Baked Heirloom Tomatoes with Creamy Pesto Sauce

I can’t stop looking at the pictures I took of these tomatoes. Can’t stop. Won’t stop. I love them.

Rest assured these tomatoes will show up elsewhere. The reason they’re so good is 2-fold:

1) I got a new camera, a Canon Rebel T5 and I’m weirdly obsessed with it. Maybe because it takes sexy pictures of heirloom tomatoes.

2) I’ve been trying to research food photography tips since I am less than a novice at this. I just did a quick Pinterest search on “food photography tips” and found some amazing posts from The Simple Sweet Life, Army Wife to Suburban Life, and B. Britnell

Just look at those spices. LOOK AT THEM. But I digress, you’re probably ready for this delicious recipe so here we go…

JK had to sneak that photo in.

Baked Heirloom Tomatoes with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 25 – 30 minutes | Serves: 6-8 (as an appetizer)

Ingredients:

¼ cup flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced about 1/3” thick
Unsweetened, plain almond milk (about a cup, maybe a bit more if you get low)
2-3 Tbsp. of your favorite pesto
2-3 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
Fresh parsley for garnish, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 ° F.

Stir together the first 7 ingredients and place in a large bowl or on a plate. Place almond milk in another bowl. Dip tomatoes in the milk and then in the breading mixture, making sure to thoroughly coat.

Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and place tomatoes in an even layer so they are not touching. Spritz each tomato with a bit more cooking spray. This will help them crisp up in the oven! Bake for 15 minutes, flip tomatoes, then bake for about 10-15 more minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown.

Meanwhile, mix together the Greek yogurt and pesto in a small bowl. Serve tomatoes warm with creamy pesto sauce and enjoy!