Ripe summer tomatoes are paired with the South's favorite spread: pimiento cheese, in my version of Tomato Pie. I use a premade GF pie shell and Eric's excellent pimiento cheese spread (find recipe here). I add bacon for a hint of smoky flavor in this delightfully tasty, easy-peezy ode to summer's juiciest Star of the Garden! ~Adrienne
Serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
- 1 GF Pie Shell, frozen
- 2 cups Braddock's Pimiento Cheese
- 4 ripe Tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Sea Salt (or as much as needed to taste)
- 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 1 Red Jalapeño thinly sliced (optional)
- 1/2 cup Fresh Basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed Red Chile Flakes (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line the frozen pie shell with parchment or foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights to "blind bake" the crust. Bake until about halfway cooked, about 20 minutes.
2. While the pie shell is baking, lay the thin slices of tomato in a single layer on paper towels and evenly sprinkle with enough sea salt to season each slice (this also will help draw out excess moisture from the tomatoes).
3. When the pie shell is just turning golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes then spread 1 cup of the pimiento evenly in the bottom of the shell.
4. Lightly press the salted tomatoes with a dry paper towel to remove any additional moisture and excess salt, then begin layering them with scallions, basil, jalapeños (if using) and the dried herbs and spices.
5. Repeat step 4 until all the tomatoes and other ingredients have filled the pie shell.
6. Top the tomato mixture with the remaining cup of pimiento cheese.
7. Place the tomato pie on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 20-30 minutes more until the cheese topping is melted and golden brown.
8. Allow to sit 10-15 minutes before serving. May be served warm or at ambient temperature or chill in the refrigerator 3-4 hours to serve cold.
Note
~Sprinkling about a 1/2 lb of cooked, chopped smokey bacon to the layers of tomatoes is a very delicious addition if you are so inclined.
