Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie

Serves: 8

Hands On Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients

5 to 6 large ripe tomatoes

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar, mozzarella or Parmesan (or a combination)

1 cup mayonnaise (or reduced-calorie mayonnaise)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil; set a bowl of ice water nearby.

Drop the tomatoes in the boiling water until the skin begins to peel, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into the ice water. Peel the skins from the tomatoes. Slice off the stem-side tops, turn the tomatoes upside-down over the sink and gently squeeze to remove the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices, removing any remaining seeds, if necessary, and drain on paper towels.

Line the crust with foil and pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and reduce the oven to 350 degrees.

With additional paper towels, pat the tomatoes as dry as possible. Cover the bottom of the pie crust with a layer of tomato slices. Sprinkle lightly with basil, salt and pepper. Arrange another layer of tomatoes and sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper. Top with remaining tomato slices and sprinkle with remaining basil, salt and pepper. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the cheese and mayonnaise. Spread evenly over the pie.

Bake until the top of the pie forms a golden brwn crust, 30 to 40 minutes. If the edges start to get too brown, top with a piece of foil with an 8-inch circle cut out of the center. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Per serving: 428 calories (percent of calories from fat, 79), 9 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 39 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 618 milligrams sodium.

About the recipe

If you like tomato and mayo sandwiches in the summer, then you’ll love this savory pie. It’s based on the same ingredients, plus a couple of “extras” — cheese and fresh basil. And it’s pretty enough to serve to company. 

Choose the most fragrant, fresh-picked tomatoes you can find. But be sure to drain the slices well on paper towels. If you make your own pie crust, try stirring in a teaspoon of dried basil with the flour.

Recipe courtesy of Pam Forester.