Creamy Pesto Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

These bite-sized creamy pesto-stuffed cherry tomatoes are the perfect festive appetizer or side dish for your holiday spread. Made from only 4 ingredients, these stuffed tomato bites are super simple to assemble. They can be served warm or cold and with bright red and green ingredients, they add a fun pop of holiday color that’s not only festive but also delicious.

Tips to make prep easy

I like to keep things simple over the holiday season. I’ve used pre-made pesto in these creamy pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes so all we need to do is assemble a few ingredients. Here are a few tips to make prep as straight forward as possible, because the holiday season is busy enough. Who needs complicated recipes?

• Scoop: The most tedious part of this recipe is scooping the pulp out of the cherry tomatoes. Select the largest, ripest cherry tomatoes that you can find at the grocery store. The riper the tomatoes, the easier it is to remove the seeds. Use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds. I use either a 1/4 teaspoon or 1/8 teaspoon depending on the size of the tomatoes.
• Fill: Place the cream cheese/pesto filling into a pastry bag/piping bag. If you don’t have a pastry bag/piping bag, use a zip lock bag and cut the end off of the corner to create a pipping bag. Squeeze the cheese out of the bag into each tomato.
• Press or slice: Once the cherry tomatoes are hallowed out, gently press them onto a plate to flatten the bottom and keep them stable. If pressing them doesn’t do the trick, you can use a knife to cut a thin slice off the bottom of the tomatoes so that they’re flat enough to stay put without rolling around.

Topping Options

• Roasted pine nuts are simple to prepare. Sauté them in a skillet on medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes until they start to brown. Sprinkle a few roasted pine nuts on top of each tomato.
• Sprinkle a little bit of grated or shredded parmesan on top on these pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes. This is my favorite topping when I serve them warm.
• For a little bit of extra festive color, top each tomato with fresh herbs. My favorites are finely chopped fresh basil or finely chopped fresh parsley.

Looking for more festive recipes?

• Brie Cheese Trees
• Cranberry Jalapeño Cheese Ball
• Chocolate Dipped Holiday Sprinkle Butter Cookies
• Make Ahead Christmas Morning Casserole
• Orange Chocolate Macadamia Nut Fudge

Creamy Pesto Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

These creamy pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes are made with bright red and green ingredients to add a festive touch to an appetizer spread.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• About 15-20 cherry tomatoes depending on their size
• 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
• ¼ cup store-bought pesto or homemade pesto
• salt to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup pine nuts or grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

 

• Slice the top quarter of the cherry tomatoes off using a sharp knife. Remove the inside pulp using a small spoon (1/4 teaspoon or 1/8 teaspoon works great). Invert the tomato cups on a paper towel to drain while you mix the filling.
• Combine the cream cheese, pesto and black pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Add salt to taste. Create a pipping bag by adding the cream cheese and pesto mixture to a zip lock bag. Cut a small corner off of the bag.
• Gently press the hallowed cherry tomatoes onto a plate to flatten the bottom and keep them stable. If pressing them doesn't do the trick, you can use a knife to slice off a sliver of the bottom of each tomato so that it's flat enough to stay in place, without rolling around.
• Squeeze the cream cheese and pesto mixture into each cherry tomato.
• Top with parmesan cheese or roasted pine nuts. To roast the pine nuts, add them to a small skillet and brown on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to turn brown.
• This recipe can be served cold as is or warm. To serve these cherry tomatoes warm, bake them in the oven on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 400 degrees for 3-5 minutes.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Keyword cream cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes, creamy pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes, pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes, stuffed cherry tomatoes, stuffed tomato appetizer

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