• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Sign Up for Emails
  • Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides
    • Cocktails
  • Instagram
  • Contact
    • About
    • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy

Basil And Bubbly logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Sign Up for Emails
  • Recipes
  • Find Recipe from Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Southern Tomato Pie

    June 8, 2018 Basil

    Southern Tomato Pie

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Print

    Heirloom tomatoes, rich alpine cheese, and fresh basil: this traditional Southern Tomato Pie recipe is an unexpected exercise in simple ingredients coming together to make a recipe rich and extraordinary.
    southern tomato pie slice
    If you've never tried this classic southern dish, you are in for a treat.  I remember the first time I had one it was from the Stono Market Tomato Shed Café.  They put fresh mozzarella sliced on top of theirs, and it's a dreamy addition, but I prefer the classic topping.  If you layer in some mozzarella with your tomato slices, I won't tell anyone though.

    Jump to Recipe

    tomatoes resting for tomato pie

    What makes the best tomato pie?

    It's not just the recipe, it's the ingredients! Although you can make a perfectly decent tomato pie with the grainy beefsteak tomatoes from the grocery store, my preference is to grow my own or get local heirloom tomatoes from the farmer's market, like Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, and any sort of yellow variety I can find, mixed with some quality on the vine good-ol' red tomatoes.

    southern tomato pie onion layer

    Really high quality tomatoes give this pie a rich, almost creamy tomato-y flavor that you just don't quite get from the regular tomatoes.  You can also had a little bit of sliced eggplant in with the sliced tomatoes ( and prepared the exact same way as the tomatoes ) to give this pie a little extra umph, making it perfect for dinner.

    southern tomato pie with heirloom tomatoes

    This tomato pie is a great way to use up all those tomatoes from your garden as well.  I realllly don't have a green thumb, but I try to grow a garden every year, and even I can get some delicious tomatoes and basil out of my garden each year! Full disclosure, I did get the tomatoes for this pie from the farmer's market as mentioned above, but once the homegrown tomatoes are ready in my garden, I'll be making all of my tomato pies with with them and the fresh basil!

    southern tomato pie

    One thing to note - I'll admit, the topping sounds ... disturbing.  I'm not one much for mayonnaise, and in particular I don't want to ruin something as fabulous as leftover tomatoes from the garden with it, but y'all there are exceptions, like this easy tomato pie ( oh and let's not forget another summertime favorite, the tomato sandwich. )  The topping is crucial to this pie. Don't skimp on it. Don't substitute with something silly like greek yogurt.  I love the Tomato Shed's fresh mozzarella version, but I really think you should start with this classic mayo and cheese topping before branching out. You won't regret it.

    MAYONNAISE. Just do it.

    southern tomato pie from above

    If you like this Southern Tomato Pie recipe, you might also like:

    • Corn Pudding
    • Macaroni and Cheese
    • Cucumber Tomato Salad

    Southern Tomato Pie

    Classic southern recipe that makes the BEST Tomato Pie with heirloom tomatoes, and a delicious cheesy gruyere and mayonnaise topping.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pie
    Cuisine: Southern
    Prep Time: 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Servings: 8 slices
    Author: Basil and Bubbly

    Ingredients

    • 1 Pre-made Refrigerated Pie Crust
    • 4 - 5 medium to large tomatoes
    • 1 medium Onion thinly sliced
    • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 2 ½ cups shredded Gruyere may substitute swiss, provolone, or mozzarella if necessary but the flavor will be more mild
    • ½ cup Mayonnaise
    • 6 Basil leaves thinly sliced
    • approximately 1 ½ teaspoons salt
    • approximately 1 teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and set it aside.
    • Place the pie crust into a pie dish and bake for approximately 25 minutes. If you pie crust has directions for pre-baking on the box, then feel free to follow those directions instead.
    • Cut two 2" slices in the bottom of each tomato to make an X. Carefully place the tomatoes into the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes.
    • Remove the tomatoes from the water, and place in the bowl filled with ice.
    • Drain the water from the pot and wipe it out with a towel to remove any residual water. Set the pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and onion to the pot with a pinch of salt. Cook on medium for 20 minutes to cook the onions, stirring occasionally.
    • Remove the skin from the tomatoes. It should peel off easily with your fingers. Slice the tomatoes and place each slice on a towel lined baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 20 minutes while onions cook.
    • Sprinkle ½ cup of the gruyere onto the bottom of the pie crust. Spread the cooked onions on top of the gruyere. Alternate adding layers of tomatoes with a sprinkle of basil, pinch of salt, and pinch of pepper on top of each layer until you run out of tomatoes.
    • Mix the remaining ( 2 cups ) of gruyere with the mayonnaise and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread the mixture on top of the last layer of tomatoes.
    • Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the top is browned.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

     

    « Leftover Lemon Curd Parfait
    Atlanta Food and Wine Festival 2018 »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl Powell says

      August 13, 2022 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      Great pie! I had purple cherokee s and they were so plentiful this year I was looking for ways to use them and this was great!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. 25 Best Ideas southern tomato Pie – Best Round Up Recipe Collections says:
      January 19, 2022 at 5:48 am

      […] Best Southern Tomato Pie from Southern Tomato Pie Basil And Bubbly. Source Image: basilandbubbly.com. Visit this site for details: basilandbubbly.com […]

      Reply

    Please share your thoughts on this recipe! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Heyyyyyyy!

    My name is Marianne, and I'm two parts food, one part booze, and a dash of snark. I live in Atlanta, GA with my two cats. My personal motto: Champagne and stretchy pants. Sign up for my mailing list to keep up with the new and seasonal recipes!

    as seen in

    Recent Posts

    • Pineapple Infused Vodka (Stoli Doli)
    • Roasted Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde
    • Air Fryer Onions
    • Espresso Martini
    • Buffalo Shrimp Tacos

    Most Popular

    Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    Perfect Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    air fryer sweet potato fries

    Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

    Sweet Potato Casserole Bites

    Sweet Potato Casserole Bites

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright© 2023 · Cookd Pro by Shay Bocks