Name: Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes with Meatball and Melted Provolone
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American. Italian
Ingredients: 4 Extra-large beefsteak tomatoes (buy the largest ones you can find); provolone cheese slices for each tomato; 1 1/2 pounds of ground sirloin; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 4 slices of Italian bread are put under water and squeezed out (or soaked in milk); 1/2 cup bread crumbs; 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, dried parsley, red pepper flakes; 2 eggs; 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated; 1 pound of penne pasta cooked to package instructions; Sauce Recipe:; 3 pounds of plum tomatoes; 1 pound ground hot Italian sausage; 1 green bell pepper sliced into long strips; 1 red bell pepper sliced into long strips; 1 orange bell pepper sliced into long strips; 1 pound of sliced mushrooms; Optional" 1/2 cup Cabernet wine or another dry red; fresh parsley for garnish

If you're searching for a hearty, low-carb Italian-inspired dinner, this stuffed beefsteak tomato recipe will be your new favorite, packed with flavor.

These beefsteak juicy extra-large tomatoes become incredibly sweet when roasted.

Stuffed with our savory homemade meatballs and topped with bubbly melted provolone, it's a comforting all-in-one meal!

As a bonus, we offer a wonderful pepper sauce to serve this spectacular stuffed tomato with a side of pasta.

Perfect for weeknights, entertaining, or as a gluten-free alternative to pasta when served just as it is.

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stuffed tomato with meatball and melted cheese on top

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Low-Carb Comfort Food: Fabulous flavor in these tomato stuffed with a meatball offers a lower-carb meal to satisfy that pasta craving (you'll never notice)
Keto and gluten-free: This is perfect for keto or gluten-free diets.
Great for Meal Prep: Make the meatballs ahead and assemble when ready to bake.
Impressive: A show-stopping dish with just basic ingredients and under 1 hour from prep to table.

Other Stuffing Suggestions

use the scooped-out tomatoe with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and any kind of olives
add Italian sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sliced peppers
add shaved meats like pork or steak with onions, sauce, any kind of melted cheese, and hot sauce
diced boneless cooked chicken breasts, tomato sauce, sprinkled with bread crumbs topped with mozzarella cheese
shrimp, parmesan, tomato sauce, garlic, mozzarella (or use another mild fish)
buffalo chicken using tenders, buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar ( you can add rice also and black beans)
white canned beans, rice, tomato sauce, and mozzarella
chicken with bacon, peppers, onions, cheddar, mushrooms, rice, and use a chicken gravy
ground beef with Italian seasoning and garlic
ground turkey or chicken with any of the seasoning suggestions
lamb with allspice, cinnamon, or 7-spice seasoning
ground pork (barbecue seasoning or sauce)
a combination of rice, ground beef, feta cheese, and tomatoes
Italian loose sausage with Italian seasoning
seafood, rice, diced with lemon pepper, garlic
diced kielbasa, sauerkraut, cooked rice and tomatoes
leftover chili

Vegetarian with Rice

diced tomatoes
peppers
zucchini
middles
grated with rice
onion
mushrooms
cubed eggplant
olives
asparagus
diced carrots
shaved shredded cabbage
beans of any kind

collage on tomatoes stuffed and unstuffed

Tips & Variations

Use turkey or chicken for a leaner version.
Add marinara sauce under the tomatoes for extra moisture and flavor.
Turn leftovers into a stuffed tomato pasta spectacular and chop them into pasta
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes or microwave until hot.
Can I use other types of tomatoes? Yes, but beefsteak tomatoes are best due to their size and firmness.
Can I make these ahead? Yes! Prep the meatballs and hollow out the tomatoes a day in advance.
Is this recipe gluten-free? Swap breadcrumbs for almond flour or gluten-free crumbs.

Cooking Methods

Stovetop: Simmer the tomatoes stuffed in 1 inch of water, let them steam for around 25 minutes, then test them with a fork to see if they are soft
Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to the bottom, set on pressure cooker mode for 20 minutes
Slow Cooker: Place on high for 4 hours, adding 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup tomato sauce on the bottom first.

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American. Italian

Yield: 4

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes with Meatball and Melted Provolone

Stuffed beefsteak tomatoes with meatball mixture, topped with melted provolone

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

4 Extra-large beefsteak tomatoes (buy the largest ones you can find)
provolone cheese slices for each tomato
1 1/2 pounds of ground sirloin
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 slices of Italian bread are put under water and squeezed out (or soaked in milk)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, dried parsley, red pepper flakes
2 eggs
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
1 pound of penne pasta cooked to package instructions
Sauce Recipe:
3 pounds of plum tomatoes
1 pound ground hot Italian sausage
1 green bell pepper sliced into long strips
1 red bell pepper sliced into long strips
1 orange bell pepper sliced into long strips
1 pound of sliced mushrooms
Optional" 1/2 cup Cabernet wine or another dry red
fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Prepare a cookie sheet for tomatoes, lined with tin foil and sprayed with cooking oil. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
Large Beef Steak Tomatoes:
On the large tomatoes, cut around the inner wall, removing and keeping the pulp walls and just hollowing out, setting the pulp aside for stuffing.
Meatball Stuffing Mixture:
Mix the ground sirloin with all the herbs, spices, squeezed-out bread, bread crumbs, eggs, and 1/4 cup Romano cheese. Mix well.
Stuff the Large Tomatoes:
Stuff the large tomatoes with the meatball mixture.
Bake on a prepared foil-lined cookie sheet at 400 degrees for around 35 minutes or until meat is cooked.
You can carefully remove any oil with a turkey baster if desired.
Place a slice of provolone cheese on top of each tomato.
Bake till cheese is melted, around 5 more minutes or broil for crisper cheese for 1 minute on high.
Fresh Tomato Sausage, Peppers, and Mushroom Sauce:
In a large fry pan, saute sausage till pink is gone, around 5 minutes.
Drain fat.
Add the peppers, mushrooms, and minced garlic, and continue to saute 8 minutes.
Cut the stems out and the cores off the tops of the plum tomatoes.
Add the plum tomatoes(skins and all) along with the large tomato (left over pulp from scooping out) into a food processor and pulse till all is pureed.
Pour all the fresh tomatoes ( with wine if using) into the fry pan with sausage and vegetables, and simmer the sauce on low heat until most of the water is evaporated.
Add 1/4 cup of grated cheese to the pan.
Serve with Pasta:
Boil penne pasta in salted water to your desired doneness. We like al dente.
Drain, pour the sauce over the pasta, garnish with parsley, and more cheese.
Serve the tomato as a side dish with pasta and sauce.

Notes

Other Stuffing Suggestions

use the scooped-out tomatoe with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and any kind of olives
add Italian sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sliced peppers
add shaved meats like pork or steak with onions, sauce, any kind of melted cheese, and hot sauce
diced boneless cooked chicken breasts, tomato sauce, sprinkled with bread crumbs topped with mozzarella cheese
shrimp, parmesan, tomato sauce, garlic, mozzarella (or use another mild fish)
buffalo chicken using tenders, buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar ( you can add rice also and black beans)
white canned beans, rice, tomato sauce, and mozzarella
chicken with bacon, peppers, onions, cheddar, mushrooms, rice, and use a chicken gravy
ground beef with Italian seasoning and garlic
ground turkey or chicken with any of the seasoning suggestions
lamb with allspice, cinnamon, or 7-spice seasoning
ground pork (barbecue seasoning or sauce)
a combination of rice, ground beef, feta cheese, and tomatoes
Italian loose sausage with Italian seasoning
seafood, rice, diced with lemon pepper, garlic
diced kielbasa, sauerkraut, cooked rice and tomatoes
leftover chili
fill the tomato with a flavored box rice
add chopped deli meats

Vegetarian with Rice:

diced tomatoes
peppers
zucchini
middles
grated with rice
onion
mushrooms
cubed eggplant
olives
asparagus
diced carrots
shaved shredded cabbage
beans of any kind

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1529

Fat (grams)

72 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

27 g

Carbs (grams)

133 g

Fiber (grams)

16 g

Net carbs

117 g

Sugar (grams)

27 g

Protein (grams)

83 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1311 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

300 mg

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