STUFFED TOMATOES WITH GRITS AND RICOTTA

Stuffed Tomatoes with Grits and Ricotta image

This recipe makes a great appetizer. I spent a lot of time experimenting with ingredients and finally concluded that this recipe you now see listed turned out to be the best. The grits give a unique texture to the exotic flavors of the Parmesan and Asiago cheeses.

Provided by Peter Alfieri

Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Grits

Time 1h15m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

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Ingredients

½ cup dry grits
1 ½ cups water
¾ teaspoon salt
cooking spray
1 ⅓ cups ricotta cheese
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup grated Asiago cheese
2 eggs
2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
8 tomatoes

Steps:

In a small pot combine dry grits, 1 1/2 cups water, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until grits are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the cooled grits, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Asiago cheese. Stir in the garlic powder, parsley, crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
Slice the top off of each tomato. Use a spoon to hollow out the tomatoes, leaving the outer shells (approximately 1/4 inch thick) intact. Fill each with the grits mixture. Arrange stuffed tomatoes on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until light golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 122.9 calories, Carbohydrate 14.6 g, Cholesterol 55.5 mg, Fat 4.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 6.9 g, SaturatedFat 2.2 g, Sodium 669.7 mg, Sugar 4.3 g