Sure! Here’s a long, hearty, and loving recipe for a classic Southern-style Bacon Onion Tomato Pie. This isn’t just a recipe—it’s a story, a memory, and a dish filled with flavor, love, and layers of life. 💖🥓🧅🍅🥧
🍅 Bacon Onion Tomato Pie 🥓
“It may sound strange, but believe me, it is to die for.” – Lolly
📜 Introduction
In the sleepy Southern towns of the U.S., where the summers are long and the tomatoes grow so red and ripe they practically burst off the vine, there exists a pie unlike any other. It’s savory, rich, tangy, cheesy, smoky, and absolutely heartwarming.
This is the Tomato Pie—not a dessert, but a main course steeped in family tradition. Add bacon and caramelized onions, and you’ve got a Southern Gothic masterpiece, the kind that brings grandmothers to tears and neighbors to your porch.
Born from necessity, perfected through generations, and deeply loved by anyone lucky enough to taste it, this dish isn’t just food—it’s a celebration of garden glory and kitchen alchemy.
🍅 Ingredients
🥧 For the Crust (Homemade Flaky Pie Crust):
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3-4 tbsp ice water
OR use 1 store-bought 9-inch deep dish pie shell if you’re short on time.
🧅 For the Filling:
- 4–5 ripe tomatoes (about 2 lbs), sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 tsp kosher salt (to draw water from tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 6–8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: a few dashes of hot sauce
🧀 For the Topping Mixture:
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- ½ cup mayonnaise (Duke’s if you want to be Southern-authentic)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
🧭 Method: A Dance of Layers and Patience
1. Prepare the Tomatoes
- Slice tomatoes and lay them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes to draw out moisture.
- Gently blot them with another towel to prevent a soggy pie later.
2. Make (or Bake) the Crust
- If homemade:
- Mix flour and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently. Form into a ball, flatten to a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes.
- Roll out and fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Chill again for 15 minutes.
- Blind bake: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prick crust with a fork, line with parchment and fill with weights.
- Bake 15 minutes, remove weights, bake 10 more until lightly golden. Let cool.
3. Caramelize the Onions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook low and slow for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and sweet.
4. Cook the Bacon
- Fry bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels, then crumble into pieces.
5. Mix the Topping
- In a bowl, combine grated cheddar, mozzarella, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and pepper.
- Stir in chopped herbs and optional hot sauce.
6. Assemble the Layers
Now comes the love:
- Start with a base layer of tomatoes
- Then a scattering of caramelized onions
- Sprinkle some bacon
- Repeat layering until all are used
- Spread the cheesy-mayo topping over the top with a spatula
7. Bake
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–40 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling and the pie is warmed through.
- Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.
🕰️ History: Where It Comes From
Tomato pie has Southern roots, but its ancestry crosses over with Italian tomato tarts and even echoes of British savory pies.
It became particularly iconic in the Carolina Lowcountry, where tomatoes are abundant and meat was once a precious treat. Bacon entered the picture in the 20th century as Southern cooking embraced bolder flavors and more indulgence.
It was once considered a “garden pie” – a farmer’s answer to too many tomatoes. Lolly, the fictional Southern matriarch, may not have invented it, but she made it hers, and her version lives on.
💕 Lovers of the Pie
- Lolly, who swears by her 3-generation-old iron skillet and tells anyone who’ll listen that it “tastes better when you wear pearls while baking.”
- Uncle Ray, who adds hot sauce to everything and swears this pie is his “death row meal.”
- College kids, discovering leftovers in the fridge at 2 AM and instantly falling in love.
- Veggie-lovers, who skip the bacon but add zucchini and eggplant.
- Cheese fanatics, who swap in Gruyère or fontina for an upscale twist.
- You, maybe, next time you need to impress someone (or just yourself).
🧠 Formation of Flavor
What makes it irresistible? The layering:
- The salted tomatoes retain their bright acidity without watering down the pie.
- The onions add sweetness.
- The bacon contributes smoke and salt.
- The cheese topping is creamy, tangy, and umami-packed.
- The crust gives a buttery contrast to the soft filling.
Each bite is balanced—nothing dominates. Just harmony.
🏁 Conclusion
This is comfort food, but elevated. It’s not fast, and it’s not flashy, but it is soulful, filling, rich with story, and perfect for summer dinners, potlucks, or just because it’s Tuesday.
It’s a dish that asks you to slow down and enjoy the process. Cook it for someone you love. Or just cook it because you deserve love in pie form.
And when someone asks, “What is this?” — just smile and say:
“It may sound strange, but believe me, it is to die for.”
Want a printable version, variations (like vegetarian or gluten-free), or wine pairings? I can help with that too.