As a transplant to the south, it is a goal of mine to immerse myself in the southern culture and try my hand at making classic, southern fare. Tomato Pie is something that I tried for the first time a few years ago and it has been a summer staple since. It is a perfect dish to use up some garden tomatoes, and there’s lots of cheese and bacon. Need I say more?

What is your favorite thing to grow in the garden? Tomatoes are at the top of my list. I love eating tomatoes and could probably eat a Caprese Salad every day.  They are an item, however, that I like to only buy organic because they are on the “dirty dozen,” list of fruits and veggies that you should always buy organic because they contain the highest amounts of pesticides. 

Because organic tomatoes are not always available in my area (a downside of living out in the country), I tend to go a little crazy and grow as many tomatoes as I can once it is warm enough in my zone to start planting (I live in zone seven). 

This year my tomato crop has not been as good as previous years. We had such a cold spring I planted late, and my tomatoes are just now really staring to get going (and it is late August!).

While I probably won’t have enough to do canning this year, I do have enough to enjoy my salads, and my favorite, Tomato Pie!. 

If you’ve never had tomato pie before, I can only describe this recipe as a fusion between a lasagna and a pizza, wrapped up in a delicious, buttery, flaky crust. What is not to love about that?!

THE CRUST 

I don’t have my own pie crust recipe, but have found this recipe for an easy, cream cheese pie crust that IS EASY and delicious for any kind of pie. I don’t make a ton of pies, but have used this crust recipe for this pie as well as apple and pumpkin pies come Thanksgiving.

Tips for the Crust:

• Follow this easy cream cheese pie crust recipe to make the dough.
• Roll out your dough out on lightly floured parchment paper (or a nonstick mat) so it is easy to flip into your buttered and lightly floured  pie pan.
• Be sure to poke the bottom of your pie crust with a fork before you pre-bake the crust so you don’t get a bubbly crust.
• Leave an edge hanging over your pie pan because the crust will shrink up a little when baking. 
• Pre bake your crust until it is almost starting to turn golden brown before adding filling.
• MAKE AHEAD: Make your crust ahead of time, wrap well in cling wrap, and freeze it until you need your crust. 

For the Filling:

• 2 Cups Ricotta Cheese (I used part-skim)
• 3/4 Cup Chopped sweet onion (or green onions work too)
• Bacon (approximately 5-6 strips)
• 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1/3 Cup Basil, Chopped
• 1 Cup Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 4 Cups Sliced tomatoes (approximately 10 roma tomatoes)
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Sage
• 1 tsp Rosemary
• Salt for the sliced tomatoes
• Green Onion for garnish

What to Do:

1. Get all your ingredients out, washed, prepped, and ready to go.
2. Slice all your tomatoes and de-seed them so your pie doesn’t get soggy.
3. Lightly salt your sliced tomatoes and set aside.
4. Mix together the ricotta, parmesan, onions, basil, pepper, sage, and rosemary in a large bowl.
5. Add the egg to the cheese mix and stir it up.
6. Layer your pie filling by starting with the ricotta mixture. Spread a little less than half of the ricotta mixture on the bottom of your pie crust then add a thick layer of your tomatoes.
7. Add the rest of your ricotta mixture, followed by 2/3 of your bacon, and then add the rest of your tomatoes on top of the bacon.
8. Cover the tomatoes with the grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, and sprinkle the rest of your bacon, and green onions on top.
9. Bake at 350 for approximately 45-60 minutes or until golden brown.

If you have extra dough, feel free to get a cookie cutter out and add some flair to your pie!  I have a little problem with wasting, so I try to use up every little piece that is leftover. 

The last time I made this recipe, to use up the extra dough, I cut out some rounds with a cookie cutter and made little hand pies with PB&J in them. It was a little extra treat for the kids to get excited about. 

Other Variations:

If you don’t have a ton of bacon on hand, don’t fret. Have any leftover chicken, or steak from a previous meal during the week? Feel free to substitute that instead! IMO, a tomato pie is kind of like a pizza. You can use leftovers, and improvise with whatever you have on hand, and it will most likely be delicious. 

I recently used one large chicken breast in a tomato pie because we were low on bacon. I just mixed the chicken in with the ricotta mixture. I had a couple pieces of bacon leftover from breakfast and crumbled those up on the top before baking.  It was the perfect amount of meat and so delicious!

If you would like to print this recipe, here is the pdf version.

Since my tomato crop is winding down, I believe I’m done making tomato pie for the year. Next year, I’m thinking about mixing it up and maybe trying one with some feta. What do you think?

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Be sure to let me know if you try this recipe. Do you put something different in your tomato pie? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram @ShipsHQ to see what I’m up to from day to day. Pin and save, share & care. 🙂 Cheers!