Juicy Baked Stuffed Tomato Recipe | Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home | KQED

Presenter / Source

Jacques Pépin, “Cooking at Home” (KQED video)

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Ingredients (with quantities / what’s specified)

For 2 large tomatoes (noted as 4 half-tomatoes):

• Bread: at least 2 slices
  • Chopped/made into stuffing; described as about 1 cup bread, plus “a cup and 1/4 bread left” (suggesting guidance for stuffing quantity)
• Egg: 1 egg (put directly in so the bread soaks)
• Chives: “a little bit”
• Spinach: “my spinach” (quantity not specified)
• Swiss cheese: about 1/4 cup
• Onion: about 1/4 cup (chopped)
• Mushrooms: “leftover mushroom”
  • Uses 2 pieces if that’s what’s on hand; otherwise use less or none
• Zucchini / carrot: optional small pieces “if available” (from whatever you have)
• Garlic: a nice big clove
• Salt: to taste (used on components and on top of tomatoes)
• Pepper: to taste
• Olive oil:
  • Some on stuffing
  • More on top: about 2 tablespoons (explicit)
• Parmesan cheese: “a bit” (sprinkled on top)

Optional variation:

• Sausage: “if I had a sausage, you could put a sausage in it” (no quantity given)

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Equipment / prep

• Knife (for chopping/mincing)
• Food processor (optional for bread)
• Bowl for mixing stuffing
• Oven, preheated to 400°F / ~200°C
• Tools/notes implied by mixing (e.g., bowl scraping / “glass clinking”)
• Cutting/digging out tomatoes to create shells for stuffing

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Step-by-step method (technique + timing/temperature)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Make stuffing base from bread:
   • Put bread in a bowl (or process in a food processor).
   • Add 1 egg directly so the bread starts soaking.
3. Add aromatics/vegetables and cheeses:
   • Mix in chives, spinach, Swiss cheese (~1/4 cup), onion (~1/4 cup), and chopped leftover mushrooms (about two pieces if that’s what’s available).
   • Add optional zucchini and carrot if available.
   • Mince/crush garlic (“a nice big clove”) and add it.
   • Season with salt and pepper.
4. Prepare tomatoes:
   • For two tomatoes, dig out the insides to create cavities and stuff them.
   • He also notes stuffing can be piled on top of half-tomatoes (“it’s just as good”).
5. Assemble:
   • Pile stuffing into the tomato cavities/halves.
   • Sprinkle salt on top of the tomatoes and add some olive oil.
   • Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil on top (explicit).
   • Sprinkle Parmesan on top.
6. Bake:
   • Bake at 400°F for 30–40 minutes.
7. Doneness / finishing:
   • Cook until tomatoes are nice and tender.
   • Optional finishing: add a little more olive oil on top after baking.

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Chef tips / flexibility & serving ideas

• Use what you have: the stuffing is flexible—adjust if you don’t have mushrooms or don’t have all vegetables.
• Vegetarian is fine: this version is explicitly vegetarian, but sausage is mentioned as an add-in option.
• Serving suggestion: baked stuffed tomatoes can serve as a garnish for steak or fish.

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Variations mentioned (concise)

• Add sausage (if available).
• Swap/add vegetables: leftover mushrooms; optionally zucchini or carrot.
• Cheese approach: Swiss inside the mix and Parmesan on top (no substitutes specified).