Grilled Tomatoes Stuffed With Bacon Basil Blue Cheese Recipes

BAKED TOMATOES STUFFED WITH CREAMY STOVETOP BACON MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the mac and cheese: In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
• Set an extra-large skillet, or a large heavy saucepan, over medium-low heat and cook the bacon until crispy and the fat renders out, 10 to 12 minutes. Set the bacon aside, reserving the fat to build your sauce. At this point you should have about 1/4 cup of reserved fat. If needed, add some olive oil or butter to make sure you have a 1/4 cup of fat in the pan.
• Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't brown). Continuing to whisk, add 3 cups of the hot milk and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the dry mustard, and then gradually add the Cheddar and Muenster cheeses, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce. Stir in the hot sauce and the remaining 1 cup milk. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Stir in the crispy bacon and season with salt and pepper. You'll need 1 to 2 cups of mac and cheese for the tomatoes.
• For the baked tomatoes: Set your oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to broil.
• Using a paring knife, remove the tops of your tomatoes (the stem end), and then carefully hollow each one out with a spoon. You want to create a bowl, while removing all the seeds and some of the flesh, leaving about 1/2-inch of flesh in each tomato.
• Season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Then stuff each one with as much mac and cheese as you can, 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
• Mix the panko, Parmesan and parsley together, and season with salt and pepper. Pile some of the breadcrumb topping onto each tomato. Each one will accommodate about 2 tablespoons of the topping. Now, drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, so the panko browns up nicely.
• Broil the tomatoes until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.

GRILLED BACON-TOMATO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Top 2 slices of bread with a slice of cheese each; layer each with 2 tomato slices, 2 bacon strips, half of the basil and another cheese slice. Top with remaining bread. Brush dressing over outside of sandwiches., In a large skillet over medium heat, toast sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted.

TOMATO BACON GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Lay 4 slices of bread, butter side down, in the skillet. Top with a slice of cheese, 2 slices tomato, bacon, and another slice of cheese. Cover with a slice of bread, butter side out. Fry sandwiches until golden on both sides.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES WITH BACON, BLUE CHEESE, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Cut 1 round from each bread slice with cookie cutter.
• Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until crisp, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off bacon fat from skillet and reserve fat (do not clean skillet).
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast 3 bread rounds, turning over once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool and season with salt and pepper. Toast remaining 3 bread rounds in 1 1/2 tablespoons more oil in same manner.
• Cook shallot in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and simmer, whisking, until emulsified, about 1 minute. Season dressing with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.
• Crumble bacon. Arrange bread rounds on 6 plates and divide tomato slices among them, stacking slices and sprinkling some basil and bacon between slices. Sprinkle cheese and remaining basil and bacon over and around tomatoes. Spoon some of warm bacon dressing over and around tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

GRILLED MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH BASIL AND BLUE CHEESE BUTTER

Steps:

• Coat tops of mushrooms with olive oil. Place mushrooms top-down in a grill-safe dish.
• Mix blue cheese, butter, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper thoroughly in a bowl. Scoop evenly into the mushroom caps.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook mushrooms until tender and heated through, about 5 minutes.

TOMATO-BASIL GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Layer the cheese, basil and tomatoes on four bread slices. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top with remaining bread. Spread outsides of sandwiches with butter., Cook in a preheated panini maker or indoor electric grill until bread is browned and cheese is melted.

GRILLED TOMATOES STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SAGE

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons fresh sage and fry 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer fried sage to paper towel.
• Combine cheese, onions, shallot, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon fresh sage in bowl. Season with pepper. Using small sharp knife, remove cone-shaped piece 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep from top of each tomato. Divide cheese mixture among tomatoes; top with fried sage.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place tomatoes on grill rack; cover barbecue with lid. Cook until tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.

GRILLED BLUE CHEESE-CRUSTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Prepare 1 side of barbecue on high heat, leaving opposite side unlit if gas grill or without coals if charcoal grill. Mix breadcrumbs and olive oil in small bowl, mashing to coat. Cut top 1/4 inch from each tomato. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top each with 1 Tablespoon blue cheese. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.
• Arrange tomatoes (topping side up) on unlit side of grill. Cover grill and cook tomatoes until slightly soft and cheese melts, about 13 minutes. Serve immediately.

GRILLED TOMATOES STUFFED WITH BACON, BASIL, & BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Lightly oil the grill grate. Preheat a gas grill to medium or prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet.
• Add the red onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat until it begins to soften, 2 - 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and the onion is softened, about 1 minute. Add the bread crumbs and basil and stir until well combined. Transfer the onion mixture to a medium-size bowl. Add the blue cheese and the drained bacon and set aside.
• Cut about a 1/2-inch-thick slice off the stem end of each tomato. Using a paring knife, remove the cores of the tomatoes by cutting a cone-shaped piece about 2 inches deep and 1 1/2 inches wide in each. Cut a very thin sliver off the bottom of each tomato to help stabilize it as it grills.
• Whisk together the olive oil and wine vinegar and drizzle about 1 teaspoon of the dressing over each tomato. Sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the bacon and blue cheese mixture evenly among the tomatoes, filling the cores and patting the mixture firmly in place to cover the top of each tomato.
• Place the tomatoes on the oiled grill grate, cover the grill, and grill the tomatoes until they have softened and the stuffing is warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. If you are using a charcoal grill, check the tomatoes after about 5 minutes and if the fire is too hot, causing the tomatoes to burn or cook too quickly, move them to the edge of the grill to continue cooking. If you need the center of the grill for cooking other foods, such as chicken or steak, the tomatoes can be cooked on the outer edge of the grill or on the grill's top shelf over the main cooking grate; the cooking time will be longer.
• Alternative Oven Method: Bake the tomatoes in a shallow oiled baking dish in an oven preheated to 400°F After baking the tomatoes for about 12 minutes, place them under the broiler for about 1 minute to lightly brown the stuffing.