Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie

I wish you could taste this delicious Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie! Oh my goodness, it’s scrumptious! It’s full of fresh summer heirloom tomatoes and oozy, gooey cheese with a decadent savory crust made with a surprise ingredient, buttery Ritz crackers.

If you are reading this and don’t know what tomato pie is, or how to make a tomato pie, read on. It couldn’t be easier!

To me, one of the best things about summer is fresh homegrown tomatoes. Other than appearance, they don’t bear any resemblance to their cousins, the tomatoes you buy at the grocery store during the winter. You know the kind. They look pretty good on the outside, but when you slice into them the inside is all grainy and has absolutely no taste. Summer tomatoes, on the other hand, are juicy and flavorful with a magical tomato taste all of their own. And, if you are lucky enough to find them, heirloom tomatoes are even tastier.

Fresh summer tomatoes are at their best sliced with just a hint of salt.  They are wonderful in Caprese salad with fresh basil, and tomato sandwiches will change your life. But, tomato pies, oh my, tomato pies are where fresh summer tomatoes really shine. Tomato pies in the South have pretty much the same basic ingredients, in addition to the crust: tomatoes, cheese, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. The types of cheeses may change, the amount of mayonnaise varies, and some recipes add herbs, but all in all, they are basically the same. And, I can honestly say I have loved every last bite of every kind of tomato pie I have ever tasted.

If you love tomatoes like I do, you also might want to check out my recipes for Cherry Tomato Pie and Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts. My sister over at Pudge Factor Blog also has also just posted a yummy Fresh Tomato Tart in Puff Pastry recipe that looks divine too!

But my recipe for Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie has a fun twist, and it’s in the crust. Now, if you have a pie crust recipe you love, feel free to use that, or you could save time and buy a pre-made pie crust, and your tomato pie will still be delicious.  But why not try my easy Ritz cracker pie crust? It couldn’t be simpler or more delicious, and the crunchiness of the buttery Ritz crackers will elevate your tomato pie to the next level. Oh, and by the way, if you don’t have Ritz crackers, try saltines or cheese crackers. You can really use any crackers you have on hand to make the crust.

If I’ve convinced you that my Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie is something you have to try, just follow my easy step-by-step directions below.

Here is the list of ingredients for the pie filling: fresh tomatoes, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar cheese (you can substitute other cheeses like gruyere or fontina if you like), parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. For the pie crust, you will need a box of Ritz crackers and a stick of butter. That’s it!

When you are ready to make Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie, gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the pie crust add the crackers to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process the crackers until they are fine crumbs.

Add the melted butter and process until the butter and crumbs are combined. Pour this mixture into a nine-inch pie plate.

Use your hands or the smooth bottom of a glass to press the mixture down evenly and up the sides of the pie plate.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the crust is baking, slice the tomatoes (no need to blanch them or peel them).

Wondering how to keep your tomato pie from getting soggy? Simply sprinkle with a little salt and let the slices drain on a paper towel for at least 10-15 minutes. Blot the tops of the tomatoes with a paper towel to remove any additional moisture.

When the crust is cool, spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over the mustard. Add a layer of sliced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Repeat with another layer of cheese and tomatoes and top with the rest of the grated cheese.

Mix the mayonnaise and parmesan cheese in a small bowl and spread evenly over the top of the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned and the mixture is bubbly.

Serve at room temperature.

Looking for other popular recipes from the South? Check out these delicious favorites: Southern Potato Salad, Southern Pecan Praline Cake, Southern Style Crab Cakes, and Southern Pimento Cheese Spread. Intrigued? Check out, even more, Southern Recipes.  

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4.58 from 7 votes

Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie Recipe

Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie is full of fresh summer tomatoes and ooey, gooey cheese with a savory crust made with a surprise ingredient, buttery crackers.

Course Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine Southern

Keyword classic tomato pie recipes, how to make tomato pie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 361kcal

Author Sharon Rigsby

Ingredients

Tomato Pie Filling

• 4 large fresh tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard **Updated 6/20/2017, reduced the amount of mustard by half
• 4 ounces grated white cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• kosher salt and ground black pepper

Cracker Pie Crust Ingredients

• 11 oz Ritz crackers
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• To make the pie crust add the crackers to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until they have broken down into fine crumbs.
• Add the melted butter and process until the butter and crumbs are combined. Pour this mixture into a nine-inch pie plate. Use your hands or the smooth bottom of a glass to press the mixture down evenly and up the sides of the pie plate.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• While the crust is baking, slice the tomatoes (no need to blanch them or peel them). Sprinkle with a little salt and let the slices drain on a paper towel for at least 10-15 minutes. Blot the tops of the tomatoes with a paper towel to remove any additional moisture.
• When the crust is cool, spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over the mustard. Add a layer of sliced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with another layer of cheese and tomatoes and top with the rest of the grated cheese.
• Mix the mayonnaise and parmesan cheese in a small bowl and spread evenly over the top of the cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned and the mixture is bubbly.
• Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Instead of the Ritz cracker crust, if you have a pie crust recipe you love, feel free to use that, or you can save time and buy a premade pie crust. Either will need to be baked before you add the filling.

*11 ounces of Ritz crackers is about 100 crackers more or less.

**I have gotten a few comments about the amount of Dijon mustard in this recipe. Unless you are a real fan of Dijon mustard, I would reduce the amount originally listed by half or leave it out altogether. I made this adjustment to the recipe today.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 10.7mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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