Feast your eyes on the best southern tomato pie recipe you have ever tasted! This savory pie is made with homegrown tomatoes, bacon, and a blend of fresh herbs. Every bite is creamy and cheesy, and it’s all housed in a buttery crust. From start to finish it takes a little over an hour to make southern tomato pie, but be sure to make an extra one, because they go fast!
I used a store-bought crust just to make the process a little easier. But if you want to try your hand at a homemade version, use this butter crust recipe. It’s fantastic for tomato pies, but you can also use it for no bake desserts like Chocolate Cream Pie and Eggnog Pie. Some choose to go with an easy oil pie crust, which is flaky, but you may miss that buttery taste.
You may be satisfied without a side dish; if not, whip up a batch of fried apples or deviled eggs for the full southern experience. Also, if you have leftover tomatoes, use them to make homemade restaurant style salsa. It’s delicious and a simple recipe to follow!
- A great way to use up homegrown tomatoes.
- It’s a perfect summer dish that’s easy to make.
- Can be served hot or cold.
Ingredients for Southern Tomato Pie with Bacon?
- Pre-baked pie crust – Go with a deep dish crust so there’s room for all the ingredients. If you want to bake a crust from scratch use this butter crust recipe – it only requires 4 ingredients!
- Homegrown fresh tomatoes – try to use a meaty variety, not heirloom tomatoes
- Salt and cracked black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves and oregano
- Mayonnaise – You can really taste the mayo in this pie, so use a good quality. If you are a true southerner you’ll go with Duke’s.
- Eggs
- Grated cheese (cheddar cheese, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, monterey jack)
- Bacon – Allow time to cook the bacon first
Choosing the best tomatoes: Homegrown tomatoes are the best for this recipe because they have more flavor than those at the grocery store. Pick out those that are ripe and varieties that are meatier such as Beefsteak, Roma, Early Girl, or Nebraska Wedding.
How to Make Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie
PREP: Bake the pie crust until it’s light golden brown. In the meantime, cook the bacon and slice the tomatoes. Add the tomato slices to a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or layers of paper towels) and season with salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes, then dab with paper towels to soak up the moisture. Place a single layer of tomatoes in the pie pan.
MAKE THE FILLING: Sprinkle the herbs on the tomatoes. Mix the eggs and mayo together in a medium bowl, then stir in the cheese.
ASSEMBLE: Spread the cheese mixture on, and continue layering with tomatoes, herbs, and the cheese mixture. Before adding the last layer of cheese, sprinkle on the cooked bacon.
COOK: Bake the tomato pie for 30 minutes or until it has set. Once the pie starts to brown, cover the edges with foil. Add the remaining bacon when there’s 5 minutes left. Cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Use as much or as little basil as you would like. You can add other herbs such as parsley and dill if desired.
- If you are using tomatoes from the grocery store, be careful with the added salt (and the salt content in the cheese). Because they may lack flavor, your pie could come out too salty.
- Add onions if desired. You can dice the onions finely and fold them into the cheese mixture. If you preferred sauteed, cook them in a skillet and add them as you are layering the pie.
- Allowing the pie to rest before serving gives the filling time to thicken up.
- For a golden brown crust, whisk another egg and use a brush to cover the edges.
Southern tomato pie has been around since the 1800s. The tomato pie that is more well known up north originated in Philly and is similar to a pizza.
Tomato pies are best eaten the day they are made. However, you can keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the microwave or in the oven. After 3 days, you may find that the crust is getting soggy.
I do not recommend freezing. Once the pies begin to thaw, the tomatoes will release more moisture, which can turn into a soggy mess.
More Southern Meals You Will Love
Southern Tomato Pie with Homegrown Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 9 ” pre-baked pie crust link to Butter Pie Crust Recipe
- 3 lbs. Homegrown tomatoes a meatier variety, not heirloom
- Kosher salt
- 1-2 cups fresh basil chopped or chiffonade
- 3 tablespoons fresh oregano stems removed
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 large eggs plus one more for egg washing the crust, optional
- 2 ½ cups grated cheese cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, monterey jack
- ½ lb. bacon cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Pre-bake pie crust by lining the unbaked crust with aluminum foil and pie weights and cooking at 375° for 25 minutes; remove foil and weights and continue cooking 5-10 minutes longer until light golden brown. Cool.
- Slice the tomatoes about ¼”-½” thick. Place them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the moisture to leech from the tomatoes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pat the tops of the tomatoes firmly with dry paper towels, absorbing as much moisture as you can. Layer tomato slices in a single layer over the bottom of the baked pie crust.
- Crack black pepper over the tomatoes (more salt is not needed). Add as much chopped basil as you’d like. Sprinkle with fresh oregano leaves and/or any other herbs you’d like to add.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and the eggs until combined. Add grated cheese and stir.
- Spread some of the cheese mixture over the tomatoes and herbs. Continue layering tomatoes, herbs, pepper, and cheese mixture. For a pie with some of the tomatoes exposed, reserve just a small amount of the cheese mixture to layer over the top layer of tomatoes. We did three layers of tomatoes total.
- Before adding the final spoonfuls of mayonnaise/cheese mixture, sprinkle half of the crumbled bacon on top of the tomatoes. Reserve the remaining herbs and add them to the finished pie while serving rather than sprinkling over the last layer of tomatoes.
- Top with the remaining mayo/cheese mixture.
- Whisk an additional egg to make an egg wash for the crust, if desired. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg over any exposed crust – this will produce a beautiful golden brown crust and lovely sheen.
- Bake pie for 30-35 minutes until the center is set. Cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil once they are golden brown so they do not burn. Add remaining bacon over the top of the pie during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Allow pie to cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil and oregano and serve.
Nutrition
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