Baked Tomatoes Stuffed With Spinach And Cheese

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 3
• 3 large firm tomatoes, washed & stems removed
• 8 ounces fresh spinach, washed well & drained
• 6 cups loosely packed broccoli, washed well & diced
• 3 1/2 ounces ground beef (3/8 cup)
• 1/4 onion, grated
• 1 garlic cloves, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, pureed in food processor
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons soft breadcrumbs

Recipe

• 1 cut tomatoes in half horizontally; using a melon ball scooper, scoop pulp and seeds out of each half, leaving enough for a firm shell (discard pulp and seeds).
• 2 turn halves upside down to drain.
• 3 trim spinach and chop in food processor.
• 4 preheat oven to 400°f.
• 5 in a large skillet, over medium heat, brown ground beef with onion and garlic (5-10 minutes).
• 6 add the spinach and broccoli; cook, covered, for 8 minutes.
• 7 add the tomato sauce, cottage cheese, salt and pepper; cook for 5 more minutes.
• 8 generously stuff the tomato halves with the spinach mixture and place in a casserole dish.
• 9 top each tomato half with bread crumbs.
• 10 bake until tomatoes are soft and breadcrumbs are browned (10-15 minutes).