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Easy Southern Tomato Pie

Easy Southern Tomato Pie with a basil leaf on top with a striped dish towel on the left.

 

Southern Tomato Pie is delicious and simple to make

This Easy Southern Tomato Pie is surprisingly FANTASTIC! Even people who swear they don’t like tomatoes ask for seconds of this unique and delicious Southern Classic. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been more shocked by a recipe. Nothing in my brain says that tomatoes should go in a pie. This is definitely a “Gotta try it to believe it” kind of recipe! It’s a new favorite! It can be a simple dinner on its own, or you can use it as a side dish for something like Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Breasts.

I served this to some new friends who came over for dinner a couple of weeks ago, and their 13-year-old daughter who allegedly hates tomatoes raved about how delicious it was. I am telling you, getting a kid to enjoy the food they thought they hated is literally my only goal in life. I don’t know why I am this way, but I am. 🙂

Southern Tomato Pie with a slice cut out of it and a basil leaf on the top.

The only thing I feel like I need to warn you about with this pie is this: For best results, you need to serve it within 30-60 minutes of when it comes out of the oven. The tomatoes will still give off a significant amount of liquid, even though you get as much moisture out as possible before building the pie. The bottom pie crust will begin to get soggy after about an hour. Don’t worry. Even with a little sogginess in the crust, you will still want a second piece. The flavors are so fantastic!

A slice of tomato pie sitting on a small plate with a fork. On the right of the small plate is a whole tomato pie with a slice cut out. In the left bottom corner is a partial picture of a pie server and above the small plate and pie is a striped kitchen towel.

More Delicious Recipes with Tomatoes

STEP-BY-STEP PICTURES FOR MAKING EASY SOUTHERN TOMATO PIE

12-photo picture collage of step-by-step photos on how to make Easy Southern Tomato Pie.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips about how to make Easy Southern Tomato Pie

What pie dish size should I use?

If you are going to make your own pie crust or use a store-bought refrigerated pie crust, you will need to use a deep-dish pie pan for this recipe.

Can I chop the tomatoes instead of slicing them?

Yes, you can. First, chop the tomatoes, salt them with 1 tsp salt, and then place them in a strainer to let the liquid drain. After 10-15 minutes, press down on the tomatoes with paper towels or a clean dish towel. Repeat this process until you have squeezed as much liquid as you can out of the tomatoes.

Does dried basil work as a substitute for fresh basil in this recipe?

I recommend using fresh basil for the best flavor, but you can use 1-2 tsp dried basil and the pie will still taste good.A slice cut out of Easy Southern tomato pie that has a basil leaf on it.

What should I do with the leftovers?

Tomato pie is best served and eaten within 30-60 minutes after being taken out of the oven. The longer the tomatoes sit on the crust, the soggier the crust becomes. If you do have leftovers, refrigerate the pie for up to two days. When ready to eat, you can warm it up in the microwave a slice at a time for 15-20 seconds.

Tips:
  • Make sure to prebake the pie crust to help prevent a soggy crust.
  • Squeeze, drain, or press with a paper towel as much moisture from the tomatoes as possible. Removing the watery seeds from the tomatoes will also cut down on the liquid in the pie.

Two-photo Pinterest picture with the text of the title in the middle.Chef’s Tools for Tomato Pie:

Pinterest picture of easy southern tomato pie with a piece cut out and sitting on a small white plate with a forkhead. The text of the ingredients is at the bottom with the text of the title right above the list.

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4.8 from 8 reviews
Easy Southern Tomato Pie
 
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Surprisingly AMAZING, this tomato pie is fantastic! Even people who think they don't like tomatoes ask for seconds of this delicious and simple Southern Classic.
Author:
Recipe type: Seasonal/Side Dish
Serves: 8-10 slices
Ingredients
  • 1 store-bought frozen deep dish pie crust
  • 5-6 tomatoes, sliced ⅕-1/4 inch thick
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 10-12 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, zested or finely crushed
  • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Poke holes in the pie crust with a fork and bake it for 12 minutes.
  3. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
  4. While the pie crust is baking, slice tomatoes and put them on paper towels (I triple mine up.) Sprinkle with the tsp of salt and let the liquid seep out of the tomatoes. After 10-15 minutes. Take more paper towels and press down on the tomatoes, squeezing out more juice, if possible.
  5. Next, arrange the tomatoes into the bottom of the pie crust until the crust is half full.
  6. Combine the chopped basil and zested garlic and sprinkle it over the tomatoes.
  7. Add more tomatoes until the pie crust is full.
  8. In a separate bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, onion powder, and black pepper and mix it well.
  9. Spread the cheese mixture on top of the tomatoes.
  10. Bake pie for 30 minutes.
  11. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
  12. Serve and Enjoy!

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Two-photo Pinterest picture with the text of the title of the recipe at the top.

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24 Comments

  5. Lin

    This is basically my recipe except I cut my tomatoes in chunks mix with a chopped onion and bacon that I’ve cooked. Then the main thing different is I add 2 heaping Tbsp of flour and stir in then add to prebaked (10 min) crust and then it helps make it thicker without being so runny

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  6. janice gauthier

    You mentioned the pie should be eaten within 30 to 60 minutes, I slice and lightly salt my tomatoes and place in single layer on several layers of paper towels and cover with another layer of same thickness. I do replace the paper towels once. Tomatoes appear much thinner and are dry, but they rehydrate with the moisture from the cheese. my pie is firm and not soggy or juicy. the rest I do as your recipe calls for. It really makes a difference. Hope this helps.

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  8. Janna

    Super easy and absolutely too delicious to ever make again! I ate two pieces and could have eaten more. Way too much fat and cheese for me to even have occasionally. Too bad because it was easy, beautiful & super delicious!

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