Mini Southern Tomato Pies
55 minutes
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Mini Southern Tomato Pies are an elegant twist on the down-home and iconic Southern Tomato Pie. In mini form, they make a lovely summer appetizer! For another crowd-pleasing mini appetizer, try my Stuffed Mini Peppers!
Here’s an elegant riff on the classic Southern tomato pie you’re going to love! Mini Southern Tomato Pies! I’ve not made many pies in my lifetime but I have made tomato pies! It’s just what one does when they live in the South.
How to make Mini Southern Tomato Pies:
- Slice approximately four ripe, juicy plum tomatoes to get 32 slices.
- Salt, then place on paper towels to drain. The salt helps extract much of the water from the tomatoes (which you don’t want in your pie).
- Flip, then salt again and drain. After 30 minutes or so, blot dry with more paper towels.
- While the tomatoes are draining, get the pastry shells ready. Frozen puff pastry makes the perfect crust!
- Just roll it out on a lightly floured surface so you can get eight circles from each piece of puff pastry.
- Cut the circles out with a 3 to 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Or, do what I did–use a stainless steel measuring cup.
- Pop them into a nonstick muffin pan and just push them in enough to get a flat bottom.
- Then, start the filling process!
- Start with the cheese and mayonnaise combination. Mayonnaise is an essential ingredient in Southern tomato pie!
- Top with a tomato, a little more cheese, some basil….
- …And another tomato!
- The tomatoes are going to sit pretty high but trust me on this. The puff pastry is going to do its thing and puff up; the tomatoes will sink in.
- Then, bake.
- After approximately 30 minutes, remove from the oven.
- The tomatoes may shift a little bit, but no worries! Just push them back into place with a knife then top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake 5 more minutes and….
- …Voila! Beautiful, elegant Mini Southern Tomato Pies! Perfect for a backyard get-together or other summer special occasion!
- Serve immediately or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh basil!
Be sure to try my other tomato pie/tart recipes!
- Tomato Pie Recipe
- Tomato Tart
- Crustless Southern Tomato Pie
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart with Herbed Ricotta
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Mini Southern Tomato Pies
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Mini Southern Tomato Pies are an elegant twist on the down-home and iconic Southern Tomato Pie. In mini form, they make a lovely summer appetizer!
Ingredients
- 4 medium plum tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 package (17.3-ounce) frozen puff pastry sheets - thawed
- 1 1/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese - or white Cheddar, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese - or Mozzarella, divided
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- Fresh basil leaves - for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Slice the tomatoes into approximately 8 slices each so you end up with 32 slices. Place the tomatoes on paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 15 minutes. Flip onto dry paper towels and salt again. Let stand for another 15 minutes. Dry the top side of the tomatoes with paper towels for any remaining moisture.
- While tomatoes are draining, prepare the pastry. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a 3 to 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or round stainless measuring cup, cut 8 circles from each sheet of pastry.
- Place the pastry circles into two nonstick muffin pans. (Don’t worry about getting them tucked into the pans too securely. Just make sure they have a flat bottom so they stand level.)
- Cover with clean kitchen towels and refrigerate until needed.
- Combine 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Add mayonnaise and black pepper and stir well.
- Divide cheese and mayonnaise mixture evenly among the 16 pastry shells. Top each with a tomato slice.
- Using only about 1/4 cup of the Gruyere, sprinkle each tomato slice with a small amount of cheese. Top with the chopped basil.
- Place the second tomato half over the cheese and basil. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Combine the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese.
- Remove from the oven and adjust the tomato slices as necessary so they’re back up on top of each other. Top with remaining cheese and place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
MAKE AHEAD:
- The pastry can be tucked into the muffin pan. Cover securely and refrigerate.
- The tomatoes can be drained, patted dry and refrigerated. (Be aware of additional liquid that may be produced and pat dry again.)
- Combine the cheese and mayonnaise as directed. Refrigerate.
- Assemble.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 1mg
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment, star rating or post your photo on Instagram and tag @fromachefskitchen.
Can these be frozen?
Hi, Rilla, Thanks for your question. I have not tested this recipe to include whether they freeze well or not. I’ve received enough enough questions about it, however, so I will need to get it on my to-do list. I think they would probably be okay, but I would not thaw them; place them directly into a 325 or 350-degree oven to reheat. That way, any accumulated moisture will evaporate immediately rather than making them soggy. If you freeze and reheat before I can get to it, please check back and let me and my other readers know how it went. Thanks again!
Can I use wonton wrappers instead of pastry sheets?
Hi, Donna, Thanks so much for your question. I have not tested this recipe with them but I think you can. You just can’t bake them as long because they will brown faster than puff pastry. Since there are no eggs in the recipe, you will be okay with a shorter baking time. I would also recommend reducing the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Thanks again and please let me know how it goes!
Does this call for a regular size muffin tin?
Hi, Carey, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, it’s a regular size muffin pan. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
These turned out so well 🙂 Is love to post a picture, but I can’t figure out how on the mobile website. Great recipe !
Hi there! I’d like to make these but am wondering about prebaking the puff pastry a bit. I’m worried they will be soggy. Have you tried prebaking to avoid a soggy crust? Or is it different with puff pastry than pie crust?
Hi, Teresa, Thanks so much for your question. In certain cases, I DO recommend prebaking the puff pastry as with my Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart with Herbed Ricotta. However, because these are so small, I’m afraid the puff pastry would puff up too much and you’d never get the rest of the filling into the mini pies. Draining the tomatoes as shown will help tremendously and keep in mind there’s a layer of cheese between the pastry and the tomatoes. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
I made these a few weeks ago, and because they were such a hit, I am planning on making these again this weekend. I have to say, however, that I did not follow the recipe exactly. I only put a single layer of tomatoes, and instead of chopping the basil, I topped the cheese on each tomato with a whole basil leaf. They were perfect! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi, Cindy, Thanks so very much! Glad everyone enjoyed and appreciate the tips. Thanks again!
Have you ever tried to make these ahead of time and freeze? Looking to do so for 3 days before a baby shower.
Hi, Kelly and thanks so much for your question. I’ve not done them that far ahead and frozen them. I think they’d be okay refrigerated for that length of time then reheated enough to take the chill off. You wouldn’t want to bake them again too much. Thanks again for your question and I hope they work for you!
Hi Kelly! Did you ever try to freeze them? If so, hope was your experience? Wanting to do this for a wedding appetizer (cutting down on catering costs)
These are brilliant! Cute and tasty. I’ve made many a variety of tomato tarts and these are just perfect. I tend to forget to have puff pastry in my freezer, but it makes every kind of tart just magical. Thank you for this idea.
Thanks, Mimi! I always have puff pastry in the freezer. It’s good for so many things!