Celebrate summer with this savory green tomato pie. If you're a fan of fried green tomatoes, then you're going to love this tart and tangy savory tomato pie, perfect to serve as a main dish, side, or appetizer.
Bright green tomatoes are layered with a cheesy, herbaceous sauce that includes Duke's mayo, of course. Bring it to your next summer barbecue and watch it disappear from the table!
I also like to make this cheesy tomato pie at the end of summer when I've got some green tomatoes hanging on to the vine but cold weather is on its way. It's a great way to save those tomatoes before they freeze.
Looking for other green tomato recipes? If you can't get enough of this beloved summer treat, check out the Cornmeal Fried Green Tomatoes I developed and styled for Savannah Bee Company. You also may want to check out some other recipes from my book, The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook like my Smoked Street Corn and Blackberry Peach Crisp.
Ingredients
The first step is to gather your ingredients. If I haven't had a chance to snag some green tomatoes from the farmer's market, I can often find them during the summer months at my local grocery store.
- Green tomatoes
- Sharp white Cheddar cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Fresh basil
- Fresh chives
- Duke's mayonnaise
- All-purpose flour
- Cold water
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that you've gathered your tomato pie ingredients, let's get cooking!
First, arrange the tomato slices on paper towels. Salt the tomatoes.
Next, make the flaky pastry dough in the bowl of a food processor.
Then, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle. Place pie crust in the pie pan and bake the crust.
Layer the tomato pie and bake.
Hint: Don't skip the blind baking step for the pie crust to prevent soggy bottoms. You can use dried beans to help weigh down the crust, but I prefer to use ceramic pie weights.
Substitutions
Looking to change it up? Check out these substitutions for my green tomato pie.
- Refrigerated Pie Crust - Short on time? Feel free to use store-bought pie crust instead of making my from-scratch version. You can also substitute a gluten-free pie dough to make this recipe gluten-free!
- Tomatoes - If ripe red tomatoes are in season and you've got them handy, you can certainly use them in place of the green tomatoes. They'll be juicier, so please please please don't forget the salting step.
- Cheese - Pimiento cheese, yellow sharp Cheddar cheese, gouda, and pecorino are all awesome alternatives to the cheeses I call for in the recipe.
Variations
The great thing about this tomato pie recipe is that it's so versatile. Here are some more ways to make it your own:
- Spicy - Stir a little cayenne pepper into the mayonnaise mixture to give this pie a little spice.
- Bacon - Everything's better with bacon, right? This pie is superb with chopped crispy bacon sprinkled in between the layers.
- Mini - Make these mini green tomato tarts by serving them in miniature tart pans instead of one large pie plate. It'll be the perfect luncheon menu item.
Equipment
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- Rolling Pin
- 9-inch pie plate
- pie weights
Storage
Cover and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, treat this green tomato pie as you would a quiche. Cover the pie plate with aluminum foil (coat the underside with cooking spray so it doesn't stick to the top of the pie), and heat in an oven preheated to 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes.
I don't recommend freezing this pie.
Tasty tip
For a pretty presentation, I like to add the last layer of tomatoes during the last 10 minutes of baking. The tomatoes hold their shape better and keep their gorgeous bright green color.
Frequently asked questions
For the most part, yes! Green tomatoes are unripe tomatoes. They're firm, and crunchy and are often used for frying since they hold their shape so well. However, there are heirloom tomatoes varieties that are naturally green in color when they're ripe. They're also delicious in this green tomato pie.
They don't. Green tomatoes (the unripened red tomato variety) are tart and more acidic. Heirloom green tomatoes tend to have a slightly sweeter flavor than their unripe relatives, yet they aren't as sweet as a red tomato.
Tomatillos remain green once they're ripe and form a papery husk around them. Green tomatoes will turn red when they're ripe, since they're just unripe tomatoes.
Tomato pie is the perfect meatless main dish, especially in the summer when the weather is warm. I like to serve my green tomato pie with a simple side salad or a bowl of chilled soup.
Technically, yes you can freeze tomato pie before it's baked, but I don't recommend it. The crust has a high chance of becoming soggy. If you want to make this green tomato pie recipe ahead of time, I recommend prepping each individual element and assembling just before baking.
This green tomato pie is so delicious, I bet you won't have too many leftovers, but in case you do, it'll last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
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Even more
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🍽Get the recipe
Savory Green Tomato Pie with Homemade Crust Recipe
Equipment
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- Rolling Pin
- 9-inch pie plate
- pie weights
Ingredients
For the Savory Green Tomato Pie
- 5 green tomatoes, sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup Duke's mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
For the Flaky Pie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup Duke's mayonnaise
- ¼ cup cold water
Instructions
- Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle evenly with salt and let stand for 1 hour. Pat the tomatoes dry.
- While the tomatoes stand, make the Flaky Pie Dough. Pulse the flour, salt, and mayonnaise in the bowl of a food processor until crumbly. Gradually add the cold water through the food chute and pulse just until the dough comes together. Shape into a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Or, refrigerate until ready to use and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or until pliable.)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the dough to a 10- to 11 inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate or tin; fold the edges under and crimp. (You can also press the dough into the pie plate if you prefer.) Prick the dough with a fork. Fill with parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans and bake at 375°F for 18 minutes, until the crust is baked through. Remove the crust from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Stir together the cheeses, mayonnaise, garlic, basil, parsley, chives, and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Layer one-third of the tomatoes in a single layer on the bottom of the baked crust; spread half of the cheese mixture on top of the tomatoes. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining tomatoes. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Let rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with additional herbs, if desired.
Notes
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Keep these things in mind for this recipe regarding food safety.
- Don't leave the pie sitting out at room temperature for extended periods of time.
- Never leave cooking food unattended. Ovens vary, so keep an eye on the pie as it cooks.
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.
Jeri says
I made this tomato pie as soon as I had enough green tomatoes! It's the perfect summer side dish; even my kids love it!
AshleyFreeman says
Oh yay! That's so great to hear!
Swathi says
This green tomato pie is enjoyed by whole family. So perfect they even asked me to make again.
AshleyFreeman says
Oh yay! That's the best compliment!
JC says
Tomato pie is my favorite dish -- but, I had never had a green tomato version. I am hooked. Absolutely delicious + fabulous recipe.
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks so much JC! I love it too!
Krystle says
We love this easy cheesy recipe. The perfect way to use up green tomatoes.
AshleyFreeman says
For sure!
DK says
Oh my I've never heard of green tomato pie, but this was really delicious! Who knew tomatoes would make a great pie!
AshleyFreeman says
So good, right? Like a big 'ole fried green tomato.
Charah says
I love this recipe, gonna make this soon.
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! Can't wait to hear what you think!
Ned says
This hit the spot completely! I love tomato pie and your recipe was fantastic! Thank you!
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks so much Ned! Glad you enjoyed it!
Paula says
This savory pie was so delicious! Excited to make it all summer long.
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! So glad to hear that! It's a favorite around here too!
Heather says
A beautiful summer pie, that's perfect for using up heirloom tomatoes! Easy to make and delicious too, it was a hit. Thank you!
AshleyFreeman says
Yes! I love to use heirlooms for this pie--it's a great way to use up unripe tomatoes too!