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This easy tomato pie is a Southern classic that starts with a flaky pie crust. It’s savory and downright delicious!
Tomato pie is an appetizing twist on a traditional pizza and a quiche. With a flaky Pie Crust and tasty toppings, it’s sure to be a hit!
An Easy Southern Classic
This Southern tomato pie recipe is different from a tomato pie as well as a traditional pizza pie. With similar names and similar ingredients, what is the difference?
- Traditional pizza pie: The first pizzerias appeared in NYC in 1905 and in Trenton New Jersey in 1912. They used a yeast dough crust to roll a circle which was topped with sauce, cheese, and tomatoes.
- Tomato pie is traced to bakeries in Philly. Yeast dough is a rolled rectangle that is thinner than traditional pizza. A bit of cheese is added and topped with tomato sauce which is also called gravy. It is served at room temperature.
- Southern tomato pie uses Pie Dough to make a flaky crust. The filling is layers of fresh sliced tomatoes, cheese, and basil. It also uses mayonnaise to help bind it together.
If you haven’t given this tomato pie a try, you’re going to want to add it to the menu this week! It’s savory and completely crave-able. It’s a perfectly simple dish that is sure to be a hit!
Starts with a Pie Crust
Classic tomato pie starts with a flaky pie crust base.
CRUST. To make the crust, in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour and salt.
Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture, and cut in using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment, until the pieces of butter are no larger than pea-sized.
Add the buttermilk and mix until the dough just starts to come together.
Turn out onto a floured surface and gently work into a ball, handling as little as possible. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least twenty minutes, or until ready to use.
TOMATOES. While the crust is chilling, line a baking sheet with paper towels and lay out the tomato slices in an even layer.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with the kosher salt, then add a layer of paper towels on top. Let rest for 10 minutes, then gently pat the tomatoes to remove the excess moisture.
SAUCE. In a small bowl, mix together the mozzarella, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and basil.
ASSEMBLE. Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface to fit your pie pan. Press it gently into the pan and crimp or roll the edges to make a crust.
Place ⅓ of the tomato slices in a single layer on the bottom of the pie dish (a little overlapping is fine). Spread half of the mozzarella mixture over the tomatoes, then layer another ⅓ of the tomato slices over the top. Spread the remaining mozzarella mixture over the top, then top with the last ⅓ of the tomato slices.
BAKE. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Recipe Tips
This best recipe for tomato pie starts with the best ingredients!
Fresh tomatoes. Ripe plum tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes are my top choices because they tend to hold less liquid than other types. Even so, you can choose other similarly sized tomatoes to use, but avoid smaller grape and cherry tomatoes. Be sure to slice them and give them time to shed excess liquid.
Cheese. I used mozzarella cheese, but you can replace it with other varieties such as goat cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, white cheddar, or Colby cheese.
Crust. To help keep the crust from absorbing too much moisture, sprinkle some cornmeal or breadcrumbs on top of the crust before adding the filling. Use this pie crust post for more tips.
Use a deep dish 9-inch pie plate, glass or ceramic.
Variations. Adjust the flavor with any of these ingredients.
- Substitute the dried basil with 1 tablespoon of fresh basil leaves.
- Add some green onions or chopped green bell peppers to the layers.
- Add cooked bacon crumbles on top.
Storing + Serving Tips
Prep ahead of time. I don’t suggest assembling this tomato pie recipe ahead of time as the crust may get soggy. However, you can prepare the different elements ahead of time:
- The pie crust can be made a couple of days ahead of time wrap it with plastic.
- Prep the tomatoes the day before.
- Make the cheese mixture.
Wrap, cover, and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and bake.
Bake ahead of time. You can fully bake the pie, allow it to cool, cover with plastic, and refrigerate it for 1-2 days. To reheat, replace the plastic with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350°F until just warm, about 10-15 minutes.
STORE. The pie can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Allow your slice to come to room temperature before eating, or microwave it long enough to take the chill off.
Serving suggestions. This easy tomato pie recipe can be served as a main dish or play the side dish role.
- As a main dish: Serve some Cheesy Zucchini Tots, Homemade Mac and Cheese, Roasted Green Beans, or a small side salad on the side.
- As a side dish: Pair with a Southern classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken, as well as Baby Back Ribs, or Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken.
Recipe FAQ
The most important factor would be to be sure you salt and allow time for the tomato slices to shed all extra liquid. Give at least 10 minutes but some people let them drain for up to 60 minutes. Another tip you can utilize is to sprinkle the pie crust with cornmeal or bread crumbs.
I have a wonderful Pie Crust Recipe that produces flaky layers which don’t always seem to happen in store-bought pie crust. However, if you’re trying to save time and energy, a store-bought pie dough is a suitable option.
There are two types of recipes that sport the same name. To help differentiate, many people refer to this recipe as Southern tomato pie, similar to a quiche. It is a baked flaky pie crust filled with sliced fresh tomatoes, cheese, basil, and mayo.
For More Tomato Recipes, Try:
Tomato Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
Filling:
- 6-10 medium tomatoes, about 2 pounds, cored and sliced
- 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- To make the crust, in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour and salt.
- Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture, and cut in using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment, until the pieces of butter are no larger than pea-sized.
- Add the buttermilk, and mix until the dough just starts to come together.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and gently work into a ball, handling as little as possible. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or until ready to use.
- While the crust is chilling, line a baking sheet with paper towels and lay out the tomato slices in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the tomatoes with the kosher salt, then add a layer of paper towels on top. Let rest for 10 minutes, then gently pat the tomatoes to remove the excess moisture. In a small bowl, mix together the mozzarella, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and basil.
- Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface to fit your pie pan. Press it gently into the pan and crimp or roll the edges to make a crust.
- Place ⅓ of the tomato slices in a single layer on the bottom of the pie dish (a little overlapping is fine). Spread half of the mozzarella mixture over the tomatoes, then layer another ⅓ of the tomato slices over the top. Spread the remaining mozzarella mixture over the top, then top with the last ⅓ of the tomato slices.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We all loved this tomato pie in my house! It’s so easy to make and so flavorful!
Turned out great! The crust was easy to prepare and was flaky as I wanted it. Delicious!
This is indeed savory and scrumptious! After making this, this is the kids’ most requested recipe! This tomato pie is highly recommended!
Yay! So glad the recipe was a hit!