green tomato and cheddar pie

Green tomato pie recipe

Makes one 9” pie

Pie Crust Ingredients:

(Note: you can also use a pre-made, store-bought crust, just make sure it’s not sweetened! You can skip to Step 4.)

• 9-inch pie pan/dish or skillet

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (it’s fine to substitute 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour instead)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into chunks

• 4-5 tablespoons ice water

Filling Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter or oil for sautéing

• 4-5 medium green (unripe) tomatoes, sliced crosswise in approx. 1/4-inch thick slices

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3/4 cup half-and-half

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Ground pepper to taste

• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar, plus more as needed for top

Instructions:

1. Prepare pie dough: In a food processor or bowl, mix together flour and salt. Add butter. If using a food processor, pulse until butter is in pea-sized pieces. If using your hands or dough cutter, quickly mix and pinch in butter until its distributed in flour in small bits. Next, mix in ice water a splash at a time, mixing or pulsing quickly until the dough just comes together. Use only as much as you need - it should not feel wet or super sticky! Press the dough into a flat disc shape, wrap it in plastic or parchment, and refrigerate for about an hour.

2. After dough has chilled for a bit, roll it out evenly on a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, until it is round, wide enough to fill out the pie pan with some extra around the edges, and about 1/4 inch thick. Lay the dough in a 9-inch pie pan or skillet, making sure it’s fitted into the corners. Crimp or pinch the dough attractively around the top. Using a fork, gently prick the bottom of the dough a few times (this will prevent it from puffing up during baking). Refrigerate again. Note: it’s always a good idea to reserve some dough scraps, in case they’re needed for patching if the dough cracks.

3. Preheat oven to 400° when ready to bake. Place a layer of parchment or foil over the dough-lined pan and pour in a layer of pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 30 minutes, until dough is firm and turning golden brown. Remove from oven, take off the liner and weights, and lower oven to 375°.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a large skillet, heat enough of the butter or oil to coat pan over medium high, and lay the tomatoes in a single layer. Saute until just starting to brown then flip over, cooking about 2 minutes per side. You want them to still be firm and not falling apart. Put aside on a plate. Repeat until all the tomatoes are sautéed. When you’re finished, wipe out any burnt bits from the skillet and add some new butter. Sauté onions gently with a little bit of salt, until soft.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together half-and-half, eggs, mustard, salt, and pepper until combined. Begin assembling the pie. First, sprinkle in an even layer of grated cheddar. Then, put in a full layer of tomato slices, followed by a sprinkling of onions. Sprinkle on some more cheddar, then repeat the whole process until you have 3 layers or so (depending on depth of the pan). Filling should reach just under the top of the pie crust. The top layer should have a generous sprinkling of cheddar, so feel free to grate some more on top. Pour the egg mixture carefully over the tomatoes until it reaches almost to the top.

6. Bake in the oven for about 40-50 minutes, or for as long as it takes for the mixture to set and the top to begin browning. Check frequently after the first 30 minutes, since all ovens are different. You can always broil it for 2 minutes at the end for an extra toasty top! Enjoy hot.