A favorite in the American South, tomato pie is a thrifty and delicious casserole style dish wrapped up in a buttery pie crust. My Southern American style tomato pie recipe is creamy and cheesy without the dreaded soggy bottom. Make the most of your harvest and make this yummy dish that tastes like an Italian pizza dressed up as a pie.
You don’t have to give up on tasty tomato pies if you use this tip: Roast most of the tomatoes before the pie goes into the oven. Not only does this simple step keep the filling from being too wet, but it also caramelizes the tomatoes, intensifying their flavor. You can even roast them up to a day in advance.
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How to make Tomato Pie
1. Rinse and chop 6 medium-large tomatoes (500 grams) in 1 to 1.5 inch cubes. Set aside.
2. In a skillet or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Keep the heat to low or medium-low and add ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic and ¼ cup sliced scallion whites. Sauté for a minute.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper and ½ teaspoon salt, adjusting the seasonings to your taste.
4. Mix very well.
5. Increase the heat to high or medium-high and begin to sauté the tomatoes. Initially, the tomatoes will release a lot of juice, but continue to sauté and the liquid will slowly evaporate.
6. Sauté until the juices are mostly evaporated. You’ll know the sauce is ready when you move a spoon from the center of the pan and can see a clear bottom without any juices.
7. For some added flavor, I like to add ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, ½ teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon red wine. Both red chili flakes and red wine are optional, but they offer a ton of flavor. In place of red chili flakes you can sub ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
TIP: Are you worried about alcohol? Don’t be! The heat will evaporate all of the alcohol from the wine as you cook the filling, leaving you with nothing but flavor.
8. Stir and deglaze, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
TIP: If you opt not to use wine, you can deglaze with just a teaspoon of water instead. It will not offer the same flavor or acidity as the wine, but will do the trick of removing any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
9. Lastly, add ¼ cup chopped scallion greens and 3 tablespoons chopped basil. Mix well and switch off the heat. Let this tomato filling cool. If you do not have fresh basil, then substitute 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried basil instead.
10. In a mixing bowl, add ½ cup Mayonnaise (Eggless), ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
11. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Why This Recipe Works
If you’ve ever had a simple Margherita Pizza, you know how delicious softened chunky tomatoes are when combined with cheese and carbs. Here I offer an enthusiastic shout-out to the Americans who opted to use pie crust over pizza dough to make this tasty creation.
I don’t know about you, but any excuse to use a batch of my Homemade Pie Crust is a reason for celebration. While pies are often seen as a vehicle for dessert fillings, this delicious tomato pie recipe will challenge your pre-existing assumptions. The flaky, buttery crust offers a wonderful textural contrast with the cheesy tomato filling.
My recipe is not the conventional Southern method for making classic tomato pie. I sauté the tomatoes and add them as a filling rather than using fresh, uncooked tomatoes. If you’re more inclined to use your oven rather than the stovetop, you can also opt to roast the tomatoes instead.
Not only will either option help to evaporate away some of the excess moisture from the fruit, it will also enhance the sweetness and umami quality of tomatoes. While it takes a small bit of extra effort, this added step ensures a beautifully cooked, golden brown crust that is far from soggy.
The rest of the pie is made in the traditional American manner. Cheese and mayonnaise combine with the succulent tomatoes, fresh basil and punchy scallions for a delectable dinner that is both bright and unctuous, celebrating everything I love most about summer’s favorite bounty.
How to Make Tomato Pie | Get Cookin’ | Allrecipes.com
FAQ
Should you refrigerate tomato pie?
Does water help pie?
How do you keep store bought pie crust from getting soggy?
How do you cook a tomato pie crust?
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Poke holes in the pie crust with a fork and bake it for 12 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. While the pie crust is baking, slice tomatoes and put them on paper towels (I triple mine up.) Sprinkle with the tsp of salt and let the liquid seep out of the tomatoes. After 10-15 minutes.
Can you fix a runny pie after baking?
Not necessarily. There are a few ways you can fix a runny pie even after it’s done baking. To fix a runny pie after baking, simply bake it at a higher temp (450F) for ten to 15 minutes. If that doesn’t work, try removing the liquid and bake for five more minutes.
How do you fix a runny pie?
You have nothing to worry about; there are plenty of fixes for a runny pie. They may not get the filling to the thickness you want, but they’ll be enough to serve the pie without a soggy crust. To thicken your filling, add a teaspoon of cornstarch for every cup of filling in your pie.
How long do you bake a tomato pie?
In a separate bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, onion powder, and black pepper and mix it well. Spread the cheese mixture on top of the tomatoes. Bake pie for 30 minutes.