Cheesy Roasted Hasselback Tomatoes

Cheesy Roasted Hasselback Tomatoes satisfy that comfort food craving while utilizing the fresh and flavorful fruits of summer – a plant based update on the classic Hasselback potato.

recipe originally published August 30, 2012

Cheesy Roasted Hasselback Tomatoes

We love Portland summers. Aside from a few 100 degree days, summertime is nearly perfect.

You might know that autumn is my favorite time of year, for several reasons. I am happily looking forward to the fall months here, something Portland also does consistently well.

…but summer – you cannot beat the fresh produce bursting from your garden and farmers markets!

Fresh Summer Recipes

We enjoy the bounty of our own garden, where juicy tomatoes, perfectly spicy jalapeños, and all the fresh herbs are abundant.

We are lucky to enjoy freshness from my mom’s garden, when she brings large branches of basil that make the whole downstairs of our house smell fantastic.

Portland has fantastic Farmers Markets. I buy heirloom tomatoes all season long. I cannot get enough – the flavor is out of this world, and I cannot begin to describe it honorably.

Many of these heirlooms are eaten as is – yes, like an apple. I have sliced them onto sandwiches, I have made them into simple fresh salads.

Then I hassselbacked them.

Oven Bake or Air Fry

The Cheesy Roasted Hasselback Tomatoes recipe is almost too easy for something with such a wow factor. I have roasted these in the traditional oven many times, for many summers.

This year, I tried them in the air fryer, and they work just as well! I have updated the recipe to reflect cooking instructions for both methods – oven roast and air fry. (I lined the air fryer basket with these fantastic parchment rounds, but you can also use a small baking dish if you have one that fits inside the basket.)

What is Hasselback

Instead of the traditional potato, I accordion cut two of the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes, hasselback style. What is hasselback and how do you do it?

The method called Hasselback is generally found with potatoes, and gets its name from the Swedish restaurant where the dish originated – Hasselbacken. You make thin slices along the length of the vegetable, stopping about two thirds of the way down.

How To Hasselback

The easiest way to hasselback slice a potato – or heirloom tomato – is very carefully. This is easy to do – just take care to not slice all the way through. I arrange the potato – tomato – between two chopsticks, flat spatulas, or even clean pencils! Carefully cut thin slices, stopping at the chopstick.

Cheesy Tomatoes

For the cheesy component, I tuck pieces of my favorite cheddar inside, and warmed them in the oven. (Another recipe update – these days I more often use a cheese sauce, like my Tangy Cheese Sauce or my Spicy Vegan Chorizo Queso.)

If that was not enough, I then served them atop a fluffy brown butter quinoa, and topped it all with some fresh fragrant basil.

These are definitely a favorite summer staple – I look forward to the fresh vibrant flavors all year.

Do you have a garden? Are you a fan of the heirloom vegetables?

Becky talks about what heirloom actually means – a great read.

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Yield: 2 servings

Cheesy Roasted Hasselback Tomatoes

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a comfort food dish with the fresh and flavorful fruits of summer – a tasty update on the classic Hasselback potato.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large heirloom tomatoes
• 2-3 ounces Dairy Free / Vegan Cheese or cheese sauce
• handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded
• 2 servings cooked quinoa

Instructions

1. If using oven, preheat oven to 350 °F.
2. If using air fryer, line basket with parchment or small baking dish that fits inside air fryer basket.
3. Cut around top of tomato to remove the stem.
4. Make several vertical slices through tomato, stopping before reaching bottom (3/4 through).
5. Slice cheese into pieces to fit into each pocket of the tomato, or spoon cheese sauce into each slice.
6. Place on baking sheet and roast in a 350 °F oven for 10-12 minutes, until cheese is melted and tomatoes are softened.
7. Air fryer - cook at 160 °F for 5-6 minutes, or until tomatoes are softened.
8. (I often slice the tomato and air fry, then top with warm cheese sauce after the tomato comes out of the air fryer. If using cheese slices, keep an eye on it every few minutes so the cheese does not melt out of the tomato completely.)
9. Serve atop quinoa, sprinkle with fresh chiffonaded basil.

Notes

dairy, egg, soy and gluten free, vegan

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• 
  Parchment Round

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416 Total Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 360mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 16g Protein: 18g

nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.

Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food!  Read more…

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