Belle Meade, an incorporated town within Nashville’s city limits, is the home of the ”frozen tomato,” one of the world’s great creations. The frozen tomato is essentially tomato ice cream (except, instead of cream, it’s got cream cheese, cottage cheese and mayonnaise), served in a round scoop on a lettuce leaf with a dollop of more mayonnaise on top.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups tomato juice
  • 3 cups Hellmann’s mayonnaise, plus more for garnishing
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • ¾ cup crushed pineapple
  • ¼ cup cream cheese
  • ¼ cup cottage cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 drops Tabasco, or more to taste
  • Salt and white pepper to taste
  • Red food coloring, if desired
  • Boston or bibb lettuce leaves
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

      527 calories; 55 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 34 milligrams cholesterol; 511 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

10 servings

Preparation

  1. Combine 2 cups of the tomato juice, 1 cup of the mayonnaise, the onion, pineapple, cream cheese, cottage cheese, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco in a blender. Blend until smooth and pour into a bowl. Combine the remaining tomato juice and mayonnaise in the blender and blend until smooth. Add enough food coloring so that it is the color of a very ripe tomato — otherwise, it will be pale pink. Add it to the mixture in the bowl and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper and more Tabasco if needed.
  2. Pour into a 2-inch-deep baking dish (use a sieve if you want a smoother texture) and freeze.
  3. Arrange lettuce on 10 salad plates and place 1 or 2 scoops of frozen tomato on top. Add a dollop of mayonnaise if desired.

15 minutes plus freeze time

Dining and Cooking