Brandon O’Dell (Friend that Cooks Home Chef Service, Wichita, Kansas)
Serves 10
This is a very simple stuffed cherry tomato recipe that resembles the popular flavor of BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) sandwiches. These tomatoes add beauty to any food table, and are incredibly flavorful, while still being very simple.
1 pint cherry tomatoes
¼ pound crisp cooked bacon
1 cup parsley
½ cup mayonnaise
Start by using a sharp paring knife to cut a flat base on the bottom of each cherry tomato (do not cut off too much, but just enough to give the tomato a small, flat base). With the same knife inverted downward, cut out the stem area of the tomato, creating a circular opening ¾ the diameter of the tomato, and hollowing out at least half of the inside of the tomato without cutting to the bottom of the tomato. Place the tomatoes to the side to drain while you prepare the filling.
Break the bacon into pieces by hand and place in a food processor. Add the parsley and mayonnaise. Blend until all the pieces are small enough to be piped through a ⅜-inch opening. If the ingredients seem too dry to pipe, add mayonnaise until the filling is the correct mixture.
Put the filling mixture into a pastry bag, or create a makeshift pastry bag by putting the mixture into a 1-gallon plastic storage bag, and cutting a corner to make an opening a little less than ½ inch. Twist top, pipe the mixture into the openings of the tomatoes, and chill until it is time to serve.