We are having a fairly chilly December in New York, and Beloved and I found ourselves with a surprisingly calm (but very chilly) day all to ourselves, a rarity this time of year. It was the kind of day that makes you wish you had a fireplace. We were contemplating what we wanted to make for dinner, when her eyes lit up.

“Tomato pie?”
“Yes! Perfect!”

I don’t know if you’ve had Southern Tomato Pie, but it’s just about the most comforting of the comfort foods, and it got me thinking about how lovely savory pies can be on a cold day, so here we are!

The first two recipes below are mine, followed by links to some others that look scrumptious! I really love making savory pies, so I’d be very grateful if you’d post your favorite recipe in the comments. I’d also love to hear if you try any of the recipes. Thanks! Stay toasty!

Southern Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

• Single pie crust (I like to pre-bake them so they don’t get too soggy)
• 8 ounces of Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces of part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 5 small tomatoes, thinly-sliced, salted, and dried
• 5 large leaves of fresh basil plus 3 smaller leaves for garnish (large leaves can be replaced with 1.5 tbsp pesto)
• Penzey’s garlic (you could use any garlic powder, but Penzey’s is our hands-down fave)

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Pre-bake pie crust if desired (I just keep an eye on it, and when it starts turning a little golden, I take it out.)

Mix cheeses and garlic powder. Layer the large basil leaves across the bottom of the pie crust. Fill with tomato slices (they should come to about 1″ below the top of the pie crust. Fill remaining space with shredded cheese mixture. Sprinkle extra garlic powder on the top and garnish with small basil leaves. Bake until the cheese is browned and bubbly, about 35 minutes.

Note: True Southern tomato pie includes mayo mixed in with the cheese, but we prefer to skip that step.

Leftover Chili Pie

Ingredients:

• Single pie crust (pre-baked is always a good idea)
• Leftover chili (also works with any kind of meat stew or even stewed vegetables), drained of excess liquid
• 10 ounces of extra sharp cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 350° F. Fill pie crust with chili (or stew), being careful to leave at least 3/4″ at the top to prevent spilling over. Sprinkle cheese on top, and bake for 1/2 hour.

Here come the rest of the recipes!

• Pork Pie from Martha Stewart
• Greek Spinach Pie from The Mediterranean Dish
• Bisquick Cheeseburger Pie from Small Town Woman
• Artichoke and Wild Mushroom Pie from BBC Good Eats
• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie from Plays Well With Butter
• Tamale Pie from A Mindful Mom
• Irish Potato Pie from A Spicy Perspective
• Steak and Guinness Pie from Simply Delicious
• Spaghetti Pie from Taste of Home
• Crab Pie from Southern Living
• Zucchini Ricotta Galette from Smitten Kitchen
• Salmon Pie from Grow a Good Life
• Vegetarian Pot Pie from The Pioneering Woman
• Inverted Curry Chicken Pot Pie from Eating Well
• Feta Tart with Caramelized Onions from PureWow
• Lamb Pie with Red Wine and Rosemary from Diet Assassinista
• Truffle and Fontina Quiche from Blue Apron
• New England Fisherman’s Pie from The View From Great Island
• Vegetable Mustard Tart from Saveur (this recipe actually made me drool)
• Shepherd’s Pie from Cooking Classy