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This tomato pie is Southern comfort at its best: roasted summer tomatoes, caramelized onions, melty cheese, and a buttery crust that never turns soggy.
Juicy summer tomatoes, melty cheese, and a buttery crust—what’s not to love about a Southern tomato pie? The best version I’ve ever had was at Lenoir, Vivian Howard’s restaurant in Charleston, so I was thrilled to find the recipe later in her wonderful cookbook, Deep Run Roots.
This is my simplified take on her recipe, but it follows the same smart method: roasting the tomatoes first to intensify their flavor and keep the crust from going soggy. I also keep things easy with a store-bought crust because who wants to fuss with a homemade pie crust in the heat of summer?
A thin layer of good-quality mayo mixed with fontina and Pecorino Romano melts over the top as it bakes, adding a creamy, tangy layer that brings the whole thing together. This is the kind of easy dish you’ll make on repeat all summer long.
“Outstanding! Now that I have tasted this, I want this on a weekly rotation!!!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Southern Tomato Pie
- Pie Crust (Frozen or Homemade): The buttery, crisp base for the filling. Stick with a standard 9-inch size—not deep-dish. For store-bought crusts that need blind baking, frozen ones in aluminum pans hold their shape best; if you’re worried about presentation, just slice and transfer to a nicer dish.
- Tomatoes, Onion, Olive Oil & Sugar: The savory base of the filling. Use ripe, in-season tomatoes for the best flavor. Seed to prevent sogginess, and roast with thinly sliced yellow onion, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of sugar to deepen and balance the flavors.
- Thyme & Basil: Thyme gives the roasted veggies a savory, earthy boost (dried works just fine here), and fresh basil adds a pop of brightness at the end.
- Mayonnaise: Creates a creamy, tangy topping that sets tomato pie apart from a typical tart. Use good-quality mayo like Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Fontina & Pecorino Romano: Fontina melts beautifully while Pecorino brings sharp, salty flavor. Mozzarella and Parmesan are good substitutes, respectively, if that’s what you have.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Southern Tomato Pie
Blind bake the crust: Blind baking helps keep the crust crisp so it doesn’t get soggy under the juicy tomato filling. If using a frozen crust, prick it with a fork and bake until lightly golden. For homemade dough, line the crust with parchment, fill with pie weights, and bake until set, removing the weights toward the end so the crust can turn golden. Let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
Roast the tomatoes and onions: Chop the tomatoes and thinly slice the onion, then toss with olive oil, seasonings, and thyme on a baking sheet. Spread into an even layer and roast until the tomatoes are slightly dried out and caramelized and the onions are lightly browned. Toss with fresh basil and set aside.
Make the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, half of the fontina, and the Pecorino Romano until blended.
Assemble and bake the pie: Sprinkle the remaining fontina over the crust, then spread the tomato filling evenly on top. Dollop the mayo-cheese mixture over the tomatoes and gently spread it to the edges. Bake until lightly golden.
Serve: Let the pie cool slightly to help the filling set and make it easier to slice. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!
Southern Tomato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (9-in/23-cm) frozen or homemade pie crust (not deep-dish)
- 2 lbs tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into ¾-in (2-cm) pieces (I use vine-ripened)
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese (mozzarella can be substituted), divided
- ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano (Parmigiano-Reggiano can be substituted)
Instructions
- Blind bake the crust:If using a frozen crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from the freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (pricking about 1 inch/2.5 cm apart). Bake until fully cooked and lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork or press it down with a flat spatula so it will deflate.) Don't worry if the crust cracks while baking; see my note below on how to fix it before proceeding. Set the cooked crust aside as you prepare the filling. If using a homemade crust: Line the chilled dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the crust is set. Carefully remove the weights and parchment. Return to the oven and bake until the crust is lightly golden and fully set, 5 to 10 minutes more.
- Roast the tomatoes and onions: Directly on a baking sheet, toss the tomatoes and onions with the olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and thyme. Spread in a single layer. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring a few times, until the tomatoes dry out and caramelize slightly and the onions are just slightly browned. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the basil over top, and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ½ cup (60 g) of the fontina, and the Pecorino Romano.
- Assemble the pie: Sprinkle the remaining fontina evenly over the bottom of the blind-baked crust. Spoon the roasted tomato filling over top and spread evenly into a compact layer. Dollop the mayo/cheese mixture over top and spread evenly to the edges (it will be a thin layer).
- Bake and serve: Bake the pie for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- When opting for a store-bought pie crust that requires blind baking, it’s best to use the frozen ones that come in aluminum pans. These crusts are molded into the pans, setting their shape and preventing shrinkage during baking. Conversely, rolled refrigerator crusts, which you fit into a pie dish yourself, can shrink if stretched or compressed. If you’re concerned about the aluminum pan’s appearance, pre-slice the pie and transfer the slices to a decorative pan or platter for a more elegant presentation.
- Don’t panic if your crust cracks during blind baking—you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1½ tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
What To Serve With Tomato Pie
Tomato pie is pretty satisfying on its own, so I like to keep things light and summery on the side. A simple green salad, a cucumber salad, or some fresh watermelon sticks are all perfect pairings, especially on a hot day. A glass of hibiscus iced tea makes it even better.
Make-Ahead & REheating Instructions
You can blind bake the crust and roast the tomato-onion mixture up to a day ahead. Store them separately, then assemble and bake the pie when ready. The baked pie can sit at room temperature for several hours or be refrigerated overnight and served at room temperature or reheated. To freeze, cool the baked pie completely, wrap tightly in foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Tomato Overload? More Tomato Recipes You’ll Love
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Kindly disregard my question about the temperature for roasting tomatoes… 🍅 I saw the answer in another person’s comment.
What temperature do I roast the tomatoes at? I didn’t see it in the directions.
Like the crust, the tomatoes get baked at 375°F (190°C). Enjoy!
This came in at over 2 hours oven time, even using an oven ready crust. And, unfortunately I couldn’t just leave things in the oven without constantly checking for doneness. So, really all the prep time plus another couple of hours watching the tomatoes and tart in the oven. Very rich tomato flavour that overpowered the cheeses. It sounded delicious and I can’t argue with the reviews but a little too much kitchen time for a summer recipe for me.
I’ve made this twice in as many weeks and its a fabulous recipe. Our neighbor has been sharing his Roma tomatoes from his garden and they are perfect in it. Followed the recipe almost exactly the first time, just cutting the salt to a scant 1t. The second time rather than adding the basil to the tomatoes I spread a thin layer of my homemade pesto on the crust before adding the tomatoes. I used my homemade avocado oil mayonnaise but did take advantage of the store bought crust which worked fine. Tastes great leftover.
Oh my goodness, is this delicious!! I doubled the recipe and took it to a bbq, what a hit! I had to make myself stop eating it, then my neighbor “volunteered” to keep some and cut very generous portions for herself 😂! I’ll be making this again for sure! I used frozen pie crusts, substituted mozzarella for fontina (fontina is delicious but sooo expensive). Tomatoes on the vine from the grocery store. Excuse me, need to go add tomatoes and pie crusts to my grocery list. . .
This is a great dish, with one caveat mentioned by another cook. Instead of 1 1/4 tsp of salt, I would recommend a scant 1 tsp. If you are using Kosher salt, you could use a full teaspoon. The cheese and mayo are both so salty, extra salt is not much needed.
That said, I want to thank Jenn for the most reliable recipes on the internet!
An absolutely scrumptious tomato pie recipe! It’s now in the rotation as per family demand. I discovered that Jenn’s recommendation of using the frozen Wholly Wholesome pie crust from Whole Foods also has a gluten free version of their regular frozen pie crust! I used the gluten free one (celiac family), and it made a delicious pie. Important: If using the gluten free Wholly Wholesome version of frozen pie crust, be sure to follow the Wholly Wholesome package directions printed on the INSIDE of the package lid, for their recommended gluten free blind bake temp/bake time, which are different from Jenn’s blind bake temp/time instructions. Before blind baking, I saw that the frozen gf pie shell had several major cracks throughout. Hmm. I just ignored the cracks, did the fork piercing, and the pie crust blind-baked perfectly! If that hadn’t worked to glue the cracks, I prayed that the layer of cheese which would follow next into the cooled pie shell, would hide the cracks. No need to worry! Otherwise, I followed the rest of Jenn’s recipe exactly, and my family was delighted! I served the pie along leftovers of Jenn’s Sunday Night Roast Chicken made two days before. Included small side salads…perfect! Thank you, Jenn!
Wow – make this if you want a delicious and different appetizer or light meal! I took this to a wine tasting potluck and it received rave reviews! A couple notes I made for the next time I make this – 1 tsp salt should be enough. I asked my specialty cheese store what I could replace the Fontina cheese with and was told Fontina is Italy’s Gruyère. I used Fontina and think mozzarella would be a poor substitute. If I can’t find fontina next time, I’ll use Gruyère.