Cherry Tomato Pie
Cherry Tomato Pie
By Chadwick Boyd
PHOTO BY Better Homes & Gardens
Too Lazy to Bake Pie? Aha, Crostada!
I created this recipe for Better Homes & Gardens several years ago. We did a feature on BLTs reimagined - check out the full story here.
This pie is such a family favorite during summertime, I wanted to share it here, too. The crust is extra-thick to hold the creamy Parmesan filling (a simple dairy case pie crust trick!). The pie bursts with juicy cherry tomatoes and salty, crispy strips of bacon woven throughout.
I like to make a couple extra pieces of bacon and push the crispy bits into the pie crust before baking for extra flavor. Make the bacon and the filling ahead of time to save some time on the day you plan to serve.
Chadwick’s Checklist
What you need to know before you cook.
- Have cream cheese softened at room temperature
- The crust needs to be par-baked before adding in the filling; you can do that the night before
- The pie needs to cool at least 60 minutes before serving, so factor that into your prep and cooking times
Serving Size: 6-8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
6 strips bacon
1 15-ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (2 crusts)
⅔ cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
¾ cup finely chopped sweet onion
4 cups cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, divided
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
4-ounces cream cheese, softened (half of 1 8-ounce package)
¼ cup full-fat mayonnaise (do not use low-fat or non-fat)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¾ cup thinly sliced leaf lettuce, like green or red leaf
Lemon wedges (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet cook bacon until just done but not crisp. Transfer to paper towel; drain. Reserve 1 Tbsp. bacon drippings in skillet; set aside.
Let pie crust stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, stack the two piecrusts. Roll from the center to the edges to form a 12-inch circle. Wrap pastry around a rolling pin; unroll pastry into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. (Sides should be 2 to 2½ inches deep). Ease pastry into the pie plate, allowing the edges to form a loose ruffled or scalloped effect. Gently press the pastry into the bottom of the pie plate. The sides will not lay flat against pie plate, which is part of the pie’s look. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.
Line the pastry with a double thickness of foil; bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil; bake 5 minutes more. Take out of the oven and reduce the heat to 375°F. Sprinkle ½ cup of the cheese over the pie crust. Place half of the bacon slices around the edge of the crust. Set aside.
Cook the onion in the reserved bacon drippings over medium heat until tender. Drain the drippings. Set aside.
Halve 2 cups of the cherry tomatoes, leaving the remaining 2 cups whole. Place the halved and whole tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the basil, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, egg yolk, cooked onion, lemon peel, and remaining Parmesan, basil, and pepper.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the pie crust. Top with the tomato mixture. Nestle the remaining bacon slices among the tomatoes, weaving bacon between tomatoes. Gently press the tomatoes and bacon into the cream cheese mixture.
Bake the pie until the tomatoes just begin to brown, about 35 minutes. (Loosely cover the pie with the foil if the edges brown too quickly.) Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let the pie cool for at least one hour.
Top with leaf lettuce and garnish with lemon wedges, if using, just before serving.
Chadwick’s Changeups
Switch things up. Have some fun! Do more.
- Use half yellow, orange, or purple cherry tomatoes for more color
- Substitute pecorino Romano or grated asiago for the Parmesan cheese
- Freeze a wedge of iceberg lettuce, then slice and serve on top, if serving on a particularly hot summer day
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