Baked Tomatoes with Cheese

Name: Baked Tomatoes with Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 1/2 large, cut into 1-inch slices Tomato (Roma); 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar Cheese; 1/4 teaspoon Dried oregano; 1/8 teaspoon Garlic powder; to taste Salt and black pepper

Thick tomato slices baked under cheese, oregano and garlic — a hot appetizer at 59 calories.

59kcal per serving

2.9gprotein

3.7gcarbs

3.6gfat

62 mgsodium

Sodium is calculated without salt added to taste.

Estimated; may vary.

Prep5 min

Cook10 min

Total15 min

Makes1 serving

DifficultyEasy

Thick tomato slices under a thin layer of shredded cheese, oregano and garlic, baked at 400°F until the cheese browns. Two slices come to about 59 calories with 2.9 g of protein — a hot appetizer that takes fifteen minutes and needs no pastry, no crumbs and no frying.

Cut the slices a full inch thick. Thin slices collapse into liquid before the cheese colours, and you end up with a wet dish instead of a bite you can pick up. A single layer in a shallow dish matters too: crowded slices steam each other and never brown.

Assemble the tray in the afternoon, cover it, and slide it into the oven when guests are at the door — ten minutes and it is done. It does not travel, so keep this one for parties at home and serve it straight from the dish while the cheese is still bubbling.

Ingredients

Servings

Tomato (Roma)1/2 large, cut into 1-inch slices (91 g)
Cheddar Cheese1 1/2 tablespoons shredded (9.5 g)
Dried oregano1/4 teaspoon
Garlic powder1/8 teaspoon
Salt and black pepperto taste

Cook’s tips

One inch thick is the rule. Thinner slices turn to liquid in the oven before the cheese has any colour.
Leave space between the slices in the dish; crowded tomatoes steam instead of browning.
Assemble up to four hours ahead, keep covered in the fridge, and bake straight from cold, adding two minutes.
Contains: milk (shredded cheese).
Naturally gluten-free as written. For a dairy-free tray, use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and dry bread crumbs instead of cheese, which browns in the same way.

Method

Wash your hands and all surfaces before you start.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut the tomato into slices about 1 inch thick and lay them in a shallow baking dish in a single layer.
Mix the shredded cheese with the oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the tomato slices.
Bake 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Serve warm, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

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