Stuffed Breakfast Tomatoes

The idea of stuffing a fruit or a vegetable has always been very appealing to me. Whether my orzo stuffed peppers or my stuffed zuchini with vegetable rice and cheese, I think that the concept is fun and allows for a lot of creativity. So of course when I came across a recipe for tomatoes filled with eggs I jumped on the chance to try it out.

The first time I made this for breakfast I had chosen tomatoes that were too small which was a big mistake. When I had originally cracked the egg into the tomato it had fit perfectly, but I forgot to account for the fact that the egg would expand during the baking process. My lovely stuffed tomato turned into an overflowing mess and a large portion of the egg ended up on the baking tray instead of inside the tomato.

This time, I used hot house tomatoes which were very big and wide. When I cracked the egg into the tomato there was about a centimeter of space between the surface of the egg and the top edges of the tomato. This was the perfect amount because it accommodated the egg once it baked and allowed it to puff out a little on top without overflowing.

Once I used the properly sized tomato, the only difficulty remaining was to make sure I didn't overbake the egg. Unfortunately, I was not as successful in that department. Due to the fact that I plated the tomatoes and took pictures of them for five minutes, they became a little cold so I decided to put them back in the oven to warm them up a little. Obviously I kept them in too long because instead of having a runny egg yolk when I cut into it, I was left with one hard boiled and one soft boiled egg. Still, I'm crazy about eggs and I enjoyed the delicious combination of the eggs, cheese, parsley, and tomato. There are of course variations that can be made, such as using dill instead of parsley or even some green onions. I saw one version online that had a little minced garlic inside the tomato. I wanted to keep my breakfast nice and simple, so I stuck to the basics, but maybe next time I'll try it a different way.

Stuffed Breakfast Tomatoes

• 2 hot house tomatoes
• 2 medium sized eggs
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper

1. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and then carefully hollow them out. Leave the walls of the tomato as intact as possible.
2. Sprinkle some salt and pepper along the bottom and walls of the tomatoes.
3. Add some Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and use your fingers to evenly rub the mixture all along the inside of the tomatoes.
4. Carefully crack one egg into each tomato.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, or until the egg whites are set. During the last five minutes, sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan and parsley on top and then return to the oven. Don't keep them in the oven too long otherwise the eggs will overbake.