Name: Broccoli-Topped Baked Tomatoes
Ingredients: 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 2 cups cooked rice; 3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese; 2 eggs, slightly beaten; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper; 3 firm medium-sized tomatoes; 1 cup grated Gouda cheese

Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Broccoli-Topped Baked Tomatoes

Oven350°F

Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the filling

Cook broccoli and onion according to package directions. Drain well.
Combine broccoli, rice, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Bake and serve

Cut tomatoes in half horizontally. Sprinkle cut sides with salt and pepper. Top each with a mound of rice mixture (about 1/2 cup). Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

637Calories

31 gProtein

25 gFat

74 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Cheese	1 oz (28g) cheddar	113
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Broccoli	1 cup chopped (156g)	55
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Gouda	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cheddar cheese + cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together984 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Broccoli + oniontop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,294 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Rice + tomatotop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,065 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Broccoli + tomatotop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,118 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,923 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs: Bind the rice and cheese mixture so the topping holds its shape while baking.
Cooked rice: Forms the bulk of the topping, giving body and a soft, tender texture.
Sharp cheddar cheese: Melts into the rice mixture, adding richness and savory flavor.
Frozen chopped broccoli: Adds vegetable texture and flavor to the topping.
Firm medium-sized tomatoes: Serve as the base, releasing moisture that warms through under the topping.

The step that matters

Drain the broccoli well. Excess water from cooked frozen broccoli would thin the rice mixture and make the topping soggy and loose during baking.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (broccoli, rice, cheddar cheese, egg, pepper, tomato, cheese):

Capsicumfits better
Potatofits better
Mustardfits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against broccoli, rice, cheddar cheese, egg, pepper, tomato, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.