Tomato Pie
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Hands up if you’re ready to slice into a fresh, cheesy Tomato Pie! This gift to the savory pie world is about to be a top contender on your list of dinnertime favorites if it isn’t already up there. Made with fresh tomatoes, plenty of cheese, all baked in a buttery pie crust, I promise you won’t be able to stop at one slice.
The Best Tomato Pie Recipe
If you haven’t yet heard of tomato pie, I’m sure the name may have caught you off guard. Tomato… Pie? Stop that train of thought and just trust me, here. You’re going to want to try this recipe. The mixture of acidic tomatoes, fresh basil, ooey-gooey cheesy goodness; it’s everything you could dream of all in one bite. Even kids will lick their plates clean!
I mean, just look at those ingredients. What are you thinking of? Let me guess! Pizza! That’s right, this recipe is so similar to pizza, you’re going to have an “ooo” and “ahhh” moment that you thought “tomato pie” could ever steer you wrong. You can even use ingredients fresh from your garden to make this recipe even more special.
- Pie crust – Homemade or store-bought.
- Tomatoes – Any type you like best. Even cherry/grape tomatoes.
- Onion – White, yellow, Spanish, shallot, red or green.
- Basil – Freshly sliced.
- Cheese – Both sharp cheddar (substitute Monterey Jack, gouda, red Leicester) and mozzarella (substitute provolone).
- Mayonnaise – Store bought or homemade. Sub with sour cream/greek yogurt.
- Garlic powder – You can include other seasonings like smoked paprika, herbs, or blends like chili powder to change the flavor.
- Hot sauce – Any type you like.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 450F. Prepare a 9″ pie dish with the pie crust.
- Prep tomatoes: Salt the tomatoes and set them aside to drain on a paper towel or kitchen towel lined plate for about 10 minutes. Carefully squeeze as much excess moisture out of the tomatoes with paper towel or the kitchen towel.
- Layer: the tomatoes, onion, and basil into the pie shell.
- Cheese mixture: Mix the cheeses, mayonnaise, garlic powder, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together. Spread this mixture over the tomatoes.
- Bake: for 25-30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Let the pie cool down fully before slicing and serving.
How To Serve
Think of your tomato pie like any other savory pie or a quiche. This vegetarian dinner is hearty and filling on its own! If I plan on offering a side dish for this type of recipe, I’ll make a simple, light salad to go on the side. Let your pie be the shining star of the show!
Hunting for some salad ideas? Try these:
- Quinoa Salad
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Mushroom and Arugula Warm Salad
- Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad
- Kale Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette
Leftovers
I usually keep the leftover pie in the pie dish, and wrap it well with plastic wrap to store in the fridge. You can also transfer the slices to an airtight container. It will last 4-5 days.
This pie is best enjoyed cold, so you can eat the sliced straight out of the fridge. If you’re looking for some meltiness in the cheese, feel free to microwave it for 10-20 seconds at a time until heated to your preference. You can also reheat in the oven. I suggest covering the pie dish with foil, and baking at 350F for 5-10 minutes.
Freezing
- Let the pie cool down to room temperature. Transfer it to the freezer, uncovered, and freeze for 20-30 minutes.
- Cover the pie dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. Place it back into the freezer, and it will last up to 6 months.
The reason for this two-step freezing process is to mitigate the separation of the cheese layer and prevent it, as much as possible, from creating an odd texture once thawed. Keep in mind both mayo and tomatoes don’t love the freezer, so it will be a bit different texture frozen vs freshly baked.
You can thaw the tomato pie overnight in the fridge, or pop it into the oven straight from the freezer. Preheat the oven to 350F, cover the pie dish with foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Other Delicious Pies To Try
- Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
- Steak and Mushroom Pie
- Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
- Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Turkish Meat Pies
- Greek Savory Cheese Pie
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Tomato Pie
Video
Ingredients
- 1 9" pie crust
- 1 pound tomatoes (chopped)
- ½ medium onion (chopped)
- ¼ cup basil (fresh, chopped)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar (shredded)
- 1 cup mozzarella (shredded)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 450F. Prep a 9" pie dish with the pie crust.
- Prep tomatoes: Salt the tomatoes and set them aside to drain on a paper towel or kitchen towel lined plate for about 10 minutes. Carefully squeeze as much excess moisture out of the tomatoes with paper towel or the kitchen towel.
- Layer: the tomatoes, onion, and basil into the pie shell.
- Cheese mixture: Mix the cheeses, mayonnaise, garlic powder, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together. Spread this mixture over the tomatoes.
- Bake: for 25-30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Let the pie cool down fully before slicing and serving.
Equipment
Notes
- I usually keep the leftover pie in the pie dish, and wrap it well with plastic wrap to store in the fridge. You can also transfer the slices to an airtight container. It will last 4-5 days.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
WOW. This is great!! It was still very jiggly after 30 minutes but I know your recipes are always spot-on and sure enough when it cooled to room temp it had set nicely. And the flavour – amazing!! I made a couple of changes. I used about 1/2 tsp dried thyme instead of basil, and only used sharp cheddar (Collier’s is the best). This recipe is just fabulous.
So glad you enjoyed it and your tweaks sound delicious! Thanks for trusting the recipe and sharing your changes! 🍅🧀🥧
This is perfect timing as our tomatoes are starting to go nuts and I have a ton of basil. I do have a similar recipe but I love the idea of chopping the tomatoes – much less mushiness. One thing that my recipe does call for though is a sprinkle of tapioca before filling the crust – not sure why but I’ve always done it. Does it maybe keep the crust a little bit from softening? You’re my baking expert so maybe you would know…
Hi there! Your garden sounds delightful, especially with tomatoes and basil in abundance! Chopping the tomatoes does indeed help in reducing mushiness, and I’m glad you love the idea. As for the sprinkle of tapioca, you’re right on track! It’s used to absorb excess moisture, and it helps in keeping the crust crisp and prevents it from getting soggy. You can certainly incorporate it into this recipe as well if you prefer that added assurance. I can’t wait to hear how your tomato pie turns out!
Made this tomato pie last night for dinner – insane good! I did not add the tapioca and the crust was perfect. I think that set time is a great idea in this case. I tented it with foil. I just brought my basil inside as they were predicting frost. It’s in front of our egress window in the basement and I’m hoping that it will survive the winter because all of a sudden, it’s really growing fast. I’m thinking that this recipe would work even with the tomatoes that are available during the off-season. Vine-ripened ones are always available where I shop so those would be my choice. Again – I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed this…
It’s wonderful to hear that the tomato pie was a hit at your dinner! It sounds like you managed everything perfectly, especially adapting to not use tapioca. Managing your basil to have fresh even in the winter is a great strategy, and you’re right, vine-ripened tomatoes are a solid choice for off-season baking. They tend to retain a bit more of that fresh tomato flavor.
It was so delicious and cheesy .you were right, the plates were licked clean. Thanks for the recipe.(would have given five stars but phone did not comply.My score for you is ten million stars)
Do you cook the pie at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes?
Yep! Just as the instructions say 🙂
Jo, tomato pie doesn’t get any better than this – thanks for a truly great recipe. I especially liked the use of sharp Cheddar, and the chopped tomatoes makes slicing the pie so much nicer – I used Romas. I also used about 1/4 cup chopped green onions and added 6 slices of cooked, drained, and chopped bacon, then sprinkled the top with about 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. A deep 9-inch pie plate lined with a rich buttery crust was perfect. Everyone asked for the recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it, Becky!
I’ve been making tomato pies for 30 years. I’ve always dropped the whole tomatoes into boiling water for 10 seconds then into an ice bath and then peeled them. Wouldn’t the peel get in the way.in this recipe?
Not at all, the tomatoes are chopped quite small, you won’t even feel the skin.
I made this recipe and found I couldn’t fit all the tomatoes and onions in a regular 9” pie crust. I was curious if you used a deep dish 9” pie crust instead.
No, it wasn’t a deep dish as you can see in the pictures and video. Make sure you weigh the tomatoes before actually chopping them and squeezing out all the liquid.
I love tomato pie made with fresh tomatoes from the farmers’ market. I have not used your recipe but it looks to be very similar. I slice my tomatoes and peel and seed them and salt and pepper them and drain them on paper towels for at least half an hour – it is amazing how much liquid comes out. I have also found that green onions work better for me – one time I did not have them and used regular onions and it was amazing how much more liquid they created in the pie and it did make a difference in how soggy the crust ended up – even though I had prefaced the crust for 10 minutes. Thanks for this and all your recipes. I get them every day and love them!
I would add one step to this recipe, having made many tomato pies previously. I would brush mayo on the entire inside of the piecrust before adding the wet ingredients, hoping it would prevent the crust from getting soggy. I’m gonna try it, and will be back to let you know if it worked. It sounds delicious.