Tomatoes are the staple produce in my garden every year. I usually save the majority of my harvest through canning, but I always reserve a round of tomatoes for a tomato pie. Just carrying on with southern traditions. A garden tomato is a simple pleasure that’s hard to describe. Be advised. This is comfort food and probably won’t fall into your healthy eating habits. But if I’m going to spend my time making it, I’m going to make it good! Here’s hows I made mine.

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Ingredients

• (2) 10” pie crusts (frozen is easier. Homemade is better)
• Tomatoes
• Nature’s Seasoning
• Pink Himalayan Salt
• 3 slices of pepper bacon
• 1 Vidalia onion
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Shredded Asiago cheese
• 4-cheese blend
• Mayonaise
• Basil. Dried is fine, fresh is better.
• Parsley. Dried is fine, fresh is better.
• Oregano. Dried is fine, fresh is better.

I took my large baking sheet and lined it with parchment paper. I then sliced my tomatoes about 1/4″ thin and placed them on the tray. I sprinkled my slices with nature’s seasoning & pink Himalayan salt. You can use just salt and pepper, but I like the extra seasoning. The salt draws out the juice from the tomato slices, keeping your finished pie from turning soggy. Let salted tomato slices set for about 1 hour. The thicker the slice, the longer they need to sit and let the salt work. I had to double layer my tomato slices because I had so many, so it took longer to drain.

The pie crust. I found that the frozen pie crust from the freezer aisle was the most practical way to go. They usually come in 2-packs so I usually make two pies. But if you have Granny’s thousand-year-old pie crust recipe, don’t let me stop you from being an over-achiever. 

I partially baked my pie crust in a preheated 400º degree oven for 10-13 minutes. Remember to take a fork and poke holes in the bottom of your crust before baking. This allows the steam to escape while cooking, so your crust doesn’t bubble. I thought I poked enough holes in the bottom of my crust, but one of them still bubbled up considerably. Pie weights would be clutch here, but you can create your own. Line your pie crust with parchment paper, pour dried rice or beans in the middle, and then bake. It serves the same purpose.

I cooked 3 slices of thick-cut pepper bacon, until crispy. I rendered all the bacon fat out and into my pan. I chopped up my crispy bacon strips into small pieces and set them aside.

I thinly sliced a Vidalia onion. Vidalias are my go-to onions because they are a really extra sweet type of onion and only grow in Vidalia, GA. An exclusively southern onion.

I sautéd my onion slices in the wonderfully rendered bacon grease until caramelized. I then set them aside.

I then started to assemble. First, a layer of mozzarella cheese. Followed by several slices of tomato. I didn’t go skimpy on my slices either. I piled them in there. Next, I dusted my slices with a little bit of Nature’s Seasoning. Love that stuff. Then went a layer of dried basil. Fresh basil is the better option here, but I didn’t have any, so I just sprinkled dried until I was satisfied. After that a layer of the caramelized onions. Then a layer of the chopped bacon. Then I repeated everything again. 

I took a large mixing bowl and mixed together with my pie topping. I used 2 cups of real mayonnaise. It’s worth using the real stuff. Go healthy on another recipe. Then I added fresh chopped parsley, mozzarella cheese, and a 4-cheese blend mixture. I wanted the little extra twang from a stinky cheese. Once mixed, I divided and topped each pie. It always looks like it’s too much, but it always bakes down in the end

The saying is you eat with your eyes first. Ok. So I decided to add something for the eyes first. I had some leftover black cherry tomatoes. I sliced them in half and decorated the top of the pie. This is totally optional, but they do hold up well after backing. I was happy. I baked both pies at 350º for 45 minutes or until the cheese topping slightly browned and started to bubble.

I let them cool on the kitchen counter until room temperature and then enjoy.