If you keep a garden, you know the feeling. Along about the first week of July, your tomato plants stop being polite about it. What started as a hopeful handful of green orbs back in May turns, almost overnight, into a full-blown invasion: vines heavy, counters covered, and neighbors suddenly harder to find because they know good and well what’s in that grocery sack you’re carrying up their porch steps.
Around these parts, the tomato sandwich handles most of that overflow, and rightly so. White bread, a smear of mayonnaise, a thick slice still warm from the sun, a little salt, and for me a metric ton of black pepper. There’s nothing wrong with it. There’s a reason it’s survived a hundred summers.
But when the vines really get going, a sandwich can only eat so many tomatoes. So this year, before you find yourself leaving bags on porches and ringing doorbells like it’s Halloween, I want to introduce you to the tomato sandwich’s fancier, more filling cousin: the layered, cheesy, mayonnaise-bound classic that turns a garden glut into a genuine centerpiece.
It’s not complicated. It just takes a little patience, mostly in the draining, which is the one step you cannot skip. Skip it, and you’ll end up with soup in a crust instead of a pie. Do it right, and you’ll have something worth fighting your sister over the last slice.
Here’s how we build it.
Tomato Pie
Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie
Time: 1 hour, plus 30 minutes draining and chilling and 3 hours cooling
2 (9-inch) Pie Dough Rounds
2 lbs Ripe Beefsteak Tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
½ t Salt
¼ C Duke’s Mayonnaise (you can use other mayo, but I think we know Duke’s is the best, right?)
4 t Cornstarch
1½ C Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
4 ea Scallions, sliced thin
DRAIN TOMATOES: Arrange the tomato slices on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt. Let them drain for 30 minutes, then press with more paper towels until they’re as dry as you can get them. Don’t rush this part — it’s the difference between a pie and a puddle.
ROLL DOUGH: While the tomatoes drain, roll one dough round out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle (skip this step if you’re using a store-bought crust). Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess hang over the edge, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll the second round into a 12-inch circle and refrigerate it as well.
ASSEMBLE PIE: Adjust your oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cornstarch, and ¼ cup of the cheese until well combined. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the bottom of the dough-lined pie plate. Layer a third of the tomatoes over the cheese, spread half the mayonnaise mixture over top, and sprinkle with half the scallions. Repeat with another third of the tomatoes, the remaining mayonnaise mixture, and the remaining scallions, then finish with the last of the tomatoes on top.
CRIMP CRUST: Lay the top crust over the pie, press the two crusts together, then trim, fold, and crimp the edges. Cut four small vent holes in the top crust. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 325 degrees and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, about 55 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature.
Enjoy, friends! And if the tomatoes are still winning out there in your garden, you know who to call. Oh, and if you want to see a video of how to make it, check out the first season of my Recipes & Roadmaps series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zGknBNzouM
