Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil

4.73 from 22 votes
1 hour 20 minutes
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Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil is a twist on classic tomato pie.  It’s the ultimate Southern-inspired summertime quiche!

Photo of Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil on brown burlap with serving fork garnished with fresh basil.

The inspiration behind this recipe:

There are numerous times I’m happier than a possum eating a sweet potato that I live in the South.  The times I don’t are when the heat index soars to 112 degrees or terrible storms pop up out of nowhere, but it sure beats the snow and ice where I’m from!

One of the things I love most about the South is they do things with tomatoes that as a transplant, I never dreamed of!

Like…..thick, juicy sliced tomatoes on white bread with mayo.  Genius!

Photo of five freshly washed fresh tomatoes.

Here in the South….they don’t even wait until tomatoes are ripe before turning them into culinary heaven!

When I first moved here, I did NOT get the fried green tomato thing at all.  Even my husband, who had already lived in the South for about ten years when we married, was skeptical about green tomatoes even being edible.

Then, having an abundance of green tomatoes that we picked before an impending frost, we decided to try them.  We were hooked and fried green tomato sandwiches became a Sunday fall favorite of ours before watching the Packer game for as long as we had green tomatoes.

Another thing Southerners do with tomatoes is they make tomato PIE.

Photo of Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil on brown burlap garnished with fresh basil.

Tomato pie is not a sweet pie, but savory with layers of tomatoes baked in pastry with mayonnaise and cheese!  More genius!

My Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil is a slightly different take on this Southern classic.  I add other seasonal goodness with fresh corn and basil in a quiche-like custard filling.  Tomatoes, corn and fresh basil all go together beautifully!

How to make Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil:

  • Use your favorite pie crust recipe or cheat with a good, refrigerated pie crust such as Pillsbury.  Whether store-bought or homemade, you’ll need to blind bake the crust before filling it.  Unroll it, then place in your baking dish.  Make sure the edges of the crust are firmly pressed against the top edge of the pan.
  • Cover the unbaked crust with parchment paper, then fill with pie weights, dried beans, rice or lentils to weigh it down so the crust does not shrink too much while blind baking  (It will shrink a little).  Use dried beans, rice or lentils you don’t plan to consume such as ones that are expired.
  • Let it cool a bit, then sprinkle the bottom with a combination of shredded Parmesan cheese and all-purpose flour.  The cheese and flour mixture creates a barrier so the custard (as a liquid) does not make the crust soggy.
  • Another important step is to “drain” the tomatoes.  Slice, then place the slices on a layer of paper towels.  Generously salt and let stand.  After about 20 minutes, turn and salt again.  Just before arranging in the pie, blot dry with paper towels.

We served this Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil with a cucumber salad that’s an old family recipe from my husband’s side.  It was the perfect Southern summer meal!

Photo of Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil with a piece served to expose interior.

More tomato recipes you’ll love!

Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil

4.73 from 22 votes

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By: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen
Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil is a twist on classic tomato pie.  It’s the ultimate Southern-inspired summertime quiche!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Quiches and Tarts
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 376 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 prepared pie crust - homemade or purchased
  • 5 small tomatoes such as Roma - about 1 pound, sliced approximately 1/4-inch thick
  • Salt
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels - about 2 small ears of blanched corn
  • 3 scallions - white and light green part only, finely chopped
  • 8 large leaves fresh basil - torn into 1/2-inch pieces plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • Freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • If using a purchased crust, roll it out to flatten it slightly. Place in a 9 or 10-inch deep-dish pie pan.
  • Press the pie crust securely against the pie pan including securing the edge of the crust to the rim of the pie pan. Dock the bottom in a few places with a fork. Place a large piece of parchment over and up the sides and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice.
  • Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Let crust cool.
  • While the crust is baking, line a baking sheet with paper towels. Generously season the tomato slices with salt. Place on the paper towels to absorb the excess liquid that is drawn out by the salt.
  • Before assembling, blot the tomatoes dry with paper towels.
  • Remove parchment and weights and allow to cool 20 minutes.
  • Combine Parmesan cheese and flour and sprinkle evenly over the bottom of the crust. Top with 1/3 of the tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle with half the corn and scallion, basil and cheddar cheese. Repeat layering again, finishing with a layer of tomatoes on the top.
  • Whisk together eggs and half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Carefully pour the custard over the filling.
  • Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until set and top is lightly browned. (Keep an eye on the crust. You may need to make a foil collar to keep it from getting overly browned.)
  • Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional torn basil leaves.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: This dish reheats beautifully. Cut into pieces as desired and heat in the oven.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY: Thaw in the refrigerator, cut into pieces as desired and reheat in the oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 8 | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 524mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g

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.

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Recipe Rating




18 Comments

  1. 3 stars
    Mine turned out very watery. I am going to try reducing the half and half to one cup next time. Otherwise it was very tasty.

    1. Perhaps the tomatoes needed more draining? The standard ratio in quiche is 1/2 cup liquid to one egg but perhaps the tomatoes needed more draining. Thanks again!

  2. I have tons of medium size regular tomatoes in my garden. Can regular tomatoes be used in this recipe?

    1. Hi, Kris, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you absolutely can. Just be sure to salt and drain the tomatoes as directed or you could have a watery mess on your hands. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!

  3. The directions were a little confusing – did you mean to specify the ‘parmesan cheese’ in step 8? I saw that and mixed my cheeses together. I didn’t realize I must have made a mistake until I got to the next step. (Yes, I know I should have read the whole thing, but….life.)

    1. Hi, Amy, Thanks so very much! Yes, combine the Parmesan cheese and the flour then sprinkle over the crust. Doing this helps keep the crust from getting soggy. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!

  4. I plan to make this pie this week! Looks and sound delicious and I have corn and tomatoes from the farmers mkt. Great combo!

  5. Just took it out of the oven. Smells so good! Looks even better. I don’t do crusts so it’s more of a frittata. To bad I can’t send you a photo.

  6. I made this last night and it is wonderful! We really enjoyed it the most as it cooled.
    The recipe is clear, the slices cut cleanly, and the flavor is fantastic! Thank you

  7. Just put my tomato corn pie in the oven – looks DELISH! But FYI, the amount of ingredients was enough to make 2 pies (unless I should have used a deep dish pie plate?). Can’t wait to try it!

    1. Hi, Laura, Yes…. the recipe does say “9 or 10-inch deep-dish pie pan.” You could always do a crustless quiche with the remainder. Thanks for chiming in and please stay in touch!

  8. Corn seems such a natural addition to this pie and one of those things one thinks “why didn’t I think of that?” Hmm…. I have a lot of tomatoes right now so this pie is definitely is my future!!

    1. Hope you enjoy, Kathi! This is one of our summer favorites. My recipe has also been published several times in our local newspaper as one of the food editor’s favorites!