A Southern-style tomato pie with fresh tomatoes, basil, and a creamy cheese-mayo topping. The ultimate savory summer pie!
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Southern-Style Tomato Basil Pie
Tomato basil pie is one of those recipes that tastes like summer. Ripe, juicy tomatoes are layered with fresh herbs and topped with a rich blend of cheese and mayonnaise, then baked in a buttery pie crust until golden and bubbly.
It’s a simple, savory dish that makes the most of tomato season and is always a hit at potlucks, picnics, or summer dinners on the patio.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Pie crust: I always keep at least one homemade pie crust on hand that I take out of the freezer ahead of time to thaw for reasons like these.
- Tomatoes: Fresh Roma tomatoes or Heirloom tomatoes are perfect for this recipe, but whatever you’ve got growing in your garden is perfect.
- Herbs: Sliced green onions and fresh chopped basil pair amazingly with tomatoes.
- For the cheese mixture: I do half of grated cheddar and half of mozzarella. I recommend grating the cheese from a block at home, rather than buying prepackaged shredded.
- Seasoning and binder: You’ll also need salt, pepper, garlic powder, mayonnaise, and Italian seasoning.
How to Make Tomato Pie
Prep tomatoes and crust then layer tomato slices in the par-baked crust. It’s ok if they overlap a bit. Top with onions and fresh basil leaves then season with salt and pepper.
Mix the mayo, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and cheese in a bowl. Use a spatula to gently spread across the tomato filling.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden on top. Once it’s finished baking, remove it from the oven to settle for 15 minutes on a wire rack, slice, and serve while warm. Enjoy!
Success Tips
- Prevent air pockets. I find poking holes in the crust with a fork does a great job of preventing air bubbles in the bottom, however, if you want to line yours with aluminum foil and use pie weights or dried beans you can.
- Don’t skip removing extra juice from the tomatoes. Doing so might result in a soggy pie!
- Remember to switch the oven temperature. It’ll be a bit higher when pre-baking the crust than it is to bake the assembled pie.
- If the top and edges start to over brown: Tent with foil the last few minutes of baking to prevent burnt edges or top.
More fresh tomato recipes include pico de gallo, baked tomato feta pasta and grilled Caprese sandwich.
More Tomato Recipes
Tomato Pie Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 4-5 ripe tomatoes , sliced
- 2-3 green onions , sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 cups grated cheese , I mix half cheddar and mozzarella
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prep tomatoes: Begin by slicing 4-5 ripe tomatoes and laying them out on a couple of paper towels. Sprinkle them lightly with salt to remove excess moisture. Let them sit for about 10 minutes, then gently pat them dry with another paper towel.
- Preheat oven: Preheat to 375°F.
- Roll: Roll out the pie crust and then place in a pie dish. Crimp the edges. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork. Place in the oven and par-bake for 10 minutes.
- Layer: Place the tomatoes, 2-3 sliced green onions and 1/4 cup chopped basil into the pie crust. Season the top with salt and pepper.
- Combine: Mix together 2/3 cup mayo, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 2 cups cheese in a bowl. Gently spread on top of the tomatoes.
- Bake: Turn oven to 350°F and then bake pie for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to set for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Slice and serve warm.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Substitutions and Variations
Make this recipe for tomato pie your own by swapping the cheeses in the cheese mixture. Use all mozzarella cheese or all sharp cheddar cheese if preferred. Try Swiss, or Gruyere if desired.
Add some chopped bacon to really amp up the savory flavors!
Recipe FAQs
I find Roma tomatoes to be the most fool-proof because they contain less juice than other types of tomatoes. However, if you are careful about removing the excess moisture, then any tomatoes from the store, the market, or your garden will work just fine.
This savory pie can be eaten as a main dish with a side of rice, BBQ Pulled Pork, broccoli salad, or cornbread salad. It’s such a fun outdoorsy summer meal, and pairs well with a variety of side dishes.
Keep leftover tomato basil pie stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep in mind, the longer it sits the soggier the bottom will get. Enjoy it warmed up again, at room temperature or try it cold. I don’t recommend freezing it as the tomatoes will get watery after thawing.
Kit
Really good, Healthy and so flavorful. Love the cheese combination. Highly recommended.
cathy
I recently made this tomato pie, and it was absolutely perfect! The thick slices of juicy tomatoes paired perfectly with the fresh basil, creating a vibrant and flavorful filling. The cheesy, creamy top layer baked to a beautiful golden finish, added a rich and satisfying taste to each bite. This savory summer pie was incredibly delicious and has quickly become one of my favorite dishes. Highly recommended!
I Heart Naptime Community
I love this! I’m so glad that you loved the tomato pie Cathy!
Ali L
I am so happy I found this recipe! I searched for tomato recipes because this is our first year with our garden and made this pie. It was the perfect summer dish!!