Very Good Tomato Pie Ala Pioneer Woman

We had tomatoes that needed to be used and Bev wanted to turn them into a tomato pie and use the recipe from The Pioneer Woman.  Bev made three changes to the filling recipe by omitting the blue cheese (we had none), adding parmesan, and substituting basil for dill and she used refrigerated pie dough from the store.

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

1 pie crust

All-purpose flour, for dusting

2¾ lb. medium tomatoes

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ c. mayonnaise

1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp. hot sauce (optional)

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ c. crumbled blue cheese fresh grated parmesan

3 green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill basil

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1½ Tbsp. plain yellow cornmeal

Fresh herbs (basil), for serving

Directions:

On a lightly floured surface, pie dough into a 13-inch circle and transfer the crust to a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish.

Trim the edges so the crust hangs over the pie dish by 1/2-inch. Tuck the edges of the crust under to be even with edge of the pie dish and press all around with the tines of a fork.

Place the crust in the refrigerator for 1 hour (or in the freezer for 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes crosswise into ¼“ thick slices.

Using your fingers, push out as many of the watery tomato seeds as you can.

Lay the slices flat on a paper towel-lined sheet tray and sprinkle all over with the salt. Let drain for 30 minutes, then pat very dry.

While the tomatoes are draining, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg, egg yolk, and hot sauce (if using). Stir in the cheddar cheese, Parmesan, green onion, parsley, basil, and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Sprinkle the cornmeal over the bottom of the crust.

Pat the tomato slices dry once again, then place one-third of the tomatoes in the bottom of the pie crust, overlapping them slightly to fit.

Top with half of the mayonnaise mixture.

Repeat with another layer of tomatoes and another layer of mayonnaise mixture. Place the remaining tomatoes on top, pressing the last layer gently into the mayonnaise mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and wrap just the edges of the crust with foil.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake until the mayonnaise mixture is puffed and golden brown and the center is no longer giggly, 30 minutes more. Let cool for 1½ hours.

Top with additional herbs and Parmesan, then slice and serve.

The Verdict:

This was, at least, the third tomato pie recipe we have tried and it was delicious and not watery.  I assume the cornmeal was to absorb liquid to keep the bottom crust from getting soggy and it did the job well.  The recipe was simpler than others we’ve used so we’ll definitely used it again but just as The Pioneer Woman made it next time.  A great way to make use of extra tomatoes.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

8/12/24 meal date