My husband is bugging me to make this Tomato Pie this weekend..I thought I would share this because it really is so good. I brought this to a barbecue and it was eaten up immediately. I also gave this to a friend of mine and she won a savory pie competition with this recipe.
Its strange, it seems men like this ALOT more than women...every party I have taken in to the men are like "are you the one who made the tomato pie?"
Tomato Pie Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped 1/2 cup chopped green onion 1 (9-inch) prebaked deep dish pie shell 1 cup grated mozzarella 1 cup grated cheddar 1 cup mayonnaise Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
Layer the tomato slices, basil, and onion in pie shell. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the grated cheeses and mayonnaise together. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
To serve, cut into slices and serve warm.
Posts: 1397 | Location: Seattle - next is Isla Mujeres,MX in December, then its Paris in March, then hopefully England! | Registered: 02 May 2005
Wow...2 cups of cheese, 1 cup mayo....signature ingredients for any Paula Deen recipe! I'll have to save this one for a big, big splurge!
Update: Just as I posted this I told Art about the recipe. He IMMEDIATELY began wimpering...his mouth was watering, his eyes glazed over and he asked "Oh man! Would you make that for me?"
lesfaye, you're right...but what is it about this recipe that makes grown men go weak in the knees? It's full of fat so of course it's got to be good....but still....I just don't get the instantaneous appeal!
I am telling ya...you get just about anything you want...with a mere mention of making this pie...within reason of course Whoops just thought of something!!
Posts: 1397 | Location: Seattle - next is Isla Mujeres,MX in December, then its Paris in March, then hopefully England! | Registered: 02 May 2005
I found another version of this recipe in our newspaper and have been making it for a few summers. There's no onions in it (I do add some chives from the garden) and uses all cheddar. The recipe also calls for bacon but I always add a few tablespoons of crumbled pancetta.
I could make it every week when the tomatoes are plentiful.
Posts: 408 | Location: Watertown, New York, USA | Registered: 22 August 2003
I do have some cheddar in the freezer, but I wonder how the fresh mozzarella will do in place of that stuff they call mozzarella in the states....and adding bacon certainly seems the All-American thing to do!
I make a less cheesy tomato tart, with a recipe from Chez Pim. I find it important to really dry out the tomatoes to the crust doesn't get soggy. I also like to use a mixture of heirloom tomatoes like in her photo--red, yellow and the green stripy ones.
Yes actually I forgot to mention that as Amy says it very important to drain those tomato's of their juice. It says in the recipt for 10 minutes I did mine for more like 30.
Posts: 1397 | Location: Seattle - next is Isla Mujeres,MX in December, then its Paris in March, then hopefully England! | Registered: 02 May 2005
I am a South Jersey Girl ... and if you are familiar w/ South Jersey, you know that we have the best tomatoes in the world!
I have been making tomato pies for years, and have found the following to be the best recipe I have ever used...it would not be the same without the garlic...and can't stress enough the importance of draining the tomatoes before putting them in the pie!
Tomato Pie Recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
1 9 inch pie crust baked... I use Pillsbury "just unroll" Pie crusts... approx. 6 large tomatoes...sliced approx. 10 fresh basil leaves approx. 4-5 cloves garlic approx. 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise 1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese Salt Pepper
**VERY IMPORTANT" Slice approx. 6 large tomatoes.. put tomatoes in colander single file... sprinkle tomatoes w/ salt & pepper... and let tomatoes drain in colander (single layer) for about 20 minutes or more... drain off liquid .. and wipe tomatoes w/ paper towel to absorb any extra liquid.
1. Bake Pie shell ...follow directions for "baked shell"..let cool slightly 2. After shell is baked, line bottom of pie shell w/ approx. 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese 3. Layer "drained" sliced tomatoes on top of cheese in pie crust 4. Blend garlic and fresh basil in processor ( or chop together)... then put this mixture on top of tomatoes layered in pie shell 5. Mix mayonnaise and 1 C. mozzarella cheese together ... and spread this mixture over top tomatoes and basil/garlic mixture 6.Top the "pie" with approx. 1/ 2 C. shredded Parmesean Cheese 7. Bake at approx 375 to 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes\
Hope you enjoy this! Karen
Posts: 225 | Location: New Jersey | Registered: 26 January 2005
I am a South Jersey Girl ... and if you are familiar w/ South Jersey, you know that we have the best tomatoes in the world!
We got our first tomatoes from the farm yesterday (that weren't grape or cherry). I picked one green (and immediately fried it), one hollow striped red (and stuffed it with tuna salad), and one really lovely reddish/purple kind that I sliced and ate. Not one of those poor suckers made it past being in my house 60 minutes.
I'll have to remember these though when we get to the week where they tell us to take 6 million tomatoes (one of the best weeks of summer).
I really want to make this pie, but I'm having some serious reservations about using fresh mozzarella in place of the American-style. Has anyone made this with fresh mozzarella? I'm worried that it'll just be too too soggy!
I am a South Jersey Girl ... and if you are familiar w/ South Jersey, you know that we have the best tomatoes in the world! * * * Karen
Just a word of warning for those traveling to S. Jersey and Philly and seeing a menu item for tomato pie ... the term "tomato pie" generally means a pizza marinara here in these parts!
Posts: 662 | Location: Palmyra, NJ, USA | Registered: 29 July 2003
Well I made it this(Paula Dean's version)last weekend and my husband was in heaven and I have to admit so was I.
Karen's recipe sounds great as well...
It is SUPER important as I said before to get those tomatoes drained properly. I think I let mine drain for an hour this time and it was the best one I have made so far.
Posts: 1397 | Location: Seattle - next is Isla Mujeres,MX in December, then its Paris in March, then hopefully England! | Registered: 02 May 2005
I just watched an episode of Nigella where she recommends using a less expensive fresh mozzarella (made from cow's milk instead of buffalo) for a recipe. She said it wouldn't be quite as milky as the mozzarella di bufalo, so maybe I've found the answer to my own question!
And yes, I can imagine that the drier the tomatoes are, the better!
As much as I love summer tomatoes, the idea of using so much mayo turns me off - I need to think of how else to do this.
But better, at least for me, is using them in tomato/mozzarella salads this summer. And I have been using Barbara's technique of chunking the tomatoes, rather than slicing them (as in the great salad she made for our lunch). Just yesterday I bought an assortment of heirlooms at the farmer's market (my tomatoes were early and pretty much gone in the heat here), cut them up with fresh mozzarella, added basil and Umbrian olive oil, and took the dish to Hollywood Bowl as part of a picnic. Much easier to transport than a sliced caprese, and easier to eat as well. Thanks Barbara.
Whoops just thought of something!! 
