Baked Tomatoes with Bacon, Corn, and Green Chiles

Here I go again ruining what could've been a perfect vegetarian meal with the addition of bacon. I can't help myself - bacon really does make everything better. I found this in May's Cooking Light and both Josh and I thought it looked delicious and unique. And that's exactly how it turned out. Of course, I had to make a few tweaks, to make it perfect for us (like the addition of bacon) because I never leave anything "as is". This is an ideal dish for summer and can be served either as an appetizer or a meal.

Inspired by this recipe from Cooking Light, May 2012

Ingredients

2 poblano chiles 

2 cups corn kernels

1 cup chopped onion 

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBSP chopped fresh oregano

1 TBSP olive oil 

1 lime, juiced

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 large ripe tomatoes

1 cup cooked quinoa

4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

4 ounces Colby-Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup packed, plus a little extra for sprinkling on top of tomatoes) 

Preparation Instructions

Preheat broiler to high.

Cut the chiles in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place chile halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel chiles. Coarsely chop chiles; place in a bowl. Add corn and onion to baking sheet; broil 10 minutes, half way through, stir mixture and then sprinkle with minced garlic. Add corn mixture to chopped chiles; stir in oregano, oil, lime juice, salt, cumin, and black pepper.

Cut tops off tomatoes; set aside. Carefully scoop out tomato pulp, leaving shells intact. Invert tomatoes on a wire rack; let stand 30 minutes. Dry insides of tomatoes with a paper towel.

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Add quinoa and bacon to corn mixture; toss well. Lastly, add the cheese to the mixture and carefully combine all ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350.


Spoon corn mixture evenly among each tomato. Place tomatoes and tops, if desired, on a foil-lined pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Remove tops and sprinkle a little cheese on each tomato. Broil the tomatoes 1 1/2 minutes or until cheese melts/browns. Serve immediately.


ps: go check out other recipes at Cast Party Wednesday!