Mary Hanos’ simple yet delicious summer tomato pie recipe makes a great option for lunch or a savory side. A blend of tangy cheddar and gooey mozzarella cheeses melts between layers of tomatoes with garlic and fresh basil. The whole thing gets topped with more cheese and creamy mayonnaise before baking. Many see it as the perfect summer recipe (right up there with tomato sandwiches).
“Tomato pie is one of my favorite dishes,” says Newport homeowner and founder of The Newport Show, Anne Hamilton. “It’s so easy, delicious, and fun to serve during tomato season, especially since we grow the ingredients or buy them at Sweet Berry Farm nearby. It translates into a perfect Rhode Island celebration!” Anne served the pie along with arugula salads with walnuts and goat cheese at a Sunday butterfly brunch for her Newport friends. See more from the brunch.
The pie not only serves up a summertime treat, but presents a delicious opportunity to use up all of those garden-fresh tomatoes.
Mary Hanos’ Tomato Pie Recipe
Yield: One 9-inch pie, (6-8 servings)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust (can use frozen or homemade)
- 3 tomatoes, thinly sliced. Use various types, vine, Roma, beefsteak, etc. one of each.
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil
- 1 small bag shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 small bag shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (Mary uses Hellmans)
- Balsamic glaze
- Fresh basil for garnish
- Fresh green onions for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
- Cook pie crust according to package direction. Allow crust to cool.
- Lower oven temp to 350 degrees
- Thinly slice tomatoes and spread out on paper towels to absorb moisture. Sprinkle with sea salt as it will help to draw out moisture. Let sit for approximately 10 minutes. Blot with paper towel
- Arrange layer of tomatoes in cooled pie crust, overlapping and alternating between each variety.
- Sprinkle 1-½ tsp garlic and fresh basil on top of tomatoes
- Sprinkle ¼ of each of the cheeses over tomatoes
- Repeat steps 5-7 two more times
- Gently spread mayonnaise on top of final layer of cheese.
- Bake until chase is melted and bubbly, approximately 35-40 minutes. Let pie cool.
To serve, place a slice of pie on each plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Add basil leaf and green onion for garnish.
By Marion Laffey Fox
Recipe by Mary Hanos
Photography by Kindra Clineff