Ingredients

• 4 ounces 90%-lean ground beef, or 93%-lean ground turkey
• 1 cup cooked brown rice, or 1/2 cup instant brown rice
• 4 large ripe but firm tomatoes, (about 8 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup petite green peas, (cooked, if fresh; thawed, but not cooked, if frozen)
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup breadcrumbs, made from day-old whole-wheat bread (see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook ground beef or turkey in a small skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling with a spoon, until brown and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. using cooked rice, go to Step 4. To prepare instant brown rice, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in rice, return to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

4. Add cooked rice to the bowl with the meat.

5. Meanwhile, slice enough off the top of each tomato to remove the core (1/2 to 1 inch). Scoop out the tomato pulp using a teaspoon or melon baller. Finely chop 1/2 cup of the pulp and add to the bowl with the rice and meat. (Reserve the remaining pulp for another use; see Kitchen Tips.) Season the inside of the tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

6. Add peas, onion, 1/4 cup cheese, parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to the rice mixture. Stir to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the tomatoes and place the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, breadcrumbs, oil and garlic in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the tomatoes.

7. Bake the tomatoes until the crumbs are golden and the tomatoes are soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

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