The first time I posted this recipe was back in September of ’07. Two things have happened since then:
- I figured out that I like this dish even better (if that was possible!) if I peel the tomatoes first, and
- I have gotten much, much better at food photography.
So, here’s the same recipe, a second time around!
I make my own crust (the recipe is here), but store-bought should work fine too. If you have a pastry crust recipe you like though, feel free to use that!
If you’re using a commercial crust, you may want to pre-bake it for a few minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you’re picky like me, you might want to peel and de-seed your tomatoes before you slice them. If not, slice away. Lay your tomatoes on paper towels or cloth to absorb the excess water. No one wants a soggy pie! When your tomatoes are ready, fill your crust with them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, basil and onion powder. Like I said in the original post, I am very liberal with the basil and salt.
Then, mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 cups of your choice of shredded cheese (this time I used mozzarella). Spread this over the tomatoes.
If you’re using homemade crust, you can add the top now, making sure to poke vents into it. If you’re using a commercial crust, don’t worry! It’s just fine without a “lid.”
Protect the edges of your crust with a shield. If you don’t have a pre-made one, aluminum foil will work perfectly.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then remove the foil.
Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until your crust is goldeny delicious.
If you can wait, it’s good to let the pie sit for 10-15 minutes, so everything can congeal inside. I couldn’t wait this time, so the slices in these pictures are a bit oozy. (Mmm….) If you let it sit, it’ll slice into pieces that are actually triangular, rather than triangular-plus-oozage.
I missed some seeds I guess! But a few don’t bother me. Doesn’t it look delightful? Mmmmmm! Tomato Pie!
Hi! I'm Emily. I'm a Navy wife and stay at home mom of two beautiful children. I cook simple, delicious, grain-free recipes, do crafts, decorate my home on a budget, and keep a happy household. I tandem breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, practice elimination communication, homebirth, and co-sleep, but I'm not a hippie.
I JUST tried this recipe tonight, complete with your pie crust and my husband and I LOVED it! The crust was superb and the pie was so tasty. Used fresh basil and didn’t have onion powder, so used garlic powder. Will def make again, a real winner here…thank you!
Another day late and a dollar short, but I made this recipe for dinner tonight, complete with pie crust. I actually made individual servings in ramekins – big hit!
Betsy from WU
I made this today for a bunch of old Southern women. The only changes I made were: chiffonade basil instead of dried (about 3 tablespoons), roma tomatoes, and Jarlsberg cheese. Everything else was true to your recipe. The pie crust was simple and delicious and will likely become my default recipe when baking pot pies, etc. The women could not stop talking about this pie the whole time they were eating… and for hours afterward. Every single one asked for the recipe in private. One lady said, “It's just called tomato pie? Surely it has a French name.” HAHA. Thanks again for another winner!
This looks great! What substitute would you recommend to replace the mayo?
I stumbled across this page while surfing tonight, and this looked so good I made it for dinner. It was wonderful! This is a wonderful way to use up those “ugly” tomatoes from the garden! I did add a little chopped onion, garlic, and used some fresh basil from a pot on the deck. Yummmmm…. Thank you so much!
I had this for dinner tonight, and it was DELICIOUS. I will add some onions and try making the crust next time!
Being a true “GRITS” I love a tomato pie, I do however like to chop my Vidalia onion, mix with a clove of pressed garlic and use fresh basil, layering this mixture and then a layer of tomatoes…the most ecellent treat this time of year with an ear of Silver Queen corn.
[...] posted a few times about things cooked in pie crusts: Tomato pie, Tomato Pie Again, and Zucchini [...]
Thanks for a most delicious recipe. I have shared it many times. Blessings!
Twitter: JoyfulAbode
says:
Anna, I generally buy around 4-6 if they’re big, more if they’re small… err on the side of too many. It’s not a horrible thing to have extra tomatoes around!
looks delish! about how many large tomatoes do you end up putting into your pies?
Wow, that looks and sounds amazing! I may have to whip it up this weekend!
This looks so awesome. I saw it the other day and had to make it. So just assembled it and it’s in the oven!!
I can’t wait for the 30 minutes to be over. Thanks for sharing your recipes!!
Oh my! I’m making this tonight!
[...] It was perfect! Well, almost perfect. It was early-season corn and not the best I’ve ever had, but it was delicious and cooked properly! With just a smear of butter and a few shakes of salt, it was delicious with our dinner of tomato pie. [...]
That pie looks so lovely. I can’t wait to try it. I am wishing I had my hands on some fresh tomatoes to try it right now!! My plants are so tiny. I don’t know if I can’t wait! Thanks for sharing such a lovely pie!
That looks amazing! I love your blog too!
Oh my, that looks good! I’m terrible at making pie crust. The one time that I thought that I may have gotten the hang of it, my daughter sneezed on the dough right as I was placing it into the pan! I tossed it out and haven’t tried another since. I might have to try yours though!