Tomato Pie: Smack Your Granny Good

by Heather on May 2, 2007

Heather says:

Two years ago I stumbled upon the deliciousness that is tomato pie. The origin of this recipe can be credited to Paula Deen, but it has undergone many tweaks.

Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie

Double Crust Tomato, Onion, and Bacon Pie Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 recipe pie crust (9″ pie) – feel free to cheat and use refrigerated if you’re in a hurry
  • 4 very ripe tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • 3 slices bacon crumbled
  • 3 TBSP mayonnaise* (use real mayo or it’ll be watery)
  • 1 tsp dried basil, divided
  • salt/pepper to taste

*Edited 7/19/2009* I recently learned that cream cheese may be substituted for mayonnaise.

Tomato Pie Recipe Instructions

Core each tomato. This is simply a matter of removing the hard area around the stem. Cut each tomato in half through the equator. Use your finger to scoop the seeds out and into the trash or sink. Then slice each tomato. Place the sliced tomatoes in a colander over a large bowl or the sink, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow this to sit while preparing the other ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Slice the onion very thinly. No, thinner. No, thinner still, we want the Calista Flockhart of onions.

In a bowl combine the cheese, bacon, and 3TBSP mayo. Mix thoroughly.

tomato layerCarefully lay the bottom pie crust in a 9″ pie plate. Arrange a layer of tomatoes, sprinkle with half the sliced onion and 1/2 tsp dried basil.

Repeat the first layer with the remaining tomatoes, onion, and basil.

Top with cheese mixture. Add the second crust, seal the edges, and cut slits in the top.

Use water to glue on any decorative touches.

Use water to glue on any decorative touches.

Tomato PieBake for 45 minutes, checking after 30. Use the foil trick from the pie crust recipe to protect the edges of the crust.

Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes (at least) on a wire rack. If you can wait longer to slice the pie, the cheese won’t be as runny.

We look at each other and say, but we LIKE the cheese to be runny.

Enjoy.

***Submitted to: Mouthwatering Mondays***

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susieloulou 5 pts

This sure looks good! I wonder if it needs some feta cheese :-)

"we want the Calista Flockhart of onions."

Heather, you made me laugh out loud. :-)
My recent post Reason Number Eighteen Catrillion that My Kids are Completely Awesome

Make SURE you drain the tomatoes in a collander before adding them to your pie crust, and if needed dab them with paper towels. No more soggy pie!

I just made this tonight (I have a current over-abundance of tomatoes.). It was too juicy (and therefore soggy), but very yummy! And it was quick to put together as I cheated using pre-made pastry.

Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'd never heard of tomato pie before.
Vivienne (Australia)

I'm sorry yours was soggy. I occasionally, if the tomatoes are exceptionally juicy, set them on a floursack towel after seeding, slicing, and salting. This soaks up some of the extra juice.
Thank you for letting me know how yours turned out.

I have some lovely tomatoes coming on in the garden. I'll definitely be making this! Thanks.

I'm just coming back this summer, because it is tomato (pie) season, to say (again) that I love you forever for introducing me to this pie. it *really is* smack your granny good. just don't tell my granny I said that.

Tomatoe pie has italian-american roots related to Sicilian pizza. The earliest documented was in Trenton New Jersey 1910. It does seem paula Dean has her own version which is fine.

Tomato Pie seems to have a long and varied pedigree; Laurie Colwin has it in "More Home Cooking" with a biscuit crust and the option of using canned tomatoes off season.

This pie did not come from Paula Dean. My GrandMother used to may a simular pie back in the 1960's here in Tennessee.

I should have been more clear, I meant this particular version began with Paula Dean's recipe.

I just made this pie and it is wonderful (even with store bought tomotoes in winter)! Yummm!!

Yes, I have to agree that when I think of pie, I think of savory. Steak, chicken, pork, even vegetable. This pie looks really delicious, and I think I'll have to have a go at this one.

Stono Market is a vegetable market and restaraunt on Jones Island near Charleston, SC. They have a fantastic tomato pie. They serve a lunch of delicious, fresh, southern vegetables. It is a vegetable market, so don't go for the atmosphere!

so I printed this recipe when you first posted it two years ago, and never got around to trying it--a lot because I never had good tomatoes.

yesterday we had some home-grown tomatoes and I finally got ambitious--even attempted my own pie crust for the first time in my life. and...

HOLY YUM.

that's all. now I'm drooling and I might just have to go get a leftover piece.

I made the tomatoe pie Saturday for a party it was gone within 30 minutes. The taste was great

CAN YOU FREEZE THIS PIE?

I wouldn't freeze this pie.

Paula Deen???? Where did you get that? I don't think so. Tomato Pie is an old, old recipe as old as the South.

WOW - this sounds so good! My parents (who love tomatoes as much as I do) are coming this weekend, so I think I'll make this for brunch! Thanks for the recipe! :)

This looks amazing Heather! Wow!

it's been quite some time since this post, but I thought I'd throw this in the mix anyway as it's delicious AND frugal--Bacon Salt. Yep. Sprinkle a little (to taste) over the slices of tomatoes & onions, and I use fresh basil as it's growing outside in my container gardens. I love the taste of bacon, but hate cooking it and cleaning up after it. Bacon salt is a great alternative and good on many other things as well, like fresh steamed spring asparagus (drools)
here's the link to the site:
http://www.baconsalt.com

nice recipe ;)

Very tasty, I like it.

Greetings Ruud , The Netherlands

Definitely takes me back to my childhood in Georgia....but you definitely need to double or triple the bacon!!

Fresh basil does wonders for this pie. There used to be a restaurant in Charleston called the Park Circle Grille that served this. Unfortunately, they have closed down. I got the recipe from the owners before they shut their doors. Very similiar to this one. It's so good!! Makes me want one now! :)

My stepmom's kids (they're very country) have been safeguarding this recipe n taunting us 'city-folk' with it. Imagine when they show up to find one already waiting! Thanx for the 'secret weapon'!

I loved this pie -- but does anyone have a recipe that calls for a cornbread topping.

I am pie crust retarded!! Help me!
And I want to use lard &/or butter for it, it's supposed to make the best crust! but my last attempt was just Bad.

I made this tonight. Yum!

Questions:
--I have leftovers. What's the best way to store it?
--My pie was really, really juicy at the bottom. There's a lot of liquid in the bottom of the pie pan. Did I do something wrong? The onion I used had been in the freezer, so I wonder if I didn't let it thaw long enough....
--Is there an easy way to modify this recipe to include ground beef?

You have to sqeeze out all the juices

OK, don't freak out on me, but could I use canned tomatoes, and if so, how many cans/cups of tomatoes would I need? But I promise, I'll look for some good garden tomatoes to use.

Whoops I fixed it, it was supposed to be 3/4 cup cheddar and 3/4 cup monterey jack.

Good eye!

YUM! YUM! YUM!!!

Is it supposed to be 3/4 cup cheese twice?

Huh.. This looks pretty tasty..

I don't know if it is being pregnant or the fact that I was starving when I made this pie, but I swear it was summer on a plate.

If you make your own pie crust, it's frugal, too.

I gots ta try this. I think I made something like it years (and years) ago, and I remember it was very good, but I lost the recipe.

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