Herbed Cream Cheese and Crab Stuffed Tomatoes

Larry is having his company BBQ tomorrow and of course I was tagged to make something for him. All he said he wanted me to make was appetizers, with no guidance at all. I asked about a few things, but none of them were floating his boat, until I mentioned the herbed cream cheese and crab stuffed tomatoes. Then his eyes lit up and that was it.

You can use any kind of tomatoes you like, but just know that the smaller the tomato, the more difficult it will be to stuff. I chose Campari tomatoes. They are smaller than regular tomatoes but much larger than either cherry or grape tomatoes, which makes them the perfect size to stuff. For appetizers, the general rule is you want them to be bite sized or at most, 2 bite sized.

These are simple, quick and easy and only require a few basic ingredients.

2 containers of Campari tomatoes

1-2 tsp each fresh thyme, oregano, basil and chives, chopped fine

1 1/2 8 oz packages of soft cream cheese

3-4 oz lump crab meat minced

Remove the core and stem of the tomatoes, as well as some of the insides. I find my little strawberry corer is the best little tool for removing the stems and insides.

Whip the cream cheese and herbs together, using the whip or whisk attachment to your mixer, until smooth and creamy.

Use a pastry bag with a fluted tip and carefully pipe the cream cheese into the tomatoes. Fill them with as much cream cheese as they can hold.

Mince the crab and then sprinkle on top of the cream cheese mixture. I topped them with some minced chives. Serve these chilled. They will be a perfect starter for a picnic or BBQ on a hot summer’s day.

Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.