Turn fresh, juicy tomatoes into an elegant side dish with a creamy artichoke filling and crispy bacon topping. These Cold Stuffed Tomatoes are incredibly fresh and bursting with flavor. With no oven needed and just 20 minutes of hands-on time, these no-bake stuffed tomatoes are perfect for summer dinner parties, luncheons, showers, and potlucks.
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A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Cold Stuffed Tomatoes
- ⏲️ Ready In: 20 minutes
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, bacon, and green onions
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free. Contains dairy and eggs. Can easily be vegetarian.
- ♨️ Method: No-bake recipe. Simply prep the tomatoes, make the filling, and assemble.
- 🍽️ Yield: 6 servings
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Easy
Summarize and save this content on:
Inspired by her late-summer garden overflowing with ripe tomatoes and her love of elegant dinner parties, my mom often served this stuffed tomato recipe at seasonal dinner parties and luncheons.
The filling is creamy and savory, made with artichoke hearts, Parmesan, celery, and green onion mixed with a little mayo, and finished with crumbled bacon on top. Rather than an appetizer like other quick cold stuffed tomato recipes, this one works as a summer-inspired side dish for meals.
If you love easy tomato recipes, try these oven-roasted tomatoes and baked eggs in tomatoes next!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- No oven needed. A cool, refreshing dish that works well on hot days, just like this cold green bean salad. The preparation is straightforward and delivers impressive results.
- Perfect for summer and early fall. It’s a fantastic way to showcase sweet, juicy, in-season tomatoes.
- Flavorful balance. The creamy, tangy artichoke filling contrasts with the salty bacon and fresh tomato, making every bite of these cold stuffed tomatoes pop.
- Make-ahead friendly. Prepare the filling a day in advance, then assemble earlier on the day of serving.
- Stays creamy, not watery. Wiping out the hollowed shells with a paper towel, as well as squeezing the artichoke hearts completely dry before mixing, removes excess moisture before it can thin the filling.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s all you need to make this no-bake stuffed tomatoes recipe, all of which should be available at your local grocery store:
- Canned artichoke hearts: Use water-packed artichokes, not marinated. Marinated artichokes carry oil and acidic seasoning that fight the other flavors in the creamy filling. Be sure to drain well, squeeze completely dry, and then coarsely chop. I also use them to make this spicy artichoke dip with cheese and jalapeños.
- Celery: Finely chopped for a delicious crunch. Include some chopped celery leaves for additional flavor.
- Green onion: Chop the white, light green, and some of the dark green portions.
- Parmesan cheese: If purchasing grated, check the ingredients to make sure there are no anti-caking additives like cellulose, starches, or preservatives like potassium sorbate and natamycin. These agents can negatively affect both the flavor and texture of the cheese.
- Tomatoes: Use fresh, ripe, medium-sized vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly 2–3 inches in diameter. Larger Campari tomatoes work well too.
- Bacon: Cooked and crumbled. The salty bacon adds a lovely savory contrast to the sweet and tangy filling, just like it does in this curried pea salad.
Variations and Substitutions
While this recipe for cold stuffed tomatoes is delicious as is, it is also versatile and can be modified to your tastes or dietary needs:
- Make it vegetarian. Replace the bacon with toasted homemade bread crumbs or crumbled croutons.
- Reduce the fat and calories. Replace half of the mayo with nonfat Greek yogurt.
- Amp up the flavor. Add chopped herbs, such as fresh basil, chives, and/or parsley.
- Easily expand for a light lunch or main course. Mix the prepared artichoke filling with 1-2 cups of cooked and cooled rice, quinoa, or couscous. Serve on a bed of crisp lettuce or mixed greens, spooning any extra filling around the stuffed tomatoes. Pair each serving with a crusty baguette or homemade crostini.
- Make a cold appetizer version. Fill halved Campari tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes with the same filling (chopped smaller to fit) for a bite-sized party tray. You’ll need roughly 24–30 large cherry tomatoes or 12–14 Campari tomatoes (halved) to use up one batch of filling. Arrange on a platter and top each with a small bacon crumble just before serving.
How to Make Cold Stuffed Tomatoes
(Scroll down for the full recipe in the card below.)
- Make the filling. Stir together the artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, celery, onion, and cheese in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the tomatoes. Cut around 1/4 to 1/3 inch off the bottom of the tomatoes. Then scoop out the insides using a grapefruit spoon, making sure not to cut through the sides or the bottom. Use a paper towel to wipe the moisture from inside the tomatoes. The tomatoes may continue to release water after scooping, so if they sit before filling, be sure to wipe again.
- Assemble. Sprinkle the insides of each tomato shell with salt and pepper. Stuff each tomato with the artichoke mixture.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top and serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy it with your favorite dishes, like these air-fried breaded chicken breasts.
Tips for Success
- Cut off the bottom, not the tomato top. Once the stem is removed, the top of the tomato actually makes a flatter, more stable base to keep the stuffed tomato upright. So, slice off the bottom instead!
- Choose the right tomato. Opt for medium-sized round tomatoes (around 2-3 inches in diameter) that will hold the stuffing well. Campari tomatoes are a good choice, but other round tomatoes will work just as well.
- Remove excess liquid. The key to a creamy filling is to remove as much liquid as possible. After scooping, wipe out the insides of the tomatoes with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Be sure to also squeeze the canned artichoke hearts thoroughly until dry.
- Use the right tool. A serrated grapefruit spoon is ideal for effortlessly scooping out the tomato seeds and pulp while creating a neat, uniform shell. A melon baller can also be used.
Storage & Make Ahead
- Storage. These cold stuffed tomatoes are best enjoyed freshly assembled, but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Keep in mind that the fresh tomato shells will continue to release moisture and will become softer the longer they sit, and the cooked bacon will also lose its crispness.
- Make ahead. For the best texture, stuff the day of your dinner and add the bacon topping just before serving. The artichoke filling can be prepared up to one day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also stuff the tomatoes several hours ahead and refrigerate them until ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Elevate your dinner party menu by serving these vibrant stuffed tomatoes alongside a grilled main course, such as Grilled Lemon Chicken or Grilled Ribeye Steak. Their bright, creamy flavor and pop of color perfectly complement the char of the grill, making any meal feel special.
They also work well for a family dinner with Braised Chicken or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.
Cold Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe FAQs
They taste best at room temperature because when cold, the flavors are a bit muted. If prepared ahead, let the tomatoes sit out for 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
Two steps matter most to prevent soggy stuffed tomatoes. After hollowing them out, wipe out the insides with a paper towel and squeeze the artichoke hearts completely dry before mixing the filling. Also, waiting to stuff them close to serving time, rather than the night before, helps the shells hold their shape.
Medium vine-ripened tomatoes, 2–3 inches in diameter, are the ideal choice. Larger Campari tomatoes work well too. Avoid Roma and other oblong varieties because they won’t sit upright once hollowed. Also, very ripe heirlooms tend to be too watery and fragile for stuffing so they don’t work as well.
The filling can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated separately. Hollow and drain the tomato shells the morning you plan to serve them. Stuff them no more than 2–3 hours before serving, and add the bacon topping just before bringing them to the table for the best texture.
Other Cold Tomato Side Dish Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
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Cold Stuffed Tomatoes with Artichoke Hearts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups canned artichoke hearts in water, drained, squeezed dry, and coarsely chopped (2 14-ounce cans)
- 1 cup mayonnaise, or 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped green onion, white, light green, and some of the dark green portion
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese,
- 6 to 8 medium tomatoes, 2-3 inches in diameter
- 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, celery, onion and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cut around 1/4 to 1/3 inch off the bottom of the tomatoes and scoop out the insides using a grapefruit spoon, making sure not to cut through the sides or the bottom. Wipe the tomatoes out with a paper towel to remove any moisture.
- Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Stuff each tomato with the artichoke mixture.
- Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
1. Choose the right tomato. Opt for medium-sized round tomatoes (around 2-3 inches in diameter) that will hold the stuffing well. Campari tomatoes are a good choice, but other round tomatoes will work just as well.
2. Cut off the bottom, not the tomato top. Once the stem is removed, the top of the tomato actually makes a flatter, more stable base to keep the stuffed tomato upright. So, slice off the bottom instead!
3. Remove excess liquid. The key to a creamy filling is to remove as much liquid as possible. After scooping, turn the tomatoes upside down, place on paper towel, and let drain for at least 30 minutes. Be sure to also squeeze the canned artichoke hearts thoroughly until dry.
4. Use the right tool. A serrated grapefruit spoon is ideal for effortlessly scooping out the tomato seeds and pulp while creating a neat, uniform shell. Note: This recipe was originally published in my cookbook “A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®.”
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
