Cracker-Crust Tomato Pie Recipe

Cracker-Crust Tomato Pie

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Saltines make a tasty crust in this healthier take on Southern tomato pie.

Josh Miller

Published on June 10, 2023

Southern Living Cracker-Crust Tomato Pie in the dish to serve — Photo:
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Servings:

Right behind fried chicken, cheese straws, and black-eyed peas, tomato pie is one of my favorite Southern foods. I’m no health nut, but many versions call for copious amounts of mayonnaise, which I quite frankly don’t love eating hot.

Enter this recipe, which uses a scant amount of mayo to make just enough pimiento cheese-like filling to hold everything together while allowing the summer tomatoes to be the star of the dish.

All that’s perfectly delicious, but this dish has one more twist that makes it stand out from classic tomato pie—the saltine cracker crust. This crust is more about convenience than cutting calories. While I love a good pie dough, sometimes I just can’t be bothered. This crust take cues from summery icebox pies, but instead swings savory, locking the salty cracker crumbs together with eggs, butter, and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
4 small heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tsp. black pepper, divided
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 72 crackers), broken into pieces (about 4 cups)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1/4 cup diced pimientos, drained and patted dry
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, divided
Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Directions

Place tomatoes on a paper towel-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle both sides evenly with 1/2 teaspoon each of the pepper and salt. Cover with more paper towels, and press lightly. Let stand 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse crackers in a food processor into coarse crumbs, about 15 pulses. Add beaten eggs, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; pulse until combined, about 20 pulses.
Lightly coat a 12-inch ceramic or metal tart pan with cooking spray. Firmly press cracker-crumb mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until toasted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Stir together the mayonnaise, pimientos, paprika, cayenne pepper, and 1 1/4 cups of the Cheddar cheese in a medium bowl. Spread evenly on bottom of crust, and arrange tomatoes in a single, even layer over top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese.
Bake at 425°F until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Cracker-Crust Tomato Pie

Ingredients

Directions

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