panko Crumbs a winner summer side dish.
- Prep Time:8m
- Cook Time:3m
- Total Time:11m
- Yield: 3-4 servings
- Category: brunch, make ahead, Recipes, sides, under 30 minutes, vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry, grape or baby tomatoes, cut in half, seeds and some juice squeezed out
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons minced green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup (3.5 oz, 100 g) grated gruyere cheese (or raclette, emmental, jarlsberg)
Panko crumb topping
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Set oven to BROIL and position one oven rack 8-10 inches from the top.
- PREPARE TOMATOES: Line a small baking pan with foil and spray with oil. (Alternatively, spray a pyrex baking dish, about 9 inches, with oil.) Add halved tomatoes, Dijon, green onions and garlic. Mix to combine. Sprinkle gruyere cheese evenly over the top.
- PREPARE CRUMB TOPPING: Add all crumb topping ingredients to a small bowl and mix well to combine. If not using Parmesan cheese, add salt to taste. Sprinkle crumb topping over tomatoes and cheese dish evenly. At this point, you can set the dish aside to be broiled before serving.
- BROIL: Broil tomato dish 8-10 inches from the heat source (top) for about 3 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and crumb topping is lightly browned. Watch that it doesn't burn.
- SERVE: Serve directly from dish (if you used a pyrex dish) or, if using a pan, transfer to a shallow serving dish with a spatula. (I line my dish with fresh baby spinach or kale, then spoon tomatoes on top). Serve immediately.
If you prefer elegant, individual portions, try Simple Gruyere-Topped Tomatoes