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Sandy's Tomato Pie
Yield: 6-8 servings
Essentially a crustless pie, the unique ingredients of this seasonal favorite create a crusty base that is loaded with flavor and fabulous texture. (For those who need it, there's an excellent gluten-free option in the recipe notes!)

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm dry herb seasoned dressing*
  • 5 small or 4 medium tomatoes, sliced**
  • 1 small (about 4 ounces) sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces (1 lightly rounded cup) freshly grated American cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I recommend 1/4 teaspoon less if using table salt)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: 3 strips bacon, cut in half; fresh basil for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate and cover the bottom with dressing. (I use about 1 cup for the bottom layer; reserve the rest for later.)
  2. Fill the plate with alternating layers of tomato, onion, and cheese.*** In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, salt and pepper; pour the egg mixture evenly over layers in the pie plate. (I use a fork to gently help it sink in.) Sprinkle with the balance of the dressing. Arrange the optional uncooked bacon slices on top.
  3. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the bacon, if using, is crisp. For easier cutting, let the pie sit for 10 or so minutes before serving. Leftovers taste great and can be enjoyed at room temperature or warmed in a low oven.

Notes

*Note that this is a dried stuffing mix, not soft bread cubes.  For a gluten-free option, I’ve tested Three Bakers herb seasoned whole grain cubed stuffing with excellent results.  I lightly crushed the mix, which I found at Lemon Street Market, as the pieces were somewhat larger than the Pepperidge Farm option.
**The original recipe called for peeling the tomatoes.  You may do this (simply submerge in boiling water for 30 seconds, and the peels will slip right off), but I have found the end result to be nearly as good without the added step.  Also, I don’t seed the tomatoes but do gently squeeze out a bit of the liquid if they seem especially watery.
***Two full layers will typically fill my pie plate.  If you slice everything very thinly, you may be able to fit three.  Evenly dispersing all of the ingredients in each layer is more important than whether you have 2 or 3 layers.  Feel free to chop a tomato slice or two to fill any big gaps.  If you have a little onion or a few tomato slices left over, don’t worry.  Simply save them for salad. J

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