You'll love the savory taste of this classic Southern tomato pie. It's filled with juicy tomatoes in a buttery crust and then topped with pimento cheese. It's perfect for summer picnics and potlucks.
¼poundbaconcooked and 1 tablespoon of bacon fat reserved
1cuponiondiced
2cupspimento cheese
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with paper towels,
Slice the tomatoes and lay in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle with salt.
Set aside for 30 minutes.
Cook bacon and remove from skillet.
Pour off all but about 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat.
Heat the fat and add the onions.
Saute, stirring often, until golden brown, soft, and caramelized. This will take 15 minutes or so.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Pat tomato slices dry and arrange in the baked pie crust.
Top with cooked onions and bacon.
Spoon the pimento cheese on top of the onions and bacon and spread to cover.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Storage:Make sure the pie has fully cooled to room temperature. Then, cover the extras tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to three days. However, keep in mind that juicy layers of tomatoes will soften the pie crust shell the longer it's stored.This recipe doesn't freeze well.Tips:
Roma tomatoes are the most firm, so they hold up
Choose fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best-ever tomato pie flavor. They'll look bright and shiny, and feel firm when given a gentle squeeze.
You can ripen picked tomatoes a little faster by placing them into a paper bag with a banana or apple.
Try to cut the tomatoes into even, thin slices. I recommend using a sharp knife and a cutting board. A mandoline is okay, too, but be careful!
Let the tomato slices drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet so that they don't make your pie watery. This step is important!
Be sure to cook your pie crust until it's golden brown. You can learn more about "blind-baking" (with parchment paper and pie weights) in this pie crust recipe.
If the edges of your pie crust start to get a little too brown, cover just the edges with a pie crust shield (or make your own with foil.) This will prevent your flaky crust from burning.
I know it's tempting to dig in right away, but the cooling time is important! This allows the juices to settle down so your pie doesn't leak water when you cut it into slices.