Summertime Individual Tomato Pies

Yippee!  I just purchased a giant basket of farm grown tomatoes from our local farm market!  They are beautiful and they are  yummy!  I just made two versions of this pie:  I made 6 individual pies in a regular muffin pan and I made 24 appetizer pies in a mini muffin pan.  I am smiling with delight as I polished off an individual pie a few minutes ago!



INGREDIENTS
6 tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 cups light mayonnaise
3 cups shredded Colby Jack/Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Pie crust for two 12-inch piees

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You can make this recipe as two regular-sized pies, individual pies or mini muffin pan appetizer pies. Divide the pie crust into 24 balls and roll them out so they’re thin and about the size of a small tortilla. Don’t worry if the edges are rough and messy. Drape and tuck these into two muffin tins to make two dozen mini pie crusts. Prick the bottoms three times with a fork, and put them in the oven until they’re golden brown.

Meanwhile, peel and very coarsely chop the tomatoes.  To remove some of the moisture from the tomatoes for a less watery pie, place tomatoes in a colander and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon table salt. Allow to drain for ten minutes.(You can skip this step if you like). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil to taste.

Divide the tomato mixture between the baked pie crusts.  Combine the mayonnaise and cheese and spread on top of each pie (it should be level with the top of the muffin tin).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes for regular pie, 25 minutes for individual pies, and 15-20 minutes for mini appetizer pies.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly to set. Run a knife around the outsides and gently lift out. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.