Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil is a twist on classic tomato pie. It’s the ultimate Southern-inspired summertime quiche!
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!
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.
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!
More tomato recipes you’ll love!
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart with Herbed Ricotta
- Mini Southern Tomato Pies
- Tomato Ricotta Tart with Basil Pesto
- Easy Fresh Tomato Salad
- Tuscan Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad
- Crustless Southern Tomato Pie
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Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil
Tomato and Corn Pie with Fresh Basil is a twist on classic tomato pie. It’s the ultimate Southern-inspired summertime quiche!
Ingredients
- 1 prepared pie crust, homemade or purchased
- 5 small tomatoes such as Roma (about 1 pound), sliced approximately ¼-inch thick
- Salt
- ⅓ 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 ½-inch pieces plus more for garnish
- 1 ¼ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ 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 ⅓ 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 Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 376Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 524mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 16g
The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Amy meltzer says
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.)
Carol says
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!
Theresa R Keller says
I plan to make this pie this week! Looks and sound delicious and I have corn and tomatoes from the farmers mkt. Great combo!
Carol says
Hi, Theresa, Sounds great and hope you enjoy! Thanks so much!
Joe says
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.
Carol says
Hi, Joe, Thanks so very much! Hope that means you really enjoyed! Thanks again!
Penny Wolf says
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
Carol says
Thanks so much, Penny! It’s one of our favorites and so glad you enjoyed.
Please stay in touch!
Laura says
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!
Carol says
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!
Nancy Buchanan says
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!!
Carol says
Hi, Nancy, Thanks so much and do let me know how you enjoy!
[email protected] says
I’ve got tons of tomato’s about to ripen! Pinned to make in the next couple weeks…yum!
Carol says
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!