From salads to pasta, there are so many ways to use fresh tomatoes, from the garden or from the grocery store. Get some new ideas on our list of fresh tomato recipes.
For more ideas of what to cook, check out all of our recipes.
If you have a lot of fresh tomatoes and you’re wondering what to do with them, you’ve come to the right place.
We’re always incorporating tomatoes into our meals, from adding them to salads to making salsas for parties to adding them to pasta.
These are great ideas if your backyard garden is going wild. But, if you don’t have a garden, don’t worry. You can just go to your local grocery store or farmer’s market and pick up fresh tomatoes and use those instead.
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Fresh Tomato Recipes
We broke this list into a few categories to help you: fresh tomato salads, appetizers, side dishes, pizza and pasta, and then a category with more ideas that just don’t fit into one of those sections.
Fresh Tomato Salads
From simple salads to pasta salads, this section has you covered.
Roasted Tomato Burrata Salad
Burrata always feels so fancy, so combining that with blistered tomatoes feels like something you’d get at a high-end restaurant, not something you made at home.
It’s a great salad for when you’re having company over or a date night with your spouse.
Caprese Tortellini Salad
If you’re looking for a recipe for a crowd, this caprese tortellini salad is perfect.
It’s can be served hot or cold, so it’s a good salad to make if you’re traveling to a potluck and can’t keep it warm.
Easy Garden Tomato Salad
This easy garden tomato salad tastes better the next day, so you can make it ahead of time.
That’s super helpful if you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or dinner party and don’t have time to make everything the day of.
Caprese Pasta Salad
If you want all the flavors of a typical caprese salad, but something more hearty so it’s a meal, make this caprese pasta salad.
It’s a really tasty idea for a light summer dinner.
Pico De Gallo
If you want a snacky way to use your tomatoes, make this pico de gallo.
Pair it with a bag of tortilla chips and it’s perfect for game days or for just enjoying while watching your favorite show.
Fresh Tomato Appetizers & Snacks
These are great for parties or just for a little snack before dinner.
Bruschetta Totchos
If you like nachos, but you want a twist on them, you need to try this bruschetta totchos recipe.
It’s everything you like about nachos, but served on tater tots instead of chips.
Avocado Toast Bruschetta
Avocado toast bruschetta is everything you like about avocado toast, but in a bite-sized, appetizer form.
Every time I make these, they’re eaten so quickly and are definitely the hit of the party.
Fresh Tomato Salsa
It’s so easy to make homemade salsa. Once you do, you’ll stop buying salsa at the grocery store.
What’s great is you can vary the spice level and make it however you and your family prefer it.
Kale Pesto Bruschetta
We love making bruschetta for parties and no matter what type we make, or how much we make, it always goes quickly.
So if you’re looking for the hit of your party, this bruschetta — made with my favorite condiment: kale pesto — will be it.
Mini Tomato Pies
These mini tomato pies are the perfect taste of summer.
This is a great side dish, but it also works as a light dinner, which is how I prefer to eat during the summer. When it’s hot out, I don’t feel like eating anything too heavy.
Fresh Tomato Side Dishes
These are the perfect sides to go with your main meals.
Grilled Tomato And Mushroom Skewers With Garlic Butter
If you’re looking for an easy grilling recipe, these grilled tomato and mushroom skewers with garlic butter is it.
The vegetables are a really satisfying side dish that you can easily grill at the same time as your main dish.
Garden Tomato Caprese Tart
One of the tastiest and lightest ways to use fresh garden tomatoes is in this garden tomato caprese tart (also known as a tomato galette).
What’s great is you can use a store-bought pie crust, which means less work for you.
Baked Fried Green Tomatoes
When you have a garden, you can pick your tomatoes early, right before you have ripe tomatoes, to get green tomatoes for this fried green tomatoes recipe.
Baking the tomatoes is the best way to make these, so you don’t have to deal with frying, hot olive oil, and all that mess.
Grilled Tomatoes
I always say, if you’re making dinner on the grill, it makes sense to grill your sides too. That way, you’re not running between the grill and the kitchen to check on your food.
So these grilled tomatoes are perfect for a grilled dinner night, especially when you have an abundance of garden tomatoes. You can make a huge tray of these with minimal effort.
Baked Tomatoes With Panko
If it’s not grilling season, baked tomatoes are a good alternative to the side dish above. It’s very similar except its made in the oven.
They get a really good crunch from the panko breadcrumbs, making for a satisfying bite.
Stuffed Tomatoes
This stuffed tomatoes recipe is a really fun side dish.
They take a little bit of work because you do have to stuff each fresh tomato individually, but it’s totally worth the effort.
Fresh Tomato Pasta & Pizza
Tomatoes fit perfectly in these main dishes.
Pasta alla Norma
Whenever I make Pasta alla Norma, I always joke and say, “I don’t know who Norma is, but I love her pasta.” There’s a history behind this classic Italian dish, but you don’t need to know who Norma is to like this pasta.
All you do need to know is this homemade spaghetti sauce is really easy to make and a great idea for the nights you want a red sauce but don’t feel like making a classic tomato sauce.
White Pizza
Although you can top white pizza with anything, we always use fresh tomatoes.
That way, you’re getting the tomato flavor you expect with pizza without using the tomato sauce that’s usually on pizza.
More Ways To Use Fresh Tomatoes
Need a few more ideas? Find them here.
Bacon Tomato Jam
Bacon tomato jam is the perfect way to use a lot of garden tomatoes because it uses a lot of them and lasts for a long time.
You can make the jam then use it to top chicken breast, steak, meatloaf, or just use it as a dip for crackers.
Caprese Grilled Cheese
There’s a whole restaurant in my town that’s geared towards grown up grilled cheese. Because honestly, everyone likes grilled cheese.
If you do, you’ll love this caprese grilled cheese, which is all the elements of a caprese salad but in sandwich form.
Caprese Chicken
Caprese chicken is such a fun weeknight dinner.
It comes together really quickly, so it is something that you can make after work when you want something easy but also satisfying.
Which of these fresh tomatoes recipes have you tried? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Tisha
Thursday 13th of June 2019
You weren't kidding when you said ultimate, lol! Bookmarking this! Nothing says summer like tomatoes! My kids are hit and miss with tomatoes, but maybe there is something(s) here they will enjoy!
Hannah Marie
Thursday 13th of June 2019
This is a type of post I've been looking for ever since. Those are all lovely tomato recipes I can never get tired of trying. They are all my favorites.
Candace Hampton
Wednesday 12th of June 2019
WOW! I never thought that tomatoes could be so versatile. I only use it for a few recipes, bc I don't really know any other recipes lol I definitely need to try the avocado caprese salad. I'm obsessed with avocado and it goes perfectly with tomatoes, so I bet that I would love that recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer Tanney
Wednesday 12th of June 2019
My favorite thing to eat right out of the garden are cherry tomatoes. So your huge recipe list will probably be used in my house once we start getting tomatoes. I think the first thing I want to try is the tomato eggplant stir fry. It looks delicious.
Enriqueta E Lemoine
Wednesday 12th of June 2019
I love tomatoes on a lot of things, but most of all pasta. Will be checking out some of your pasta recipes. Im sure my boys will love it!