Tasty and cheap, this is a recipe from the Great Depression.  Excellent as a side dish for supper, or even a main dish for a light meal.

Tomato Cakes

(14.5 tomatoes

¼ onion, chopped

saltine crackers, crushed

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

Place the tomatoes, onion and crackers into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Cover, and let stand for about 15 minutes. This will allow the crackers to soak up the juices from the tomato. The mixture should set up to be a stiff paste.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Form the tomato mixture into patties, and place in the hot oil. Fry the patties, flipping only once, until golden on both sides.


Great idea and SUPER cheap to make. I used organic tomatoes. crushed low-salt Ritz crackers and added a teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and a half teaspoon of dried basil just to jazz it up a bit. At the last minute, I added 1/2 cup of shredded mozzerella as the cheese would have gone bad if I hadn't. I fried these in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and butter. Huge hit with the kids. All I had to say to them was we were having cracker pancakes and they couldn't eat them fast enough. My husband was a harder sell but he was hungry, so he ate whatever was left. He said "It needs bacon" so I might add some crumbled bacon next time. I made the Dill Sauce for Hamburgers to go with and it went together well. NOTE: if you use Ritz crackers, be sure to use 1/3 more than you would have using saltines.

I really was trying to find a way to use up tomatoes from the garden and this is what I did.  Boiled and peeled 15oz of tomatoes, added 1 1/3 C. Panko crumbs and 1/4 C. Italian Bread Crumbs (hey - it's what I had on hand) 2 T. Fresh Basil, 1 T. Garlic Powder, 1/4 onion, 1/4 green pepper, 1/4 C. Parmesan (the kind in the green can - again...what I had on hand) veggie oil for frying.  I tried the recipe exactly, but with most of my different dry ingredients - realized I needed more since the patties kept sticking, something I noticed in other cook's reviews.  AWESOME!!!  Tried to take photo ops 2 times - 11 yr old daughter and BF kept eating them...until I finally realized that I had to hide them in order to take a pic.....was wondering why there were no pics on here - now I know why.....thought this was weird...tried something new....AMAZING!!!!

I was staying at a girlfriend's house dog-sitting.  She is a vegetarian and had a fridge full of organic tomatoes so I decided to try this recipe.  I am not a vegetarian, but this was terrific!  I added a little basil and garlic and served the cake on a spinch wrap with some cheddar cheese and sauteed spinach -- AWESOME!!!

This was a hit with my family. I altered it a little to suit what I had on hand. I used crushed goldfish crackers instead of saltines.  I will make it again.

Holy cow...I simply cannot believe that so few ingredients can yield something so fabulous! I am teaching daughter to cook over summer break and this one was on her list. We were both so pleased with the results! We used italian flavored tinned tomatoes, adding extra oregano, basil, cilantro, paprika, garlic and onion. I think next time we may even add a touch of parmesan. Instead of forming into patties, we dropped them into oil by the spoonful, and pressed them flat with the back of a spoon...we also found that making the patties smaller made them easier to flip. We topped ours with a dollop of sour cream, but mayo, blue cheese or mozerella would be nice, too. I think perhaps these would even broil nicely in your oven. I like that I always have the ingredients for this recipe in my pantry, since I can see we will be eating this alot! THANKS!!!!

Wow.  That is the only word I have for this.  WOW.  I used diced Italian style tomatoes and these were great.  I wound up throwing in the entire sleeve of saltines, as mine weren't pastey enough after 15 minutes (they might have set up after sitting longer, but I didn't have the time.)  I added a hint of fresh parmesan and just drizzled olive oil in the pan instead of using the full 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  I will be making this again (at the request of my incredibly pickly husband.)  I didn't try to really form patties with these (like I would with a hamburger) rather, I just spooned them into the skillet.  Great and cheap - the only two criteria needed for a recipe to make a repeat appearance on my dinner table.  Thanks!

The flavor was okay.  It could definately using some spicing up.  My kids didn't like this at all, though I was rather proud that my 5 year old choked it down.  My 2 year old daughter snubbed them immediately and my 6 year old took one bit and made a rather unpleasent face. (He doesn't like tomatoes anyway)  I myself, thought that the consistancy of the mixture was blah...It turned out mushy not crispy and I had my pan super heated. I might be able to get past the somewhat bland taste by adding some of the ingrediants other reviews have added, but I couldn't handle the texture at all.  I ended up throwing the rest of the batch out.  I may or may not try this again, but if I do, I think I will definately add other ingrediants and an egg; maybe that will help.

Delicious! Crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside (or at least that's how mine came out).  I used Hunt's Basil, Garlic, and Oregano Diced tomatoes, so I didn't bother adding salt and pepper and the flavor was perfect.

yummy, yummy! great w/ fresh flounder from Cape May, NJ

EXCELLENT! Who would of thought that tomato cakes would actually taste great. And not like eating a tomato raw, it is actually delicious. :-D

Made these several times. I use fresh tomatoes, which I like better than canned. You can add fresh herbs and spices to taste. Enjoy!!

I tried these just for fun one day and was pleasantly surprised.  They were really very good!!  I think I might add a bit of basil, garlic and parmesan next time just to jazz them up a bit.  Otherwise a very tasty budget friendly meal!

I was looking for something quick and affordable to make with what I had in the house. I didn't know what to think of this? It kind of reminded me of a tomato crab cake. I used a mini hamburger mold and made 7 patties. I liked the crispiness on the outside, but thought the cracker was still kind of mushy on the inside. Overall, though, not bad for common cubard ingredients.

I used flavored tomatoes with this recipe. I could not get mine very 'pasty' but it still turned out tasting good. After I made a couple as written I decided to add more crackers and some garlic to the remaining batch. I prefered the original recipe better. This tasted nice with sour cream.

My family loved this recipe !!! Yummy, would make again in a heart beat.  I ended up tweaking the recipe though, instead of canned tomatoes I used 15 fresh roma tomatoes, diced. I added green pepper, basil, oregano, grated parmesan cheese and then used panko &amp; bread crumbs instead of crackers.  My son who does not like tomatoes tried 1 pattie and ended up eating half the plate !

I made this exactly as written and it was really good! Next time I will do what others did and add some parmesan or other cheese and some herbs.  Can't wait to play around with this recipe!

MY FAMILY LOVED THESE .WE MADE OUR OWN VERSION WE USED BREAD CRUMBS AND ADDED FRIED BACON BITS.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! These are super easy and jam packed with flavor!!!! I used italian diced tomatoes, and added a little onion and garlic powder.  These are unbelievable, I can't say how much I enjoyed these!  My wife who does not care for tomatoes even had to love these.  They even work well with fat free saltines.  If you are reading this, thy these tonight, you won't regret it.

These were great! I had some old tomatoes in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so I quickly boiled them, removed the skin, and mixed them in a bowl with the leftover bits of crackers in an old box. The mixture was far too sloppy, so I added in some crumbled up sourdough bun (happened to have it in the cupboard) and leftover cooked rice.  They turned out fantastic! I drizzled some lime juice and fresh cilantro on top - definitely a winning recipe for its simplicity and taste. Jalapeño would be great chopped in.  Next time, I will follow the recipe exactly, and repost a review.

Easy recipe to follow.  I used fresh tomatoes from the garden, finely diced onion, garlic, oregano, basil and a little parmesan cheese.  If you keep the batter cold, the patties will keep their shape better.  They do burn easily if you don't watch them.  I will make this again, maybe adding some jalapenos for a little heat for my husband.

Excellent! I added a little italian seasoning and a handful of parmesan cheese. I used a little butter and olive oil to fry them and a non-stick pan and had no problems with them sticking. served them alongside a fritatta for lunch. Definitely plan to make these again and again! 

They were ok.  Not everyone liked them.  I didn't find they were firm enough for my liking.  Perhaps an addition of something would help.  Perhaps more breadcrums, crackers and an egg or two.

YUMMY!!!! I took a reviewers advice and added grated parmesan cheese to the recipe – these are easy to make and fantastic.

I now know that I could have easily survived the depression of the thirties if this was a staple:) A new comfort food for sure! So delicious and filling as a vegetarian main dish. I used stewed tomatoes and the flavouring was enough for spices for me.

these are awesome. read other reviews and added basil garlic and onion flavored tomatoes. I also added par. and shredded cheddar cheese and served them with ranch dressing.

As suggested, I used a can of italian flavored tomatoes, and these were so yummy!  Very satisfying.  Although I did have trouble keeping them from sticking in my cast iron skillet.  Next time I'll use a nonstick pan.

The cakes taste pretty good but are they supposed to turn out crispy? Mine ended up being mushy.

These are amazing. I've heard saltines are pretty bad for your body, but I can justify these. I accidentally used the canned tomatoes with green peppers in them, but it turned out great. thanks for the recipe!

Great dish!  I add garlic and grated parmesean cheese to the mix...always a hit!

Really bland so tried again adding greek seasoning and garlic ,fried first lot..too greasy, so baked second lot  but still not great.

Wow!!!! This is simple,cheap and good all the things a recipe should be. Used italian breadcrumbs for the crackers and made a dill dressing to serve them with,what a special treat for my taste buds. Thank you for the keeper recipe.

Super yummmy. Can't believe how delicious these are. I added shredded Parmesan cheese to half the batch and it was wonderful too. I only had a problem with them sticking if I left them too long and they started to move past golden brown to dark brown. Thanks for the the wonderful recipe!!

I made it as it and I loved it. I will definitely make it again.  It has such great flavor. It was difficult to stop eating them they were so tasty. My family liked them too. I will make this a regular part of our menu.

This was awesome. I am so glad we tried it. Thank you !!!

Made this last night and will be having it again tonight already!! Huge hit!!
I made it with garlic and herb diced tomatoes, a variety of crackers from the pantry, some sharp cheddar shredded cheese, lots of yummy fresh diced onions, an egg, and some seasonings:
Salt, pepper, dill weed, lemon peel, fresh rosemary, and garlic powder. I also threw in a bit of Rotel tomatoes with cilantro.

I added the egg to hold it all together better.
Fried them up- and they got devoured before I could even get a very good picture of them! 
They didn't need a sauce at all, and strangely enough they tasted like they had meat in them. They can definitely be used as the main part of a meal! 

Thinking ill try frying bacon bits to throw in sometime!

I don't have saltines in the house so used melba toasts. These tasted absolutely delicious, but they would not stay together at all as cakes for me. Maybe I didn't add enough melba. I also added some garlic powder. Will definitely make again, but will try adding more crackers.

Not good.  I followed the recipe exactly. Very mushy and unpleasant, sorry :(

I had some tomatoes that needed to be cooked, so this recipe was perfect! I used no-salt saltines and added a chopped chipotle pepper.
I didn't measure, just threw it all in. I used a small amount of olive oil and the cakes were sticking to my new Green Pan, so it ended up being a wonderful side dish! I would also recommend wrapping it in Roti or Tortilla.

Mushy...hard to cook.  I added a sleeve of crackers and extra bread crumbs just to get it to firm up.  Had to significantly alter with spices (cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, basil) to get it beyond bland.  Probably won't make again.

Not at all difficult to make, but mine really stuck to the pan (I used a nonstick pan) and got too done on the outside. My husband liked them too, but would have liked them spicier, so next time I may add some chili powder. Served with plain yogurt on the side which was great. A good side dish for meat eaters, or a main dish for vegetarians, like me. Thanks for the recipe!

I used Hunt's basil, garlic and oregano style tomatoes and added parmesan cheese to the mix to give it added flavor. I don't like the softness inside. The consistency is very much like a crab cake and that is why this is called tomato cake, I get that, but I don't care for the inside. I will fry my next batch making very thin patties to hopefully get it a bit more crunchy on the inside. I think I will add an egg to the mix next time.  It might help with the consistency and not be so wet-like.

These are so good. I don't eat white flour so used crushed organic corn nacho chips and we wished we had more Tomato cakes to eat. I will definitely make these again.

Ok, i totally changed it up because of what I had on hand. I used whole wheat flour instead of crackers, because I did not have any crackers. So I took the tomatoes, added a dash of balsamic, some sweet basil, and a dash of sugar along with the salt and pepper. I also diced a chunk of onion and a clove of garlic. I kept adding flour until I had a loose dough. then fried em up according to directions... .. sooooo easy and tasty!

I made this tonight and thought it was delicious!!! Made as directed but added Parmesan cheese. This is a great way to eat tomatoes!

I used fresh tomatoes and added fresh basil and oregano.  I also used ritz crackers verses saltines.  We loved them!  Left overs make a great topping to a sliced baguette!

It was alright...it tasted pretty good.
The Pros are that they tasted great, they are easy to make, and they are really cheap.
The Cons are that some people don't like the taste and and it was really oily.

Make these!!! I grabbed this recipe because i had left over tomatoes. I enjoyed knowing the history of them amd that added to fun of making and eating these! I was very pleasantly surprised they were as delicious as they are! I used groundbwheat crackers and scallions as that s what i had on hand. Delicious! My 16 month old LOVES them!

This dish was a great idea, but had an odd texture and was too salty. If I make it again, I will add crackers without salt.

Sweet from the tomatoes but bland, add spices/pepper to your taste.

these were interesting -they weren't bad but nobody wanted to finish them off.

This recipe is just excellent.    I made a large batch with fresh tomatoes and added a couple of eggs to help the cracker crumbs stick.    A little oregano because I love that flavor and wow...just delicious.    I shared with some family members and neighbors who all requested the recipe after tasting.  Love love love this recipe.

Bland, yes, but I made a lot of these cakes and was determined to rescue them. Even in reading the recipe  I knew I wanted to give them some extra zing: added toasted, salted sunflower seeds. Also, having no saltines, I subtsituded Mitlon's Multigrain crackers (I get mine at COSTCO) which improved the texture and appearance of the cakes. Still not zippy enough I deep fried the cakes with a coating of Zatarains Fish Fry Mix (also COSTCO). NOW we had a winner. For a main course serve as whole cakes. As a snack or appetizer, refrigerate until firm (for easy cutting) and cut into strips or cubes. Serve hot or cold with plain yogurt - a must. The tart of the yogurt, the sweetness of the tomatoes, and the spiciness of the fish fry mix are a divine combination. My guests worshipped me.

This was SO GREAT!  I chose this recipe to use up some of the abundance of tomatoes from the garden, so I didn't use the can.  I just diced up two large tomatoes into small pieces and used that.  I also used the new mini Saltines (about 70), because that's what we had.  My mixture wouldn't form patties since I obviously tinkered with the ingredients but I just called it "Tomato Hash" and threw it into the oil in the skillet and cooked and stirred until it was done.  WE LOVED THIS so MUCH!  It made plain ole mac-n-cheese dinner actually something to enjoy!  Thank you so much for this recipe, we'll be having this again and again!

This is a great, frugal recipe.  It's a perfect use of extra saltine crackers and most cooks have a can of diced tomatoes on hand.  I serve these with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.  It's delicious.  They are crumbly when cooking and a non-stick pan is preferred over cast iron.

I followed every detail to this recipe, and they cakes were falling apart. They were bland and soggy. It was very difficult to turn these over since they fell apart everytime I would pick one up.  I'm sorry but I wont try this recipe again.

Really Good!
I had a bunch of fresh tomatoes on hand, so I just chopped a few and proceeded exactly as written. Good base recipe if one wanted to "jazz it up" a bit!

My whole family liked this even my picky 4 year old. It was a change from anything I've done before. I used fresh tomatoes because I have a lot from fall harvest. I also added garlic powder. Next time I will add more like basil or oregano. I will get creative with the flavoring. Indian spices would also be good. Make sure to use a skillet these won't stick to. I had plans to use my main cast iron for something else in dinner prep and they stuck so bad to the skillet I tried to use. I changed over to the cast iron and it went so much better.

My husband and I were surprised at how much we liked these!! Could eat for a main meal (and WILL this summer when garden is going!) but made as a side tonight. Stole the show. Wow!! Used a can of Italian tomatoes + sprinkled (eyeballed) some extra dried basil, onion &amp; garlic powder. Fried approx 3-4 minutes per side. Delish!! Will keep and many thanks!!

tomato cakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Author : STORMBORN

Ingredients

Instructions

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