Tomato Pie

* Disclaimer: I am not a food blogger. I started making this and thought "Hey, people might want to make this amazing dish... take some pics!"

So to begin with this is our GF version. 

For years we bought a frozen pie crust and it was great. 

But now we use this amazing and reasonably priced pie crust mix. 

We first used their Bundt cake mix and Oh.My.Goodness. It's the best ever. And they have a zillion variations to make. And they are the nicest people ever!  

So, make the pie crust according to directions. I am using a disposable pie pan because, well, we do't know what happened to our pie pan.

 Do your pie pans just disappear?? Well, ours did.

Then we sliced up the amazing, juicy, ripe tomatoes our 91 year old friend, Mr. Buman, grows in his enormous garden. 

I slice them and place them on paper towels or in a colander

 and let them "weep" for at least 20 minutes.

Your pie is going to be juicy even when you do this but if you don't it's a gloppy mess.

Then mix about 3 cups of Swiss or Monterey Jack Cheese with a few spoonfuls of mayo. 

We are deeply, unapologetically Southern so we prefer Duke's Mayo. Use whatever you like but remember we shared our secret mayo weapon. But do not use light or diet mayo. The consistency is not the same. You just need enough to bind the cheese together.

So, go ahead, use the good stuff.

Then you can chop a few green onions and sprinkle on the bottom of the pie crust if you wish. Next you  just layer the sliced tomatoes to fill the pie crust. Thin slices work best because they cook more evenly and they don't have to be perfect because they are cooking in a pie.

I forgot to take a picture of the pie before we sliced into it but bake it in a 350 degree oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. It should be browned and the cheese firm on top. It's a bit gooey so it doesn't slice into perfect pie slices. You can let it cool a bit and that helps or if you are entertaining and want true slices, make it the day before or the morning of, refrigerate and then slice. You can warm it in the microwave as well.

We just eat it warm and gooey from the oven in imperfect but delicious slices.

Just remember the better the tomatoes, the better the pie.

So now is the time for this delicious pie.

(I was going to say the time is ripe!!!)

It makes a great meal with a salad or serve it as a side with a beautiful steak or smoked chicken.