Baked Tomato Parmesan

I love chicken parmesan and mushroom parmesan, but recently I thought of how tasty a baked tomato parmesan recipe would be, so I made it for a vegetarian dinner. I coated thick tomato slices with Italian panko crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan, then baked them until golden brown. I then topped each one with a dollop of marinara sauce, then some fresh mozzarella, and baked them until the cheese was melted and gooey. I added some fresh basil right before serving with additional Parmesan on the side. They were SO GOOD! I loved the combination of the crisp panko crust on the tomatoes with the sweet marinara and gooey cheese. We all thought they were delicious, and they paired nicely with a big Italian salad and some crusty roasted garlic bread.

Baked Tomato Parmesan

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup flour
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 cup Italian panko crumbs
• ¼ cup Parmesan, grated + more for serving
• 2 tomatoes, sliced thickly
• Marinara sauce
• Mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh basil

How to Make Baked Tomato Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use the convection setting if possible. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Coat it with olive oil cooking spray.

Prepare a dredging station by pouring the flour onto a shallow plate and seasoning it with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder to taste; mix well.

Crack an egg into a bowl and beat well.

Pour the Italian seasoned bread crumbs on a plate, then add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese; mix well.

Dredge the tomato slices completely in the flour. Next, dip the slices in the egg, and lastly coat the tomato slices evenly with the Parmesan panko crumbs mixture.

Place the coated tomato slices a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Lightly spray some olive oil cooking spray over the top of each tomato.

Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Side Note: If you don’t have a convection bake setting, you may need to flip the tomatoes over to brown both sides.

Remove from the oven.

Spoon a dollop of marinara in the center of each tomato, followed by fresh mozzarella cheese.

Place back in the oven for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately, topped with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan on the side. Enjoy.