Tomato pie ready for the topping
This recipe was shared with us by Margie Diffner. She based it on one from simplyrecipes.com.
Tomato Pie
1 9″ pie crust
1/2 cup chopped yellow or red onion
3-4 tomatoes, cut in half, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield about 3 cups. Margie sliced hers as in the photo and let the slices drain onto a paper towel, but did not squeeze them. It made for a juicier pie, but the juice has so much flavor that otherwise would have been lost.
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil
2 cups grated cheese (Monterey Jack, Gruyere or Mozzarella all work, or combine)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. hot sauce (like Tabasco. You could also use 1/4 tsp. cayenne, or chop a Jalapeno or Poblano pepper to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F, then pre-bake the crust until golden. Lightly salt chopped tomatoes and set them in a colander over a bowl to drain while you are pre-baking the crust.
Sprinkle a layer of chopped onion over the bottom. Spread the tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.
In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snowball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.
Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!