This recipe is from the NPR How Low Can You Go Family Challenge. NPR invited a number of chefs to submit recipes that serve four and cost under $10. This recipe was the winner! I followed the recipe exactly, right down to the Bisquick! Now Bisquick isn’t my favorite, but I wanted to see why this recipe won so I used it. I’ll definitely make this again because my husband LOVED it, but I’ll play around with the crust next time and I definitely won’t use Bisquick.
My husband wasn’t thrilled when I told him we were having tomato pie for dinner. The thought of a big soggy pile of tomatoes in a pie crust just didn’t appeal to him, but once he tasted it he was sold. At first, he thought the pie had meat in it, it’s so rich. I loved the combination of the tomatoes, the thinly sliced Vidalia onions and the basil. It’s really a perfect summer meal, and it’s surprisingly filling. The topping is the pièce de résistance that pulls the pie together.
You can read about the recipe here. You should try it, especially now when the tomatoes are approaching their peak.
Tomato Pie
From Kathy Lloyd, Pittsfield, MABisquick
2 – 3 tomatoes, sliced (~ 2 pounds)
1 bunch basil
1 Vidalia onion, sliced thinly using a mandoline
Salt and Pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheddar cheeseMake 1 biscuit recipe from the Bisquick box.
Use as a pie crust and bake it. Place either ceramic baking beads or another pie plate on top of it to keep it from rising out of control.
Layer in the pie crust (really high) the sweet onions sliced pretty thin (generally 1 big one) and the garden fresh tomatoes not too thin (about 2 lbs). Season each layer of tomatoes with salt, fresh cracked pepper and fresh basil.
Make a top crust with 2 cups shredded cheddar and 1 cup mayo. Mix the cheese and mayo with your hands and squish it all over the pie like a top crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until the top is brown and bubbly.
Serves: 4 – 6
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Hi Diane — I, too, love making tomato pies in the summer. My absolutely favorite recipe is “Peggy’s Tomato Tart” on page 35 of “What’s Cooking Under the Dome”, the cookbook published by the MIT Women’s League in 1996. It’s super yummy and easy to make. All your recipe ideas are wonderful!
Hi Carly,
Thanks for the tip about “Peggy’s Tomato Tart”. Do you think the cookbook is worth picking up? I found the table of contents online and I loved the names of the chapters. Two of my favorites are Pi and other Confections (Desserts), and Nanosecond Meals (Desperation).
In my opinion, it’s definitely worth having in your collection. When I can’t find a recipe on line, it’s one of my two “go to” books — the other one is a collection of recipes from our hometown in central California, called “Friends & Memories”.
Carly – thanks so much for the cookbook recommendation. I ordered it from Amazon and I expect to have it within a few days. I can’t wait to get it.
When you get the book, you must try the “Miniature Cheesecakes” on page 133. They were my staple snacks for my grandson’s kindergarten carpooling. I always added some kind of seasonal fruit topping — the kids loved them.
Thanks so much for the recommendation! We’re on Shelter Island for the weekend, and the book just arrived in NYC. I can’t wait to look through it on Monday when we get home. I’ll try the mini cheesecakes next week. I also want to try the tomato tart.