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Paula Deen Tomato Pie

Serve this savory Paula Deen Tomato Pie as a side dish at your next barbecue with burgers or bbq chicken, or enjoy it as a main course with a side salad. The greatest way to appreciate the season’s bounty is baked into a flaky, buttery pastry crust with luscious tomatoes, Vidalia onions, melted cheese, and fresh herbs.

Paula Deen Tomato Pie
Paula Deen Tomato Pie

What Is Tomato Pie?

Let’s not have any confusion about the point we’re trying to make! In case you were thinking of an Italian tomato pie, you can set that notion aside; this is a Tomato Pie. The two meals couldn’t be more unlike! Tomato pie is a traditional Italian dish with a thick crust similar to focaccia, cooked in a big rectangular pan and topped with tomato sauce (similar to pizza).

It’s common to sprinkle Romano cheese or oregano over the top of the pie before serving, although these toppings are optional. Tomato Pies, on the other hand, feature a pie crust topped with grated cheese and either mayonnaise or white sauce and a filling of fresh tomatoes.

Additionally known as a Kentucky Tomato Pie, Alabama Tomato Pie, and an Amish Tomato Pie, the Tomato Pie goes by many names.

Which Tomatoes Are Best For Tomato Pie?

Because they don’t contain as much juice as other types of tomatoes, such as heirloom tomatoes, beefsteak, and plum tomatoes are the greatest choice for making tomato pie. Select tomatoes that have a solid feel to the touch rather than a mushy texture.

You are more than welcome to make utilization of heirloom tomatoes in the event that you so choose. Also, check to see if they are quite solid. If you use tomatoes that are too mushy, it will be difficult to extract the water content, which will result in your pie being waterlogged.

Paula Deen Tomato Pie Ingredients

Simply said, these are the things you need to make a tomato pie. This post includes a downloadable recipe box at the end with all the necessary information, including exact amounts and detailed directions.

  • Deep-Dish Pie Crust. To make this dish, you’ll need a crust that has been cooked. You may use a refrigerated pie dough from the supermarket and bake it as directed, or you can use a frozen deep-dish pie crust and bake it as directed, or you can make your own pie crust. There is no requirement to prepare a crust from scratch using butter and flour or to break out the food processor. The prepackaged solutions are effective.
  • Fresh Tomatoes. Pick the tastiest, most ripe, and sugariest summer tomatoes you can find. Options include the more common beefsteak tomato as well as heritage varieties, aromas, and plums.
  • Vidalia Onion. A sweet Vidalia onion is a must-have, but any other type of sweet onion would do in a pinch.
  • Cheeses Like Swiss And Cheddar. Because it has a lot of savory cheese flavor and is nice and cheesy and rich.
  • Mayonnaise. If you want the finest flavor and texture, choose a high-quality full-fat mayo. Duke’s is our favorite brand.
  • Egg. Builds up the mayonnaise layer, giving it shape.
  • Fresh Basil. This vibrant herb adds a welcome pop of flavor to the tomatoes.
  • Italian-Seasoned Breadcrumbs. Spruce up the pie and keep the crust from getting mushy by soaking up some of the tomato juice that will inevitably leak out.
  • Kosher Salt And Ground Black Pepper. This is done so that the dish’s other tastes may really shine.

Is Tomato Pie Eaten Hot Or Cold?

You may choose how you’d like to eat the Tomato Pie: warm, at room temperature, or cold. Whatever it is that you favor!

How To Make Paula Deen Tomato Pie

  • Over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Cook until the onion is gently caramelized on the edges (about 6 minutes). Place the onion in a large mixing bowl and leave aside to cool fully.
  • Line two baking sheets with paper towels. Place the sliced tomatoes on the paper towels in a single layer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes to absorb some of the moisture before patting it dry with more paper towels.
  • When the onion is cold enough to handle, combine it with the Swiss cheese, 1 cup of cheddar, mayonnaise, basil, pepper, egg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  • Half of the mayonnaise mixture should be spread on the bottom of the prepared crust. 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, on top. Distribute half of the tomatoes on top. Repeat with a second layer of the mayonnaise mixture, a layer of breadcrumbs, and a layer of tomatoes. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.
  • Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F, or until golden and bubbling.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature, and cut into pieces. Allowing the pie to rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting into it makes it easier to slice.
Paula Deen Tomato Pie
Paula Deen Tomato Pie

What To Serve With Tomato Pie?

Serve this rich and satisfying pie for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. To round off the dinner, serve it with a green salad prepared in red wine vinaigrette, a caesar salad, a house salad with candied walnuts, or a basic mixed greens salad with dijon vinaigrette. Corn on the cob, corn salad, southern-style green beans, and cucumber salad are other excellent choices.

Here are some main courses that go nicely with tomato pie if you’d want to serve it as an accompaniment.

  • Whether you want grilled chicken breasts, grilled chicken thighs, grilled bbq chicken breasts, crock pot bbq chicken, or oven bbq chicken, there’s a way to barbecue it.
  • BBQ ribs cooked on the stovetop or in the oven, or baby back ribs.
  • Grilled pork chops, grilled bbq pork chops, baked bbq pork chops, grilled pork tenderloin, and oven-fried pork chops are all great options.
  • Crispy fried catfish, fried fish sandwiches, or the oven-baked variety.
  • Chicken cooked in a Dutch oven.
  • Traditional crab cakes.
  • Salmon on the grill, or salmon patties.
  • Lemonade chicken or chicken brined with sweet tea.

Recipe Variations

  • For convenience’s sake, I use a pie crust purchased from the supermarket, but if you’d rather make your own, that’s certainly an option.
  • Garlic powder may be added to the mayonnaise mixture to give it an even more delicious flavor.
  • If you want the mayonnaise combination to have a more nuanced and zingy flavor, add a dab of Dijon mustard to it.
  • Make use of whatever fresh herbs you happen to have available. Tomatoes are often served with basil, but other herbs such as parsley, rosemary, dill, or thyme are all delicious with this dish. Don’t like herbs? You are free to ignore them entirely.
  • You may use simple bread crumbs as a substitute for Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, which are my personal preference, but you can use plain bread crumbs if that is all you have on hand.
  • The combination of Swiss and cheddar cheeses is one of our favorites, but you can use virtually any delicious melting cheese in its place if you’d like. Try some Gouda cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Colby cheese, Colby-Jack cheese, Gruyere cheese, or mozzarella cheese.
  • If you want the pie to have a taste that is robust, smokey, and rich, add crumbled cooked bacon to the layers.

How To Store Tomato Pie?

  • In The Fridge. You may keep any leftover tomato pie (covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for up to three days. Again, the crust will become soggy as it rests, so the best way to enjoy this is shortly after it has been prepared.
  • In The Freezer. It is not advisable to freeze the tomato pie because the crust will get soggy, the tomatoes will have an odd texture, and the creamy mayonnaise mixture may “crack” when it is defrosted from the freezer.
  • To Make Ahead. You may start preparing the pie a few hours in advance, and once it’s ready, you can serve it at room temperature. You can let the pie cool at room temperature as long as you plan to consume it within three to four hours after it has been baked. After the pie has had ample time to come to room temperature on its own, you will need to put it in the refrigerator so that it stays nice and chilled.
  • To Reheat. Reheat the tomato pie by placing it in an oven preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit until it is completely warmed through (about 15-20 minutes).
Paula Deen Tomato Pie
Paula Deen Tomato Pie

How To Avoid Making Tomato Pie Soggy?

This is enormous! Many approaches have been tried before I settled on a few easy steps to reduce the amount of moisture in this dish.

To begin, drain the tomatoes on paper towels as directed.
The bread crumbs then assist in absorbing some of the extra liquid in the pie.
Finally, unlike some recipes that just sprinkle the mayonnaise mixture on the top of the pie, layers of the mayonnaise-cheese mixture inside the pie offer an additional barrier to prevent a soggy crust.

My Personal Tomato Pie Recipe Tips

  • For this recipe, use the ripest, most delicious, and most sugary summer tomatoes you can find. During the colder months, when it’s more difficult to get excellent tomatoes, you shouldn’t even try making them. There are many varieties of tomatoes available; some good choices are beefsteak tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes.
  • Before beginning to assemble the pie, it is important to give the tomatoes thorough draining in order to eliminate as much of the extra liquid as possible.
  • To achieve the finest flavor and consistency, be sure to choose a mayonnaise that is of good quality and has all of the fat.
  • Decorate the pie with more fresh herbs that have been chopped, such as fresh basil leaves or parsley, or with green onions that have been sliced.
  • If the sides of the crust look like they are becoming too black before the pie is done baking, you may cover them with thin strips of aluminum foil.

Try More Recipes:

Paula Deen Tomato Pie Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

  • Calories 253
  • Total Fat 16g
  • Saturated Fat 5.1g
  • Cholesterol 25.2mg
  • Sodium 503.6mg
  • Potassium 219.3mg
  • Total Carbohydrate 13.9g
  • Dietary Fiber 1g
  • Sugars 0.6g
  • Protein 13.5g
  • Vitamin A 13.3%
  • Vitamin C 11.1%
  • Calcium 26%
  • Iron 3.1%

Nutrition Facts Source: Source

Paula Deen Tomato Pie

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 40 minutesCook time: 45 minutesRest time: 20 minutesTotal time:1 hour 45 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:253 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

Serve this savory Paula Deen Tomato Pie as a side dish at your next barbecue with burgers or bbq chicken, or enjoy it as a main course with a side salad. The greatest way to appreciate the season’s bounty is baked into a flaky, buttery pastry crust with luscious tomatoes, Vidalia onions, melted cheese, and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Cook until the onion is gently caramelized on the edges (about 6 minutes). Place the onion in a large mixing bowl and leave aside to cool fully.
  2. Line two baking sheets with paper towels. Place the sliced tomatoes on the paper towels in a single layer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes to absorb some of the moisture before patting it dry with more paper towels.
  3. When the onion is cold enough to handle, combine it with the Swiss cheese, 1 cup of cheddar, mayonnaise, basil, pepper, egg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  4. Half of the mayonnaise mixture should be spread on the bottom of the prepared crust. 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, on top. Distribute half of the tomatoes on top.
  5. Repeat with a second layer of the mayonnaise mixture, a layer of breadcrumbs, and a layer of tomatoes. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F, or until golden and bubbling.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature, and cut into pieces. Allowing the pie to rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting into it makes it easier to slice.

Notes

  • For this recipe, use the ripest, most delicious, and most sugary summer tomatoes you can find. During the colder months, when it’s more difficult to get excellent tomatoes, you shouldn’t even try making them. There are many varieties of tomatoes available; some good choices are beefsteak tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes.
  • Before beginning to assemble the pie, it is important to give the tomatoes thorough draining in order to eliminate as much of the extra liquid as possible.
  • To achieve the finest flavor and consistency, be sure to choose a mayonnaise that is of good quality and has all of the fat.
  • Decorate the pie with more fresh herbs that have been chopped, such as fresh basil leaves or parsley, or with green onions that have been sliced.
  • If the sides of the crust look like they are becoming too black before the pie is done baking, you may cover them with thin strips of aluminum foil.
Keywords:Paula Deen Tomato Pie, Tomato Pie
Nutrition Facts

Servings 6


Amount Per Serving
Calories 253
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 5.1g26%
Cholesterol 25.2mg9%
Sodium 503.6mg21%
Potassium 219.3mg7%
Total Carbohydrate 13.9g5%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Sugars 0.6g
Protein 13.5g27%

Vitamin A 13.3 IU
Vitamin C 11.1 mg
Calcium 26 mg
Iron 3.1 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.