ITALIAN STUFFED TOMATOES

4 large firm tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic chopped
1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or scant tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 cup seasoned stuffing mix, such as pepperidge farm, the crumbly kind, not the cubes.

Slice tops from tomatoes, scoop out (I use my melon baller). Leave enough pulp that the tomato will hold together. Discard the juice or use for another purpose.

Brown the sausage in a skillet until crumbly, add onion and garlic, drain the grease.

Return to skillet, stir in tomato pulp and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in cheese, parsley and stuffing mix, spoon into tomato shells. Place side by side in greased (I use Pam) shallow casserole.

Bake 30-35 minutes at 350F or until lightly browned. Serve with additional parmesan and finely chopped parsley.

I have also used this stuffing mixture to stuff zucchini, using the zucchini pulp in place of the tomato pulp.