Summer is a comin’ and I am all about the ease – as you all know! These Pesto Chicken Stuffed Tomatoes are a great summer food! I fill them in large tomatoes but have also used roma tomatoes and taken these to potlucks or BBQ’s.
There’s no denying the fact that I love food ……and nutrition is very important to me but if I can get food on my plate quickly and easily, I’m doing it! Summer is definitely no exception. I want to be out having fun in the sun and not worrying about coming home to stand in a heated kitchen to make dinner for all. These Pesto Chicken Stuffed Tomatoes can be a make-ahead meal too – so that’s a huge plus in my book.
Make It Easy On Yourself
Quite honestly, if you don’t have time to make ahead, do yourself a favor and make the pesto ahead (but again, if you don’t have time – no biggy …it comes together in literally minutes!) and get yourself a premade roasted chicken. You can use part of that chicken for this recipe and use the rest for another meal. Seriously guys – not kidding! I’m all about the ease!
Summer Salads
Another fun summer meal is this Cucumber Salad w/Cilantro Lime Dressing. It’s so refreshing and fresh tasting! There’s no meat in this particular salad but here’s where you can use the rest of that roasted chicken if you want to make it more of a meal, vs. a side or snack.
Can you tell I’m just itching for summer? I honestly want to enjoy each and every moment without pushing the clock but I am truly looking forward to my summer vacation! So here’s to many more summer lovin’ recipes coming your way and sunny skies! And do yourself a favor and go whip up these Pesto Chicken Stuffed Tomatoes!
- Stuffed Tomatoes
- 4 large tomatoes
- 2 cups cooked, diced chicken
- 1 serving pesto recipe (see below)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- *diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp finely diced macadamia nuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare pesto according to instructions in NOTES section below.
- Add diced chicken to a medium sized bowl ...pour in pesto sauce and diced onions. Mix and season with salt & pepper - stir to combine.
- Cut the tops off tomatoes (about 1/2 in from top) and core the tomatoes with a spoon, getting all seeds and liquid out as well. *if desired, dice up the tomato tops and add to chicken/pesto.
- Spoon pesto chicken into each tomato - overflowing is fine!
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes, sprinkle the macadamia nuts over top of each tomato. Bake another 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately to eat warm. This is good cold too!
- 3 cups packed basil
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (separated)
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- If preferred, roast nuts on baking sheet for 5-8 min in a 350 degree oven* - Let cool.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, blend all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil and 1/4 of the pine nuts.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuing to blend/process.
- Chop remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts to a fine consistency with food chopper or sharp knife and add to blended pesto (I do this because I like it a little thicker than having it all blended to a smooth consistency but feel free to blend it all in if preferred).
- I like to top it off when serving, with an additional pine nut crumble.....just for fun 🙂
- *This is not necessary - it's still delicious without this step but it does bring out some of the nuts oils/fragrances.
