These little bites of goodness are the perfect flavor profile: the sweetness of the tomatoes and the savory bacon filling make them completely addictive! I dare you not to steal more than 2-3 when preparing! Macros are shown as 5 stuffed tomato halves, so this will feed a crowd of 10 people as a canape option, or less for those who want more!
Chef Tips:
- Try and select the largest cherry tomatoes you can find because it will make it easier to slice, scoop, and fill.
- If you cannot source smoked bacon lardons, use smoked streaky bacon and chop them into very small pieces.
- Use a teaspoon to carefully fill the halved cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, transfer the mixture into a piping bag and use a very large round nozzle (or cut off a generous end of a disposable piping bag). Be mindful of the liquid that may seep out initially, so do a test run before filling.
- Parmesan and smoked bacon can be very salty. The mixture is unlikely to require any salt, but generous cracks of black pepper are always great to balance out the overall seasoning.
Yield: Makes 50 stuffed tomato halves
Tomato Bacon Bites
Prep Time:
45 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour
Bacon enhances everything, and this delicious appetizer is no different! These little bites are packed with flavor and sure to satisfy all your guests for any party.
Ingredients
- 25 cherry tomatoes
- 1 TB olive oil
- 7 oz smoked bacon (we use Butcher Box meat)
- 3 salad onions, finely sliced (white and green parts kept separate)
- 2 TB finely grated Parmesan
- 1.8 oz mayonnaise
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Slice each cherry tomato in half and use a teaspoon to scrape out all the seeds and juice into a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Use a sharp, paring knife to remove the inner bits which will make stuffing easier. Add this to the sieve. This process takes a while, but it’s worth your effort in the end. Place the halved tomatoes hollow side down onto a large plate lined with kitchen paper. This will help drain off any excess moisture.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the bacon lardons and cook for around 5-6 minutes until safely cooked through and partially crispy.
- Pour off all the juice from the tomato inne bits, then place the sieve over the pan and use a pastry scraper to mash the pulp and off-cuts through the sieve into the pan. You will be surprised how much juice and flavor you can get from this! Leave the mixture in the pan to simmer and reduce completely until there is no more moisture in the pan. Discard the seeds remaining in the sieve.
- Add the sliced white parts of the salad onion and the grated Parmesan to the pan and stir well to combine and melt.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- Once the bacon mixture has slightly cooled, add the mayonnaise and season generously with black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Place the halved cherry tomatoes, hollow side-up onto your serving platter.
- Scoop (or pipe) tiny amounts of the mixture into each half. Garnish the whole platter with the sliced green ends of the salad onion.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
50Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 250mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g