An abundance of late summer tomatoes and a chilly evening inspired this recipe.  After a rather dormant summer for my oven, the cool nights began to roll in signaling the beginning of the menu changes in my house.  Fortunately, my pantry was stocked with the simple ingredients I needed to get creating.  Panko Crusted Baked Tomato Slices was the result.  I chose panko crumbs vs. traditional breadcrumbs because of the crunch they offer; crunch is a great texture balance for the softness of the tomato and can handle the juices without getting soggy.  The seasoning in the breadcrumbs includes onion and garlic powders, parsley flakes, and pecorino Romano cheese. I added paprika for flavor and color, and a bit of olive oil to bring it all together.  The result was spectacular!  The baking concentrates the flavor of the tomato and brings out the natural sweetness, the crumb topping adds the perfect savory crunch.   Panko Crusted Baked Tomato Slices pair well with any protein, are excellent added to a sandwich and great when served with salad and a nice baguette.  Even your tomato skeptics will be asking for seconds, mine did!

Ingredients

  • 2 large Tomatoes

  • 1 cup Seasoned panko breadcrumbs

  • 1 tsp. Paprika

  • 1 Tbsp. Olive oil

  • Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375°, prepare 8” square baking pan by lightly greasing.
  2. Wash tomatoes, remove core. Stand tomato on its side and slice in 1/2-inch rounds. Add paprika to panko breadcrumbs, mix to combine.
  3. Add olive oil and to panko mix, use a fork to mix until well combined. Mixture will become crumbly.
  4. Sprinkle 1/4 of panko mix evenly over bottom of baking dish. Arrange tomatoes over panko in a single layer with edges slightly overlapping. Salt & pepper to taste. Evenly distribute remaining panko mix over top of tomatoes.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes. Crumbs will become a dark golden brown. Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes before serving.
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