To create the cheese spread, use your favorite recipe. Or, use this as an opportunity to clean out the bits and bobs of ingredients hanging out in your pantry. That’s what I did to create the filling for this Tomato Tulips Spring Appetizer. Basically, I just zhushed up some cream cheese. The spread came out great. If you are short on dip ideas, the recipe is below if you would like to follow it.
Although the cream cheese filling takes almost no time to make for this Tomato Tulip Spring Appetizer, feel free stuff these tomatoes with your favorite store-bought spread. Here you save even more time in preparing your holiday meal.
Use a sharp or small serrated knife to cut the tulip shape into the tops of the tomatoes. I used one of my favorite knives in my kitchen, Wüsthof’s Clip Point paring knife. After filling the cut tomatoes, you may find some cheesy fingerprints on the outside of the tomatoes. Gently wipe up any excess spread with a kitchen cloth.
Then, cut a little hole in the bottoms of the tomatoes. This makes it easy to insert the scallion stems.
Like the Easter Eggs, you can create one big tomato tulip out of a large tomato, which would further cut down the prep time, but who doesn’t love a tulip bouquet?
Tomato Tulips Spring Appetizer
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup cream cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 12 grape tomatoes
- 8 scallons
Instructions
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In a separate small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, lemon juice, chili, garlic and onion powders. Season with salt and pepper
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Use a small paring knife with a sharp point to cut the stem out of the bottom of each grape tomato.
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From the top slice each tomato vertically, four times, cutting down to 3/4 of the way to the bottom.
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With the point of the knife, scoop out the flesh from the insides of each tomato.
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Use a small spoon or knife to fill each of the tomatoes with the cream cheese mixture.
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Cut the bottoms off of the scallions.
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Slice the scallions vertically into strips.
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Insert the bottom (more firm) ends of the scallion strips into the bottom of the tomatoes.
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Arrange on a plate and serve.
So, do you like this Tomato Tulips Spring Appetizer? Then also check out some of these other delicious recipes:
TULIP VODKA
SPRING TULIP DEVILED EGGS
HOMEMADE MARZIPAN LUCKY PIGS
