TOMATO TULIPS

Tomato Tulips image

Originally posted by Pat Duran (kitchenchatter) - This is a great recipe found on gastrobasket ,wordpress.com. Who said, "This idea will definitely make you a popular party host! Simple but stylish party food in 30 minutes. Tasty and stylish tomato tulips!" So adorable- had to share. I've included the original ingredient list...

Provided by Donna Graffagnino

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 27

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Ingredients

OPTION 1 POTATO MIXTURE - MINE
4 - 5 c stiff plain mashed potatoes
1/4 - 1/2 c mayonnaise (blue plate or helmann's) regular or light
1/4 c half and half
1 pkg ranch salad dressing mix, regular or light
1/4 c green onions, finely chopped
1/2 c hormel's real bacon bits
salt and pepper to taste
3 large hard boiled eggs
24 large grape or small roma tomatoes
green onion tops, for stems
fresh dill, for garnish
baby's breath, for garnish
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
OPTION 2 POTATO MIXTURE - ORIGINAL RECIPE
4 1/8 c mashed potatoes
1/3 c celery with leaves, finely chopped
1/3 c sweet pickle relish, drained well
1/3 c dairy sour cream (see *notes below)
1/4 c mayonnaise, regular or light
1.3 c onion, finely chopped
1/4 c half and half cream
2 Tbsp wine vinegar
2 tsp yellow mustard, to taste
3 large hard boiled eggs, separate yolks from white part
salt, pepper, green onion tops
large oval grape tomatoes

Steps:

1. Separate cooked yolks from egg whites. Finely smash egg whites with a fork; refrigerate yolks for later in recipe.
2. **(OPTION 1 DIRECTIONS) In a large bowl combine the first Seven (7) ingredients and the smashed egg whites from the hard boiled eggs. Mix thoroughly to blend. Mixture should be fairly stiff and moldable. Add additional mayonnaise and half and half, only if needed.
3. **(OPTION 2 DIRECTIONS) In a large bowl combine the first TEN (10) ingredients and the smashed egg whites from the hard boiled eggs. Mix thoroughly to blend. Mixture should be fairly stiff and moldable. Add additional mayonnaise and half and half, only if needed.
4. Firmly pack potato mixture in bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to fill the tomatoes.
5. MAKING TULIPS:
6. Make a small slit into the stem end of each tomato and thread 1 green onion top through the slit - leave just a little inside the tomato so it will stay in place.
7. Gently pack some of the potato mixture into each tomato so that the "petals" of the tomato are spread out slightly.
8. Sprinkle a little finely grated egg yolk on the potato mixture at the top of each tulip.
9. Donna's Notes: Add some dill and baby's breath as a garnish and loosely tie a pretty bow around your bouquet if desired. Put paper doilies on an oval platter and lay Tomato Tulips in the center. Make chicken, tuna, egg salad, or pimento cheese stuffed Cherry tomatoes, cut the same way, and place them around the platter; sprinkled with a touch of paprika and minced chives. If you don't want to use Sour Cream, you can use cottage cheese, blended until smooth - it tastes the same but has less fat.
10. Donna's Options: These would be beautiful with egg salad, deviled egg mixture or pimento cheese in place of the mashed potatoes. Use your imagination and make up your own filling. If you want to get extra fancy separate the potato mixture into 3 or 4 small bowls and put a drop of red, blue, green, food color in each to make pastel colored mashed potato filling around Easter. For St. Patrick's day it must be green!