When you have an abundance of ripe garden tomatoes this old fashioned side dish comes to the rescue!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- With just four ingredients, this is the easiest of easy recipes.
- A great way to use day-old bread!
- Tastes like an old family recipe perfect for a lazy meal all year-'round.
With homemade stewed tomatoes and crunchy, toasted bread, this easy dinner side dish is perfect when you want a little change of pace.
Whether you opt for quick canned tomatoes or use hand-picked, garden-fresh tomatoes, the simple flavors always seem to hit the spot.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cut your toast into squares.
- Put stewed tomatoes into a greased baking dish.
- Stir half of the toast into the tomato mixture.
- Top with remaining squares of toast and bake.
🥫 Storage
Scalloped tomatoes are best served steaming hot out of the oven—well, let them cool a little, first.
If you happen to have leftovers, though, the easiest way to store them is in an airtight container or storage dish. The leftovers will technically last for a few days, but the chunks of bread will soak up the juice and become softer the longer it sits.
📖 Variations
A lot of the recipes from way back when were created with a need to use stuff up. Nothing went to waste, after all—a good habit to follow even today, too.
That's why you'll see a ton of variations for scalloped tomatoes. Use what you have, what you like, or what you need to use.
- Instead of canned stewed tomatoes, you can make them homemade with fresh, whole tomatoes. Try this Southern stewed tomatoes recipe.
- I usually used homemade but the Italian stewed tomatoes are delicious in this dish, too.
- Use stale bread cubes from leftover white bread, brioche, dinner rolls, or buns.
- If you have croutons laying around, you can use those instead of bread.
- Add some chopped and sauteed bell pepper to the stewed tomatoes.
- Mix some cooked garlic, shallot, or onion in before baking.
- Some family recipes stir in a little brown sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. I like the dish without, but you can try both and decide!
- Sprinkle the casserole with grated parmesan or Romano cheese.
- Garnish with chopped chives, parsley, red pepper flakes, or basil.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Brush the bread with olive oil or a few tablespoons of butter and toast it in the oven for extra flavor. Or, you can toast it in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat until it turns golden. A great way to toast a lot of bread at one time!
- You'll know the scalloped tomatoes are close to done when the dish starts "talking." In other words, listen for the bubbly deliciousness!
- Use slightly less-toasted pieces of bread on top of the tomatoes. They'll brown a little more in the oven, so if they're too dark to start with, you risk having some charred spots.
👩🍳 FAQs
Scalloped tomatoes is one of those classic, old recipes that's been passed down among families for generations. It's a baked tomato dish, consisting mainly of tomatoes and bread, along with a variety of other flavoring ingredients.
Not really. Scalloped tomatoes are sometimes referred to as breaded tomatoes or tomato pudding. Think of it as a savory bread pudding, but instead of custard, stewed tomatoes are used, instead. If you've never had it, it might be hard to imagine. However, after your first time, you'll be hooked!
Nope! Crushed tomatoes are simply crushed, while stewed tomatoes have been cooked down and seasoned with herbs. Even though they're next to each other on a grocery store shelf, don't confuse 'em!
To be honest, they're great for both! Ripe summer tomatoes make the best stewed tomatoes, so you can enjoy it in-season as an alfresco side dish. On the other hand, this dish is warm and relaxing, which makes it a great comfort meal for the rest of the year, too!
📚 Related recipes
- Southern Stewed Tomatoes are a great pantry staple to keep on hand (or, in the freezer) all year long. They're a delicious side dish, and so easy to make!
- Cornmeal and breadcrumbs work together to make these Fried Green Tomatoes extra crisp on the outside, but soft and tender inside.
- If you're now craving Scalloped Potatoes, this is the recipe to try! Made in a crockpot with ham, it's a perfect side dish—or main!
🍽️ Serve with...
📞 The last word
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
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Scalloped Tomatoes
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 4 cups stewed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 slices bread, toasted
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°
- Spray 1 ½ quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add tomatoes to baking dish.
- Brush the toast with melted butter.
- Cut the buttered toast into small squares.
- Mix half the squares into the tomatoes.
- Top the tomato mixture with the remaining toast squares.
- Bake at 375° for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.
Notes
- Brush the bread with olive oil or a few tablespoons of butter and toast it in the oven for extra flavor.
- You'll know the scalloped tomatoes are close to done when the dish starts bubbling.
- Use slightly less-toasted pieces of bread on top of the tomatoes. They'll brown a little more in the oven, so if they're too dark to start with, you risk having some charred spots.
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