Jo's Fresh Tomato Pie

This is one of our favorite recipes since finding it a couple of years ago.  Tomato & Pie are two words you don't usually put together but when you taste TOMATO PIE, you'll know that they play well together.

One of my new co-workers, Judy, knew I grew up in Georgia.  She, too, is from Georgia and brought me a dozen fresh tomatoes from her home town of Claxton, GA (home of the world famous Claxton Fruit Cake that we may/or may not enjoy during the holidays)!

So when you have more tomatoes than you can use for a sandwich, but not enough to can, as if I knew how....here's the perfect recipe:

1-9" deep dish pie shell (bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes)
4-6 ripe tomatoes (fresh....don't even try this in the winter)
   -rinse and cut up tomatoes into bite size pieces, try to drain them very well while shell is baking, dab with paper towels if needed.  Now my friends, Susan and Belva, would take this tomato juice and create another great dish but we won't talk about their overachieving kitchen skills!
1-2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (you may mix in various cheeses if you like)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco (or if I'm out, I'll use a sprinkle of crushed red pepper) or you can skip this part
Salt, pepper, onion powder (or fresh for more onion taste), and basil

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Sprinkle bottom of pre-baked pie shell with drained tomato chunks. Shake a dash of onion powder on top.  In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, a little salt & pepper, a dash or two of basil, the hot sauce/pepper and the cheese-fold together.  This mixture will be thick so you'll need to use a spatula to spread small amounts on top without messing up the tomatoes.  Once topping is on, bake in 350 degree oven until brown and bubbly, anywhere from 25-45 minutes (mine is usually done in 30 minutes).  Let set up for 10-15 minutes, cut and serve.
Yum, Yum!!  Let me know if you try it...post some pictures!  We can have a tomato pie gallery!!

Now my cooking is done for the day, so Steve....you're up.