Garden-fresh tomatoes shine in this classic Southern staple from our sister publication Taste of the South.
Taste of the South’s Ultimate Tomato Pie
MAKES 1 (9-INCH) DEEP-DISH PIE
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- All-Butter Pie Dough (recipe follows)
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 teaspoons fine Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, divided
- Garnish: fresh thyme
Instructions
- Place tomato on baking sheets lined with paper towels; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pat dry. Let stand 30 minutes more and then pat dry again.
- In a 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Let cool, and chop bacon.
- In same skillet, heat drippings over medium heat. Add onion; cook until lightly browned around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer onion to a small bowl and let cool completely.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll All-Butter Pie Dough to a 12-inch circle and about ⅛-inch thickness. Transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Roll edges under and crimp as desired. Freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Position rack in bottom third of oven, and preheat oven to 425°.
- In a medium bowl, stir together onion, 1½ cups cheese, mayonnaise, egg, thyme, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Spread half of cheese mixture (about 1¼ cups) into bottom of piecrust. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons bread crumbs. Arrange half of tomato slices, overlapping slightly, on top. Repeat layers once.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Top with remaining ½ cup cheese, cover edges with foil, and bake until lightly golden brown, center is set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 175°, 30 to 35 minutes more. Let cool for at least 2 hours on a wire rack.
- Sprinkle with chopped bacon. Garnish with thyme, if desired. Serve at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
All-Butter Pie Dough
Ingredients
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup ice water, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Place butter in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add cubed butter, tossing until each piece is well coated. Using your fingers, cut butter into flour mixture, pressing and flattening cubes into nickel-size pieces. As you work, continue to toss butter in flour mixture until completely coated.
- Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add ¼ cup ice water, stirring gently with a fork, a little at a time, until dough comes together. Gently knead dough together. (Don’t overmix, as this will make the dough tough.) If needed, add more ice water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is combined and holds together easily but is not totally smooth.
- Form dough into an even disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 2 days.
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