Maggie Lou Rader's Tomato, Red Onion, & Cheddar Pie

In Maytag Virgin, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Nash welcomes Jack Key to the neighborhood with a savory tomato, red onion, and cheddar pie. With the following recipe, you won’t need to imagine this delicious pie—you can make one yourself!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pie crust (from your favorite recipe but I sure hope it has 1 tsp of vinegar in it!)

2 ½ pounds heirloom tomatoes

4 chopped garlic cloves

½ seeded and diced jalapeno (if you're feeling spicy!)

4 sprigs of fresh thyme (if you're feeling fancy!)

2 tbsp olive oil

4 chopped slices of bacon

1 finely chopped small red onion

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt

½ tsp seasoned salt

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp basil

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ tsp apple cider vinegar

1 large egg

2 tbsp fresh chives

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Add pie crust to pan, line with parchment paper, and add pie weights then bake for 20 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment paper then bake for another 10 minutes.

3. Reduce oven to 300 degrees F.

4. Slice tomatoes into ½ inch thick pieces and place onto a large baking tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover with paper towels to help pull out moisture. After 25 minutes, remove towels, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sliced garlic, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (if you're feeling fancy) and jalapenos (if you're feeling spicy) and bake for 40 minutes. When they are ready, remove from oven and allow them to cool.

5. Raise oven to 375 degrees F.

6. On the stove, gently fry the finely diced onion and chopped bacon with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook until the onion is translucent and the bacon is crisp and golden. Once cooked, allow it to cool.

7. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, egg, cheddar cheese, apple cider vinegar, basil, thyme, seasoned salt, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp of cloves, and cooled bacon onion mixture.

8. To prepare the pie for baking, spread half of the mayonnaise mixture onto the base of the pie crust. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of breadcrumbs on top of the mayonnaise and then layer half of the tomatoes on top. Then do it all again layering the remaining mayo mixture, breadcrumbs, and the rest of the tomatoes.

9. Place pie in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, checking to make sure the pie crust isn't browning too much (put a ring of foil over the crust if so).

10. Once pie is ready, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 30 minutes. Cover with remaining chives and serve with a whole lot of love!