Tomato pie with bacon and jalapeños

On my refrigerator is a photo my mom sent me from last Thanksgiving. It’s a shot of a long wooden table that’s been topped with an array of pies. There are cream pies, pecan pies, fruit pies and chess pies. They’re not perfect, as the crusts may have rough edges and the meringues don’t always form even peaks. But this is what tells you that these are pies that have been made by hand, with love. There’s nothing better than homemade pie.

At family gatherings, pies are usually the way we conclude our meals, but lately I’ve been thinking about ways to incorporate pies into the beginning and the middle of the meal, as well. Tomatoes are not only at their peak right now, but it’s also starting to cool down outside—baking tomatoes into a pie just seems right.

There’s a classic Southern tomato pie recipe that calls for an abundance of mayonnaise. This is not it. While that’s a fine pie, it’s always felt like a side player to me and I wanted something heartier—a pie that could take center stage.

To reach this goal, I first decided to bake my pie in a deeper dish. I used a large cast-iron skillet, but a regular deep-dish pie pan would work as well. I also gave the pie a cornmeal biscuit crust, which is substantial enough to support the pie’s layers but soft and tender enough to absorb some of the tomato’s juices, too.

Adding lots of bacon seemed like a good idea, as it’s a natural partner with tomatoes. And there are also jalapeños, which give the pie an additional bite, along with pepper Jack cheese, which holds it all together.

The end result is a hearty, satisfying slice that works well as a main dish. Though if you wanted to cut it into smaller slices it could be a starter or a side dish instead. You could almost say it’s a little bit like a deep dish pizza, though to me, it still feels like a pie. And while it’s best served warm, straight from the oven, it’s still good at room temperature, which also makes it a great travelling dish for your next potluck.

Because it’s baked, you could make this pie with those hothouse tomatoes you find at the store when they’re no longer in season. But I recommend making it now, as it will be at its best with ripe tomatoes that are plump with juice and full of flavor. Plus, there’s nothing better than homemade pie.