A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else—flavor, creativity, wow factor. Psst: We don't count water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (specifically, 1/2 cup or less of olive oil, vegetable oil, and butter), since we're guessing you have those covered. Today, we’re getting cheesy.
A juicy, heavy tomato needs no more than a pinch of salt to turn into an afternoon snack. And, several times every summer, I do just that. But when making a meal out of a tomato, there are other ingredients to zhuzh things up.
Think: hazelnutty brown butter (and lots of it). Or a thick swipe of mayonnaise and almost-burnt toast. Or sugar, fennel seeds, and dried chiles.
Or cheddar cheese. Besides ready-to-rumble tomatoes, that’s the only other ingredient you’ll need for this Big Little Recipe.
Sharp white is what’s usually in my fridge, but what’s in yours? A milder or yellow-tinted hunk would treat tomatoes just as well. And honestly, another variety altogether—say, Monterey jack or provolone or Gruyère—could step in too. What’s most important is that it’s quick to melt into a bubbly, gooey mess.
There’s little more to this dish than that.
You’ll slice a tomato into wedges. Toss those into a hot, olive-oiled skillet. Sprinkle with an eyebrow-raising amount of salt and pepper (the fewer ingredients a dish has, the more the seasoning matters). Let sizzle. As the tomatoes hiss and sputter, their juice will become juicier, their bottoms, singed and browned. After a few minutes, once the tomatoes are almost ready to eat, give everyone a shuffle, smother in grated cheese, and shout to whoever’s nearby that lunch or dinner is ready.
This is not a neat affair. It should be eaten straight from the skillet, untidily, unapologetically, with the cheesy tomato juice and tomato juicy cheese still bubbling.
An oil-and-vinegar salad would feel at home nearby. But even more fitting is something starchy, a slice of crusty sourdough, a mountain of fluffy rice, a tangle of egg noodles, anything to step in and soak up all that goodness.
| 1 | tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
| Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 1 | pound ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges |
| 3 | ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated |
| 1 | tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
| Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 | pound ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges |
| 3 | ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated |
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Written by: Emma Laperruque
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20 Comments
I use Cougar Gold for most everything. If you haven't had it, you must try it. It's the best sharp cheddar ever! It's orangish-white and aged and so yummy it even has crystals like Parmesan. It comes in a can! Washington State University has been making it since the 1940s. I've turned so many friends onto it that I take orders for one shipment every fall. That said, it's almost a 2lb can, so I don't usually open it for myself, I usually wait for a party. And, I'm not positive it would be super melty...I might mix in some more processed cheddar just in case.
https://creamery.wsu.edu/cougar-cheese/
Next time I think I will include a dip of lemon-hummus to brighten and lighten the dish and top with figs for a kick of sweet. Thanks for the easy afternoon snack inspiration!
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