Summer is finally here and 4th of July is just days away. One of my childhood favorite foods has always been tomato pie. I’m not sure if this dish is popular outside of the south. However once my uncle started growing is own tomatoes it was a summer staple. In fact no Independence Day is complete without one (or the movie).
Here’s the traditional recipe that my mom has written down in her hand made recipe book. Of course we didn’t go by it at all but if you’ve never made tomato pie before it’s a good place to start.
Ingredients
- 1 Deep Dish Pie Crust
- 3 Firm Tomatoes
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Peper
- 1 tsp. Basil
- 1 tsp. Chives
- 1 Cup of Mayonnaise
- 1 Cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or more if desired)
Steps
Like I said before, we didn’t actually follow the recipe so I will explain the steps we did. You can follow along or stick to the proportions listed above.
The first thing you’ll want to do is use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust and add a pinch of salt and pepper before pre baking it at 400 F for about 20 minutes. We use pre-made frozen crust because my mom is far from a baker and this was a last minute meal idea. You’ll want to make sure to check the crust every so often to make sure that they only cook until they are slightly golden brown. This is to help the crust hold up to how much liquid could come out of the tomatoes while baking.
While the crust is in the oven you can prepare the tomatoes. On my way to my parents house this morning I stopped off at a little side of the road farmers market and picked up the tomatoes. They’re locally grown just a few miles away. These will always be the best type to use however if you can’t get local, try to purchase the biggest ones you can find in your grocery store. Our tomatoes were so large we only needed one per pie. Cut them into thick slices and use a paper towel to absorb as much water as you can. Next lay the slices out on to a paper towel and add the rest of the salt and pepper to them.
In a bowl you want to mix the mayonnaise, basil, chives, and shredded cheese. Of course since this is a southern dish you’ll want to use Duke’s. I’m sure with a quick search you can find some alternatives, but don’t tell my mother I said that. We also added about 1/3 of a cup of diced onions to the mixture. This isn’t in the original recipe but it’s something we’ve always added in. We used three large spoonfuls instead of measuring them out and eyeballed how much cheese we added while mixing it together. Seriously, after making this once you’ll be able to just go with your gut on the portion sizes as well.
Once the crust is out of the oven layer the tomato slices on the pie shell. Then top them with your mayo and cheese mixture. Bake in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on it so the top doesn’t burn. That’s it, you’re all done! Interested in that cocktail in the picture? Check out our Sparkling Lavender Lemonade Cocktail. Both of these are sure to be a hit this summer. Especially on 4th of July.
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