Bacon Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes make good, bite-sized appetizers!
I love these little appetizers because they’re both pretty and delicious. You don’t see stuffed cherry tomatoes often on a food table at parties (because nobody bothers to make them), but they are a welcome sight! The filling for the cherry tomatoes is basically a bacon salad (think “chicken salad,” but with bacon instead.) And you’ll need only four ingredients to make them.
Ingredients needed:
- bacon
- mayonnaise
- green onions
- cherry tomatoes
How to make Bacon Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes:
Prepare the filling first. The first thing you’ll do is cook the bacon. Once it’s cooked and crisp, you’ll crumble it apart into small pieces. The bacon is combined with mayonnaise and chopped green onions. That’s the filling!
To prepare the cherry tomatoes, you’ll use a sharp knife to slice off a tiny bit of the bottom of each tomato. This will help them stand upright when on the platter. Then you’ll take a melon baller or a tomato corer (Amazon affiliate links) and scoop the pulp out of the center of each tomato. Then you will want to turn the hollowed-out tomatoes upside down on paper towels for a while so they drain of any excess juices. You can then use the scoop to fill each tomato with the bacon salad filling.
How to cook bacon in the oven:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the bacon on the baking sheet. Don’t overlap the bacon or it will all stick together! Bake the bacon for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp. The time varies depending on how thick your bacon is. Move the bacon slices to paper towels to drain.
Make ahead tips:
These Bacon Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes are easy to prep ahead of time. Scoop out the tomatoes, and drain them on paper towels. You can cover and refrigerate them until ready to use. I’d feel comfortable prepping the tomatoes one day ahead.
For the filling, I suggest mixing it the same day (cook the bacon a day ahead). Combine the filling ingredients, and cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Stuff the tomatoes up to a couple of hours before party time. Keep refrigerated until the party begins.
You can garnish with a little bit of chopped fresh parsley, if you’d like. Enjoy!
Here are a few more recipes using cherry tomatoes that you might like to try:
- Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes
- Summer Squash with Cherry Tomatoes
- Salmon Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
- Cherry Tomato and Blue Cheese Salad
- Sautéed Tomatoes with Thyme
- Caesar Salad with Pancetta and Roasted Tomatoes
- BLT Salmon
- Orzo Salad with Corn, Green Beans and Tomatoes
Bacon Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds bacon, cooked until crisp (see Recipe Notes below)
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (can use light)
- 24 cherry tomatoes, stems removed
Instructions
- Dice or crumble into very small pieces.
- In a medium bowl, combine the bacon, onions and mayonnaise.
- Place the tomatoes stem side down on cutting board. Cut a thin slice off the bottom. Scoop out the pulp with a melon ball scooper. Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel for 30 minutes to drain.
- Fill the tomatoes with the bacon mixture. Refrigerate several hours, or overnight.
Notes
- *If you can find one, they do sell small serrated scoopers that are specifically designed for scooping out the pulp of cherry tomatoes. They are a little easier to work with than a melon ball scooper. Check out specialty food or kitchen shops for this cool tool.
- How to cook bacon in the oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the bacon on the baking sheet. Don't overlap the bacon or it will all stick together! Bake the bacon for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp. The time varies depending on how thick your bacon is. Move the bacon slices to paper towels to drain.
- If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, just be sure to use brands of mayonnaise and bacon that are known to be GF.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use bacon bits rather than real bacon?
I suppose so!