Creativity is in full force in the test kitchen at The Places In The Home cafe. A culinary brainstorming session with my brother resulted in this green tomatoes in phyllo baskets recipe.
The recipes is a work in progress and phyllo patience, but it was met with glowing reviews from the family.
Green Tomatoes In Phyllo Baskets
Ingredients
6-8 green tomatoes
1 roll phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
8 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 8 oz. box Tony Chachere’s Creole Dirty Rice dinner mix 0r favorite brand flavored rice mix
½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. medium or hot ground pork sausage
1 tsp. basil
salt & pepper or creole seasoning to taste
8 oz. shredded cheese of your choice
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. paprika
1 Pyrex baking dish
aluminum baking pan
6-8 cup muffin pan
sauce pan or microwavable bowl
sauce brush
Directions
Remove phyllo pastry sheets from freezer and allow to thaw according to package directions (two hours at room temperature for quick thaw, overnight in refrigerator for following day use).
Wash and scoop out the inside of tomatoes. Place tomatoes in a square Pyrex dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper or creole seasoning to personal taste. Place Pyrex dish into a deep baking pan.
Prepare a hot- water bath by bringing a pan of water to a light simmer on top of stove; carefully pour hot water into a baking pan halfway up the sides of Pyrex dish.
Cover with aluminum foil or inverted cookie sheet to promote a slight softening.
If tomatoes are too soft they will become difficult to wrap.
Brown ground beef and ground pork sausage together. Add basil. Drain and add meats to packaged rice mix; prepare as directed. When fully cooked allow to cool.
Remove Pyrex dish filled with softened tomatoes from hot-water bath. Melt butter and place to side for use with phyllo dough.
Fill each tomato with cooked rice and meat. Top each tomato with shredded cheese to individual taste.
We Louisianians are big on flavor, seasoning and heat.
I adjusted the spice of the recipe to a medium spice content.
Tone it down or turn it up to your please your taste buds.
Prepare phyllo sheets according to instructions. I used two layers of dough per tomato.
Very important to work only with needed dough keeping a damp towel over the remaining layers until ready to use. It makes it easier to handle and reduces tearing.
Lightly brush the edges of each layer of dough with melted butter. Place stuffed tomato in center of dough.
“Wrap” tomato by bring dough corners to center and twisting.
Place wrapped tomatoes in ungreased muffin pan.
Lightly brush dough wrapped tomatoes once again with remaining melted butter.
Sprinkle with paprika and parsley flakes.
Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
