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Adding ingredients for tomato pie
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5 from 4 votes

Tomato Pie

A simple old fashioned recipe for Tomato Pie
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Tomato Pie, Fresh Tomato Pie
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 478kcal
Author: Wendi Spraker

Equipment

  • pie plate
  • skillet
  • paper towels
  • spatula
  • knife
  • cutting board

Ingredients

  • 1 baked deep dish pie crust
  • 5-6 fist sized fresh tomatoes – peeled and sliced ¼ inch slices
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 small Vidalia Onion – diced
  • 1 clove garlic – minced
  • 3 cups good quality sharp cheddar cheese – grated
  • 1 cup good quality mayonnaise
  • 10 basil leaves – chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • preheat oven to 350. Bake pie shell according to package instructions. Peel the tomatoes and slice into ¼ inch slices. Lay slices out on a sheet tray over 3 layers of paper towels. Sprinkle the tomato slices with kosher salt and allow to drain for at least 30 minutes.
  • Over medium heat in a skillet, sauté the onions and garlic until they are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • When tomatoes appear to have lost most of their water (after more than30 minutes) , blot off the face up side of the tomatoes with paper towels to remove as much of the puddled water as possible (this keeps your pie from becoming soupy).
  • In a bowl, mix the cheese and the mayo together and set aside.
  • Mix the onion and garlic mixture together with the cheese and mayo mixture until well blended.
  • Place a layer of tomato slices into the bottom of your pie crust – and sprinkle this with pepper. Use about ¼ of the cheese/mayo mix to cover the tomatoes – no need to spread evenly or to try to spread out – just a few spoonfuls here and there will be fine. Cover with ½ of the basil
  • Place a second layer of tomatoes on top of the first layer, sprinkle with pepper and cover with the rest of the basil. Use the rest of the mayo/cheese mix to cover the tomato layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30-35 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

  • It's important to use good fresh tomatoes.  Avoid the tomatoes with the grainy centers.  Use Plum tomatoes if there isn't anything else fresh available because they usually have the best flavor and texture.
  • If you must use canned tomatoes, use the San Marzano whole canned tomatoes, drain them well, cut into slices and then drain on paper towels for at least an hour before using.  Your pie may be a little more loose, but the flavor will be good. 
  • Peeling the tomatoes isn't really a big deal if you use a boiling water bath.  .
  • It is IMPORTANT to salt and allow the tomatoes to drain properly, otherwise your pie will end up soupy.
  • Use a half of a regular sized Vidalia onion if you don't have a small one.
  • You might want to use more garlic, I like more, but I only added one clove here because some folks are more sensitive.  More is better in my book though.
  • If you aren't sure what a good sharp cheese is, I can recommend the Cabots brand or the "Helluva" brand.
  • Use a good flavorful mayonnaise like Hellmans, Dukes, Blue Plate or Aldi brand

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 968mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1110IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 1.1mg