When tomatoes are abundant and flavorful, it’s time to make Baked Tomatoes Provencal, an easy tomato casserole recipe. Tomatoes baked with cheese and breadcrumbs is the perfect side dish for your summer menu.
Baked Tomatoes Recipe
Living in Jersey in the summertime certainly has it’s advantages and by that I mean an abundance of fresh Jersey tomatoes! Oh yes! Ripe, plump, juicy, delicious tomatoes.
There’s nothing quite like a Jersey tomato and I hope that everyone gets the chance to taste at least one Jersey tomato in their lifetime. Jersey tomatoes are one of my favorite things and I'm sure you will savor the flavor too!
My recipe puts a slight twist on Tomatoes Provençal.
Yes, you’ll find the typical olive oil, garlic, Parmesan and breadcrumbs, and of course summer tomatoes, but I changed it up a bit by using panko breadcrumbs and adding bocconcini.
Of course, you can also use Italian breadcrumbs in place of the panko breadcrumbs. I just love the extra crunch and texture you get from panko breadcrumbs.
Shredded mozzarella cheese will also give this recipe a delicious cheesiness. I would keep the bocconcini in and just add shredded cheese too. Because, really, is there such a thing as too much cheese? I think not!
So go ahead, add that extra cheese and bake these tomatoes into absolute deliciousness!
According to our state’s Department of Agriculture last year:
- New Jersey farmers produced 71.9 million pounds of tomatoes
- Tomatoes grow on 2,900 acres of farmland
- The tomato crop was valued at almost $46 million dollars
- Tomatoes are the Garden State’s third biggest crop, surpassed only by blueberries and peaches.
And with that many tomatoes you better believe that we need to have tomato side dish recipes and our tomato casserole will quickly become your favorite, I promise!
The flavorful bread crumb mixture bakes until golden brown and the ripe tomatoes add a fresh juicy flavor to this simple recipe.
Our baked tomatoes with cheese and breadcrumbs is mighty tasty, if I must say so myself and such a simple dish to make! I hope you think so too!
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What are panko breadcrumbs?
Panko breadcrumbs are larger than your typical breadcrumbs so they give a bit more crunch to the dish.
What is bocconcini?
Bocconcini are small balls of fresh mozzarella. They lends a creamy texture and turn this dish into baked stuffed tomatoes provencal with pockets of warm creamy cheese hiding under thick juicy slices of freshly baked tomatoes.
The flavorful bread crumb mixture bakes until golden brown and the ripe tomatoes add a fresh juicy flavor to this simple recipe.
Our baked tomatoes with cheese and breadcrumbs is mighty tasty, if I must say so myself, and such a simple dish to make! I hope you think so too!
How to make a tomato casserole
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a 6-cup baking dish with cooking spray.
- Arrange tomatoes and cheese in single layer in prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly, as shown.
- In small bowl combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chopped parsley, olive oil and cracked black pepper.
- Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over tomatoes and cheese.
- Bake 20 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and the tomatoes are tender.
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Make with green tomatoes for a green tomato recipe
- Top with sliced fresh basil leaves
- Add your favorite shredded cheese too!
Substitutions
- Substitute heirloom cherry tomatoes for the large tomatoes
- Substitute grape tomatoes for the large tomatoes
- Substitute plum tomatoes for the large tomatoes
- Replace the panko breadcrumbs with regular breadcrumbs
What to do with tomatoes
Tomato FAQ’s
How many types of tomatoes are there?
There are more than 15,000 known varieties of tomatoes and more than 3,000 varieties of heirloom tomatoes worldwide.
Which tomato is the sweetest?
Typically the smaller tomatoes, such as the varieties of the cherry tomato and the plum tomato are the sweetest tomatoes.
What tomato is best for making sauce?
The San Marzano tomato is said to be the best tomato for making sauce. It is a plum-type tomato that is deep red in color and grown in the Campania region of Italy that is known for it’s rich soil.
Ingredients for baked tomatoes
- large tomatoes – be sure your tomatoes are ripe and juicy
- bocconcini – a fancy name for mozzarella balls
- seasoned Panko breadcrumbs – give crunch and texture to the topping
- Parmesan – adds salty notes
- garlic – a must have in an Italian recipe!
- parsley – adds fresh herb notes
- olive oil – adds flavor and crisps up the breadcrumbs
- cracked black pepper – for a little bit of heat
Best Tomato Recipes
No matter where you live, if it’s summer time, it’s tomato time. Check out these easy tomato side dish recipes that will put those bushels of tomatoes to delicious use!
Caprese Skewers With Pesto is an easy recipe for a homemade pesto dipping sauce served with skewers of fresh basil, mozzarella and tomatoes. A well deserved indulgence when you unwind after a busy week and perfect for entertaining.
Heirloom Tomato & Cucumber Summer Salad is an easy summer side dish bursting with tomatoes and cucumbers lightly coated in a tangy red wine vinaigrette.
An absolute favorite recipe of mine, Balsamic Portobellos Caprese will make a pesto lover out of everyone. Portobello mushrooms flavored with a balsamic marinade are grilled and then topped with fresh mozzarella, pesto, campari tomato slices and fresh basil leaves. An easy grilling recipe that's perfect for Meatless Monday in the summer!
Fresh Heirloom Tomato Salsa is an easy homemade salsa recipe bursting with fresh summertime flavors and perfect with tortilla chips or tacos for Cinco de Mayo or over chicken, beef or fish!
Tomatoes, red onion, fresh basil, olive oil and white balsamic vinegar combine to make a flavorful bruschetta topping for quinoa. Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta Quinoa is an easy side dish recipe that's bursting with the fresh flavors of summer in every bite!
Panzanella, the classic Tuscan bread salad, is bursting with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella and fresh basil, the flavors and colors of summer! Our Panzanella is an easy recipe for a mouthwatering bread salad that’s a perfect side dish on a warm summer evening.
Baked Tomatoes Provencal
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes ,preferably Jersey tomatoes, about 1 lb. 4 oz. total weight, each sliced crosswise into 4 slices
- 2 oz. bocconcini, ,sliced, about 1/4 cup
- 1/2 cup seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1 clove garlic ,minced
- 2 Tbs. chopped parsley
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
- fresh parsley leaves ,for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 6-cup baking dish with cooking spray.
- Arrange tomatoes and bocconcini in single layer in prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly, as shown.
- In small bowl combine Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, chopped parsley, olive oil and cracked black pepper.
- Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over tomatoes and bocconcini.
- Bake 20 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden and tomatoes are tender.
- Garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
Notes
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Make with green tomatoes for a green tomato recipe
- Substitute heirloom cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes for the large tomatoes
- Top with sliced fresh basil leaves
- Add your favorite shredded cheese too!
Nutrition
A perfect way to use all the garden tomatoes my mother keeps on send me! looks delish:)
Thanks Gina! Enjoy!
Great recipe. One suggestion - put it at the top of the page before your life story.
Thank you for the recipe compliment. As for your suggestion of putting the recipe at the top before my life story, if you read the top you would realize that the information I provide is not my life story but rather information about the recipe, the ingredients, recipe tips and substitutions. My followers find this information valuable.