Vegetarian Recipes

Tomato Pie

This Tomato Pie makes a hearty summer meal! It’s perfect for any meal of the day, and the leftovers will keep all week long. This recipe is also a great budget-friendly way to use up some tomatoes, and it’s a little more unique than a quiche! The subtle sweetness from the puff pastry crust balances out the creamy, cheesy, tangy tomato filling in the most delicious way—I just love a homemade savory pie!

Tomatoes are a special ingredient in my family; my grandfather’s family brought over their own precious heirloom tomato seeds when they immigrated to the United States. My grandparents and, later, my mom and dad have grown those tomatoes in their garden ever since. So, as a kid, I got to help them germinate the seeds, plant, weed, water, and pick them! I haven’t started my own garden on my farm here in Tennessee yet, but when I do, we’ll be growing them, too.

I can’t wait to make this tomato pie recipe with my homegrown tomatoes, but until then, I happily rely on my local farmer’s market to get my fix. Tomato season is the best season!

What is Tomato Pie?

When I say tomato pie, I’m referring to the Southern staple made with fresh tomatoes and a tangy mayonnaise-cheese filling, baked in a flaky pastry crust. It’s comparable to a quiche and is not to be confused with the Sicilian tomato pie, which is a cheeseless pizza-like dish. For this recipe, I use a buttery puff pastry sheet rather than a deep-dish pastry crust, which I fold over the filling to create a rustic, free-form style pie—the tomatoes peeping through the cracks look so pretty! Each bite is perfectly layered with an equal amount of tangy, creamy filling and juicy, ripe tomatoes.

Here’s what you’ll need to make the best tomato pie recipe ever:

Tomatoes: I recommend using Roma tomatoes because they’re so budget-friendly, but really, any fresh, ripe tomatoes will work. Bonus points if they’re homegrown!
Puff Pastry: A pre-made puff pastry sheet makes this recipe super quick and easy. I used the Pepperidge Farm brand I found at my local Walmart.
Seasonings: Salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and cayenne pepper season the pie perfectly.
Olive Oil: I roast the tomato slices before adding them to the pie to remove some moisture and enhance their flavor. Drizzling with a little olive oil beforehand helps them roast evenly and adds to their depth of flavor.
Mayonnaise: Adds creaminess and tang to the filling.
Cheese: A mixture of shredded cheddar, Parmesan, and ricotta cheese is a must for this recipe!
Egg: Helps to bind the filling and give it structure and the egg wash gives the top a beautiful sheen and helps keep the edges from burning.
Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds a yummy, savory flavor to the pie.
Basil: This is optional, but fresh basil is a delicious addition to the filling.

What Else Can I Add?

The fresh flavors make it easy to customize this recipe for tomato pie with anything else you have on hand. Here are a few other possible additions:

Freshly grated ginger and a dusting of brown sugar (It sounds wild, but you can trust me!)
Caramelized onions
Sliced chives
Sauteed mushrooms

Storage Instructions

This homemade tomato pie makes fantastic leftovers! Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can enjoy this pie cold or hot, using the oven to reheat it if desired. While this pie can be frozen, I don’t really recommend it because the mayo filling may separate, and tomatoes can become mushy when thawed.

Tomato Pie

This homemade tomato pie recipe is the perfect way to use up fresh summer tomatoes. It’s creamy and tangy, and the leftovers are fantastic!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Amercian

Total Cost $10.73 recipe / $1.34 serving

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings slices, 1 slice per person

Calories 274kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

6 roma tomatoes* $1.26
1 puff pastry sheet $3.12
½ tsp salt, divided $0.01
1 tsp olive oil $0.07
½ cup mayonnaise $0.79
½ cup ricotta cheese $0.65
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese $1.97
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese $1.35
2 large eggs $0.44
¼ tsp cayenne pepper $0.06
2 cloves garlic, minced $0.10
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.04
2 Tbsp fresh minced basil (optional) $0.89

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F and slice 6 Roma tomatoes into ¼-inch thick slices.
Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/8 tsp of salt and a drizzle of olive oil and roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes until wilted but not browned. The goal is to concentrate the flavors and get a little bit of the moisture out.
Whisk together the mayonnaise and ricotta cheese. Set aside.
Add shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Parmesan cheese, egg, cayenne pepper, minced garlic cloves, black pepper, the remaining salt, and fresh minced basil (if using) to the bowl with the mayo and ricotta cheese. Mix until well combined.
Roll out puff pastry between 2 sheets of parchment paper to about 10×10”. Remove parchment paper and drape over glass pie pan.
Fill bottom with half of the cheese mixture, then alternate tomatoes and cheese mixture until both are used up (I had 2 layers of each). Finish with the last of your sliced tomatoes on top.
Fold the corners of the puff pastry sheet over the top of the pie. You don’t have to make the crust look perfectly symmetrical. I think it adds to the rustic appeal of this super easy savory tomato pie.
In a small bowl, gently scramble the egg to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash all over the visible parts of the puff pastry crust. This will help give it a golden color and create a nice shine.
Turn the temperature of your oven up to 400°F. Bake for 20-25 min or until crust is puffy and golden. Let cool for 10 min before cutting.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

* You can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand. I used mostly Roma tomatoes, but had a couple of heirloom slices from a previous recipe, so I added them for some extra color!

Nutrition

Tomato pie in a baking dish with a slice being served.

how to make Tomato Pie – step by step photos

Preheat your oven to 375°F and slice 6 Roma tomatoes into ¼-inch thick slices.

Sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil.

Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/8 tsp of salt and a drizzle of olive oil and roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes until wilted but not browned. The goal is to concentrate the flavors and get a little bit of the moisture out.

Mayonnaise and ricotta cheese in a mixing bowl.

Whisk together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese. Set aside.

The ingredients for tomato pie filling in a missing bowl.

Add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, ¼ tsp black pepper, the remaining salt, and 2 Tbsp of fresh minced basil (if using) to the bowl with the mayo and ricotta cheese. Mix until well combined.

Hands rolling out a sheet of puff pastry dough.

Roll out puff pastry between 2 sheets of parchment paper to about 10×10”. Remove parchment paper and drape over glass pie pan.

Puff pastry sheet in a glass pie pan filled with tomato pie filling

Fill bottom with half of the cheese mixture.

Then, alternate cheese mixture and sliced tomatoes.

Repeat until the tomatoes and cheese mixture are both used up. (I had 2 layers of each.)

Finish with the last of your sliced tomatoes on top.

Tomato pie in a glass pie dish ready to be baked.

Fold the corners of the puff pastry sheet over the top of the pie. You don’t have to make the crust look perfectly symmetrical. I think it adds to the rustic appeal of this super easy savory tomato pie.

A brush egg washing a tomato pie before baking.

In a small bowl, gently scramble the egg to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash all over the visible parts of the puff pastry crust. This will help give it a golden color and create a nice shine.

Turn the temperature of your oven up to 400. Bake for 20-25 min or until crust is puffy and golden. Let cool for 10 min before cutting.

Side view of a slice of tomato pie on a plate.

This southern tomato pie recipe is the perfect main meal, side dish, or snack for any occasion!

The post Tomato Pie appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

Black beans are without a doubt my favourite bean (and my kids’ favourite too), and I absolutely love this simple black bean stew. It’s nothing fancy or complicated, just good, honest food – simply black beans in a rich tomato sauce, cooked with a few straightforward spices, and served up however you like. And best of all, it can be on the table in less than half an hour.

A portion of tomato and black bean stew served with rice, lettuce and sour cream.

This easy recipe uses canned black beans, because who’s got time for cooking dried beans on a busy weeknight – or any other time?! Certainly not me, and I love using canned beans for a quick dinner. Just simmer them until the stew is nice and thick, and they really could not be more delicious.

How to Serve Black Bean Stew

I’ve made this dish dozens of times, and served it in so many different ways. It’s a really versatile recipe. Here are some ideas for how to serve this easy black bean stew:

simply served with rice (and toppings, like avocado and sour cream)
wrapped up in a soft tortilla to make an amazing bean burrito
loaded into a taco shell with salad and extra toppings
heaped onto a baked potato
served with lots of roasted veggies (crispy potato wedges would be great)
with tortilla chips on the side for scooping

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for tomato and black bean stew laid out with text overlay.

black beans. Canned black beans ensure this recipe is quick and easy. If you prefer, you can cook dried beans from scratch beforehand, then follow the recipe as written.
onion – I used half an onion, because I find a whole large onion is too much in this recipe. If you’d rather not have half an onion left over, try to just use a small one instead.
tomatoes (try to use good quality ones)
tomato paste
garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would also be fine.
smoked paprika
ground cumin
fresh chilli (or chilli flakes, if you prefer) – I always choose a small, mild chilli. I do like things quite spicy, but adding too much spice can spoil a meal very quickly! If you’re not sure how hot your chilli is, start with just a small amount – you can always add more later.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you find you sometimes get stomach issues from eating too many beans or other legumes, make sure you rinse canned beans before cooking with them. This can help to wash away the gas-inducing substances from the beans.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of rich tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

Printable Instructions

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

A super easy vegan black bean stew, with a rich tomato sauce and beautiful spices. This is such a versatile recipe!

Course Main Course

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 266kcal

Author Becca Heyes