It's Tomato Pie time!

One of my favorite summertime recipes is this Tomato Pie. When I first heard of tomato pie my initial reaction was "YUCK!" 

My friend Heather introduced me to this yummy savory pie a few years back.  It's adapted from Paula Deen's tomato pie recipe.  Somehow I managed to convince myself to try and I've been making it every tomato season. I've added bacon, corn and white cheddar to take this recipe up a notch.

This one is a true family effort.  Granny & PawPaw provided the tomatoes from their garden and my mommy plucked the basil leaves from her garden.

 Hopefully the tomatoes are plentiful so this isn't our only tomato pie of the season.

 So if your tomato cup runneth over this year, send them my way. I can think of a few ways to make sure they don't go to waste.

Tomato Pie
1 prebaked pie shell (deep dish)
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced

½  c. corn

4-6 slices of bacon (divided), chopped
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1 c. shredded cheddar

¼ c. shredded white cheddar

¾  c. mayonaise

½ c. green onions, chopped

10 basil leaves, chopped
Salt & Pepper

Slice tomatoes and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 10 minutes.  Layer tomatoes, onion, basil, corn, and half of the bacon in a pie shell.  Sprinkle with black pepper. Combine mayo, cheeses, and remaining bacon in a medium bowl.  Spread the mixture over the tomato layers.  Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let pie set (10-15 minutes).  Slice and serve.

I like to sprinkle on a bit of parmesan on my slice.

A Chip off the ol' block

I'm just gonna start  off like I've been here all along and haven't taken a 15 month hiatus....what hiatus? who said something about a hiatus?

I'm sharing our family's favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  It's been in our family for years... I think it goes all the way back to 2015.  That's right, I found these cookies at The Little Kitchen a few years ago and I finally got around to making them last year. These cookies have the perfect amount of chewy and the perfect amount of crunch. They have a few unexpected ingredients too. I've made them a few times and every time they are a hit.
I made these cookies again recently, but made a few changes just like Granny would do. Granny never follows a recipe exactly.

 I usually add a half cup of Heath bits to the batter, but this time I added Heath bits and coconut flakes.  I think I'll be making that addition from here on out. I guess I might just be a chip off the ol' block.

PawPaw's Sweet Potatoes

When it comes to making sweet potatoes (candied yams) PawPaw runs the kitchen.  Now Granny knows all of his secrets, but it's just not the same when we KNOW she did it instead of him.  Recently, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time (that place being Granny & Paw's house and that time being when PawPaw was just getting started making his sweet potatoes).
I borrowed my mom's camera and stepped in the kitchen to take a few notes. 

PawPaw adds in one of his secret ingredients.  Know what it is?

 After baking the 2-3 medium sized yams for an hour and letting them cool off just a bit PawPaw makes syrupy concoction consisting of maple syrup, sugar, butter, and lemon & orange juices.  He simmers the mixture over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.  After slicing up the yams, pour the syrup mixture over them.  Bake the yams in 350° oven for about 30 minutes.

2-3 medium yams (baked)

1 ½ c. sugar

1/4 c. maple syrup
2T butter
2 T orange juice
1 T lemon juice

Team these up with Granny's Fried Chicken and Mac & Cheese and you've got yourself one fine meal.  Or if you're like one of PawPaw's regulars the sweet potatoes are all you'll need.

Enjoy and leave a comment below!
-Camille