Stuffing doesn’t get enough love throughout the year. It is so delicious, it really shouldn’t just be a holiday food like it is for most people. Stovetop Savory Herb stuffing is vegan and so quick to make, and it’s such an easy filling for lots of vegetables, and especially these roasted beefsteak tomatoes.

I fancied up the boxed stuffing with garlic, onions, spinach, Gardein crumbles and fresh herbs. When it’s baked inside the tomato it gets a nice crispy top that’s heavenly. And, with a little sprinkle of melted dairy-free shreds, it’s even better. Beefsteak tomatoes work best because they are the biggest and fleshiest to hold all that stuffing, but you could use Roma or vine tomatoes as well.

The colors are great for the holidays with the bright red tomatoes and the green spinach and herbs. It’s lovely to look at AND to eat! Even though this would make a great holiday side dish, I also suggest giving stuffing some summer love and eating this dish at all times of year, especially when tomatoes are in season and at their yummiest.

Ingredients
4 beefsteak tomatoes
salt
1 box Stovetop stuffing
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup Gardein crumbles
2 cups baby spinach
3 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dairy-free cheese shreds, separated

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and juice. Sprinkle insides with salt and place tomatoes upside down on a paper towel to drain. Meanwhile, prepare boxed stuffing as instructed and place in a large bowl. In a large skillet heated over medium high heat, saute onion, garlic, and Gardein crumbles in olive oil until the veggies are soft and the crumbles are heated through. Add the parsley and spinach to the skillet and stir gently until the spinach is wilted. Add the sauteed vegetables and 1/4 cup of the cheese shreds to the prepared stuffing. Place the tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet and fill with the stuffing mixture. Top with a few more cheese shreds and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 25 minutes covered and another 5-10 minutes uncovered or until the cheese and stuffing is lightly browned on top. Garnish with more fresh parsley.

Serves 2