Southern Tomato Pie

 

 The perfect recipe for this time of year when the tomatoes are ripe and ready to use. Garden fresh tomatoes at the peak of the season and fresh basil topped with a creamy cheese mixture and baked until golden brown in a flaky pie crust shell.  This is a classic southern recipe, sometimes called Kentucky Pie or Alabama Pie or simply tomato pie. Southern tomato pie is an old-fashioned recipe that's always a hit!

  

Southern Tomato Pie

    2 pounds tomatoes sliced (3-4 large)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 deep dish pie crust, store bought is fine

2 tablespoons bread crumbs  

1 green onion sliced (white and green)

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped  

1 cup whole milk mozzarella cheese  

1 cup cheddar cheese  

⅔ cup Hellman’s or Dukes mayonnaise  

¼ teaspoon black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick the bottom of a slightly thawed pie shell all over with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. 

 

 

Slice your tomatoes and lay them out on a paper towel. This is the important part:  dry the tomatoes so your pie won’t be soggy.  

 

Once the tomatoes are in a single layer, pat them dry with a paper towel and sprinkle them with salt, which will draw out more liquid. Set aside for about 20 minutes and then pat them dry again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and the two cheeses until combined well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn oven down to 375 degrees. 

Place sliced tomatoes in baked pie shell. Sprinkle top with chopped basil, salt and pepper and sliced green onion. Top with mayonnaise-cheese mixture and spread evenly over the top. Then add another layer of tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do the same thing again with sprinkling salt, pepper, onion and basil.  Then add the remaining cheese mixture on top and spread with spatula. Sprinkle with basil and green onions. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in center of oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool at least 30 minutes until cheese sets.  Slice and serve, warm or at room temperature.

 

  

 

Recipe Notes and Tips

Patting the tomatoes dry with a paper towel several times is important. This will absorb the juices and keep the pie from being too watery. 

Three to four tomatoes is plenty. You want the ripest you can find and large beefsteak tomatoes are perfect.

The pie needs to cool before slicing, at least 30 minutes so it can set. It's good served warm or room temperature.

 

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Homemade Glazed Donuts

 

Homemade Glazed Donuts

Warning:  this one is dangerous!  We all have our weaknesses. Mine happens to be Krispy Kreme glazed donuts and you can imagine how dangerous this could be if you knew how easy they were to make at home! Oh My Goodness.  If you make them once, you will make them over and over again!  This is a keeper my friends! 

Homemade Donuts! 

1 can Pillsbury Grands Homestyle Butter Tastin’ biscuits. 

Vegetable oil for frying (32 oz)

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons hot water or use whole milk

2 cups powdered sugar

In a heavy-bottomed skillet with high sides, or in a large Dutch oven, heat the oil on medium heat. When a water droplet dropped into the oil sizzles, the oil is ready.

Unwrap the package of biscuits and separate them. Gently press down on the biscuits to very lightly flatten and cut out the center with a small biscuit cutter, a shot glass or something similar; set the donut holes aside. 

Fry 4 donuts at a time in the hot oil, about 2 minutes per side. Once they are a light golden color, flip and fry the remaining side for about 2 more minutes or until lightly golden. Watch closely, because they tend to brown very quickly.

Drain the donuts onto a paper towel-lined plate or a cooling rack. Continue frying the donuts and donut holes in batches.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the butter, vanilla, hot water and powdered sugar until melted and smooth. Mixture should be somewhat thin. If necessary, add more water.  

Dip the tops of the freshly fried donuts into the glaze mixture and pull up; place the glazed donuts glazed-side up onto a wire rack.  The glaze will drip down to the bottom of the donut, almost completely coating it. 

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My Gruyere Potato Casserole

 

So, one day I wanted potatoes. Cheesy potatoes like an Au gratin potato dish. But I didn’t want to go through all the trouble of slicing potatoes so thin you could see through them and then layering them and adding all the sauce in between the layers.  Yes.  Call it lazy but I call it smart.  Who says you have to slice the potatoes with a Madeline and risk cutting your hand.  Who says you have to layer.  Way too much work for me.   I wanted to taste but not the work.  So I diced up my potatoes with a pairing knife, threw them in a buttered casserole, make my sauce, poured it in and baked them.  Took all of 15 minutes to prepare and I swear these are far better than Au Gratin.  They are out of this world delicious and it took little or no work at all!

 My Gruyere Potato Casserole

4 tablespoons butter

6 medium russet potatoes (about 2½ pounds), scrubbed, peeled, cut into large chunks

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

1½ cup milk

2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated and divided

1½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

Paprika and black pepper, for garnish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish or spray with non-stick spray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the potatoes and simmer until just tender but not falling apart, about 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the garlic and sauté over medium-low until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase the heat to medium, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the heavy cream and milk until the sauce is smooth. Add in 1 cup of the Gruyère, the salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder, then cook, whisking gently, until the cheese is melted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arrange the potatoes to cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish and pour the sauce over them and top with the remaining cup of Gruyère. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 Place the baking dish in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn the broiler to high and broil for 5 minutes more, until fully golden brown. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes so the casserole will set up.

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.