Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Tomatoes

Turn summer garden tomatoes into a side dish that could just possibly steal the show from the main dish!

Recipe Ingredients:

4 medium-size firm tomatoes
12 slices smoked bacon, cut up
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Wisconsin cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons lettuce, chopped
2 tablespoons cheese crackers, crushed
4 teaspoons butter
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Cut thin slice from top of each tomato; scoop out pulp and set aside. Drain tomatoes upside down on rack.
3. Meanwhile, in skillet, cook bacon until almost done. Drain off fat. Add green pepper and onion and sauté until soft. Remove skillet from heat. Blend in cheddar, lettuce and tomato pulp. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
4. Fill each tomato shell with 1/4 of mixture. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs and dot with 1 teaspoon butter each. Place in buttered baking dish, bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.