Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

Bubbly cheese, a crunchy Panko topping and a caper tang are the essence of these Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes. A tasty summer side dish or appetizer.

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 that takes just over 10 minutes to put together.

The recipe is very similar to our Simple Gruyere-Topped Tomatoes, except it’s served family style instead of in individual portions.

I like to serve the cheesy broiled tomatoes over a bed of fresh baby spinach (for color 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.

Try serving the tomatoes with Easy Maple Lime Salmon, Cedar Planked Chicken,  Glazed Pork Chops or over pasta.

Tailor To Your Taste

• Instead of Gruyere cheese, use Emmental. Raclette or Jarlsberg.
• Use plum tomatoes, cut into smaller pieces, instead of cherry tomatoes. Fresh San Marzano tomatoes would be perfect.
• Use fresh oregano or thyme instead of basil.
• Use regular breadcrumbs instead of Panko.

Make Ahead Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

• Prepare the dish up until the point of broiling. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. Then broil tomato dish and serve immediately.

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Broiled Cherry Tomatoes with Cheese and Panko Crumbs Recipe

Bubbly cheese, a crunchy Panko topping and a caper tang are the essence of these Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes. A tasty summer side dish or appetizer.

Prep Time8 mins

Cook Time3 mins

Total Time11 mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Servings: 4

Author: Cheryl

Ingredients

• 3 cup cherry, grape or baby tomatoes, cut in half, seeds and some juice squeezed out
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp minced green onions
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup (3.5 oz, 100 g) grated gruyere cheese (or raclette, emmental, jarlsberg)

Panko crumb topping

• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 tsp 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.

Notes

Make Ahead: Prepare the dish up until the point of broiling. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. Then broil tomato dish and serve immediately. 

To serve as appetizer: Transfer tomatoes to a serving plate or serve directly from the pyrex dish you broiled the tomatoes in. Serve with toothpicks or a spoon to scoop tomatoes onto appetizer plates. 

If you prefer elegant, individual portions, try Simple Gruyere-Topped Tomatoes