Experience the comforting taste of homemade Stewed Tomatoes, a timeless recipe crafted from the heart. These tomatoes are made with fresh tomatoes, rich butter, aromatic onions, a hint of sugar for sweetness, and soft bread crumbs. The result is a soul-satisfying side dish that pairs beautifully with a variety of entrees. Savor the goodness of this classic dish and let it remind you of simpler times.
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What makes these old fashioned stewed tomatoes so good?
In the 50s, you could get stewed tomatoes just about everywhere, for a good reason. They're delicious and so easy to make! However, tastes change, and today, the once popular side dish has disappeared from most restaurant menus and home dining tables.
But for anyone who remembers the rich, sweet, and tart taste of Grandma's old fashioned stewed tomatoes, this version will have you smiling.
And for those who have never tried stewed tomatoes or only the horrible canned stuff, try this recipe, and you'll want to pair this side with all your favorite dishes.
Why you should try this recipe
The sight of tomatoes ripening on the vine can instantly make your mouth water with visions of all the scrumptious dishes you can make. In addition to tomato sauce, salads, and soups you are planning, why not try making these homemade Stewed Tomatoes as well?
Stewed tomatoes are a terrific way to use up an abundance of fresh tomatoes, and they're versatile enough to go with a variety of mains or used as an ingredient in other dishes. Stewed tomatoes also freeze well and allow you to savor the flavor of your garden's tomatoes for months after the harvest!
Stewed tomatoes ingredients
For this recipe for Stewed Tomatoes, you'll need:
- Tomatoes
- Unsalted butter
- White onion
- Sugar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt - table or kosher salt
- Supermarket white bread
Ingredient notes
Fresh-from-the-vine summer tomatoes are the best for this recipe, but if you can't get them, whole, peeled canned tomatoes are better than the hard, pale tomatoes they sell in most large supermarkets. When using canned whole peeled tomatoes, you can skip the first section in the recipe below.
For fresh tomatoes, you can use beefsteak tomatoes, plum tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, or your favorite variety of red tomatoes.
Supermarket white bread is fine here, as is slightly stale bread. Sourdough bread adds an exciting flavor to the stewed tomatoes, but try to avoid bread with add-ins like nuts or fruit.
To give this dish extra flavor, you can add a little garlic or herbs such as fresh basil or oregano. You can also add ¼ cup of finely chopped celery along with the onions.
How to make old fashioned stewed tomatoes
To prepare the soft bread crumbs:
- Cut the crust off of the bread.
- Tear the crustless bread into pieces and chop them into small pieces using a food processor or a blender. Keep them for later.
To prepare the tomatoes:
- Bring water to a boil in a stockpot.
- While waiting, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice water. Cutting a skin-deep X on the bottom is an excellent hint to make peeling the tomato easier.
- Use a slotted spoon to dip the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunge them into the ice bath.
- Once cold, immediately peel the tomatoes.
- Dice the tomatoes into one-inch chunks.
To finish making this homemade stewed tomatoes with bread recipe:
- Mince the white onions into small pieces. Keep separate and set aside.
- Place a Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-low heat. Put in the butter to melt it.
- When it stops foaming, add the diced onions. Cook the onions until they soften.
- Add the diced tomatoes, sugar, freshly ground black pepper, and salt to the saucepan. Stir well.
- Simmer the tomatoes while stirring occasionally until the tomatoes soften, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the soft bread crumbs to the tomato mixture. Once the bread is entirely saturated with liquid, remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Serve warm.
What to serve them with
Besides adding old fashioned stewed tomatoes as an ingredient in other dishes like stuffed bell peppers or soups, you can serve it as a side dish. Here are a few favorite combinations:
- Fish. Just about any fish, whether baked or fried, will work alongside this stewed tomatoes recipe. Cod and tilapia are particularly good choices.
- Eggs. Pair the stewed tomatoes with any style of eggs for Shakshuka-esque results that are utterly addictively delicious. Just be sure you have enough toasted bread to mop up everything.
- Macaroni and cheese. Whether classic oven-baked Mac 'n Cheese or simmered on the stovetop, these Grandma's old fashioned stewed tomatoes with bread will pair wonderfully with it.
- Pasta or Rice. A great substitute for traditional tomato sauce.
How to store stewed tomatoes with bread
Let the stewed tomatoes cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge and eat within two to three days.
For longer storage, you can freeze this side dish in a freezer-safe container for a few months. Defrost the frozen tomatoes overnight in the fridge before reheating.
What is the best way to reheat stewed tomatoes?
Warm up the thawed stewed tomatoes in a saucepan over low heat. Stir often until warmed through. You may need to add water or a little tomato juice to thin out the stewed tomatoes.
Origins of stewed tomatoes
While tomatoes didn't have the best reception in Europe (most people thought they were poisonous), once the folks in the Old World accepted them as good food that didn't kill, they began to get creative with them.
Early on, Europeans developed many unique dishes utilizing tomatoes, including many similar to this recipe. You can even find stewed tomatoes in Hannah Glasse's 18th-century classic, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple.
While this recipe doesn't go back quite that far, it is based on a recipe for stewed tomatoes that first appeared in the 1961 edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook.
More vintage side dish recipes
Stewed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons minced onion
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup soft breadcrumbs see notes
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and plunge the tomatoes in for 30 seconds. Remove and immediately transfer to an ice bath.
- Peel the tomatoes and discard the skins. Dice the tomatoes into bite-size pieces.
- Place the butter and onions in a small saucepan over medium heat and sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Add the diced tomatoes, sugar, ground black pepper, and salt and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened.
- Stir in the soft breadcrumbs and cook for another minute. Serve.
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