Tomato Pie

Here it is the winning pie that didn't win (you can read about that in this post And the Biggest Loser Is! )  So, I'll enter it again next year!!!  This is a great way to use up those tomatoes that are ripening on your window sill - if you have any left, I still have a few.  

This pie would be great for a ladies or a light luncheon, and don't be afraid to serve this to the guys, my husband and my friend Susan's (From Beyond My Kitchen Window) husband really enjoyed this pie!  

We seriously love this savory pie, and I hope you do too!

Tomato Pie Recipe 

Prep time: 10 minutes                                 

Cook time: 55 minutes
If you want to take this recipe up a notch, you can caramelize the onions while prepping the other ingredients. If you do that, double the amount of onion. (I tried this but didn't care for it with this pie, I prefer adding the raw onions.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 9-inch pie shell (store bought or homemade) 
• 1/2 yellow or red onion, chopped 
• 3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes. (I also added green tomatoes, and love it)
• 1/4 cup sliced basil (about 8 leaves)* 
• 2 cups grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozarella) 
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Frank's Hot Sauce (or Tabasco) 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

*To slice basil, chiffonade them by stacking the leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar,
starting at one end slice the "cigar" crosswise in thin slices.

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. If you are starting with a frozen crust, you'll need to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. 
2. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer. 
3. Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snow ball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes. 
5. Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. 

Serves 6

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P.S. A little pet peeve & blog request. If you have comment moderation turned on, you do not need "Word Verification."  I have heard that many followers will not leave comments with "word verification" turned on, because sometimes the words are such a hassle to decipher. I know on occasion it's taken me 3 tries to leave a comment!