tomato & cheddar hand pies

This has to be the fastest meal I've ever made. How these came about? We all know the familiar sad pre-dinner scene: look into fridge, see nothing but condiments, beverages, and something rotting in the vegetable drawer. Closing the fridge door in frustration I see all the tomatoes on the counter, then realize I did just see cheese in the fridge. Plus the fact that my fridge/freezer does always have an abundance of pie crusts: homemade and pre-made. Score. I have dinner. One of the favorite ways to use up fresh tomatoes from the garden is in tomato and cheese sammies with a hint of mayo. I love them, especially if you use a good, thick, whole grain bread. So if these two ingredients are good in a sandwich then why not a hand pie? Almost like a grilled cheese with extra, crispy crust? Kind of. You get the idea.

And since we're on the subject of savory pies--do you know that my tomato pie is the 3rd highest downloaded recipe this summer? Good to know. It's a good pie for hot summer nights paired with cold white wine.
Have I ever made a 'savory something' with pre-made pie crusts? Yes, I've made cheese sticks. (I promise to do a post on that soon).

tomato & cheese hand pies
print recipe

Pie crust or premade pie crusts
Tomatoes, sliced very thin
Extra sharp cheddar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Cook notes:
I’ve left out the quantities as you can make as little or much as you like. Typically it’s about 3 slices of tomato on the inside of the pie and one slice on the top of the pie. Please slice the tomatoes really thin, and let them dry out a bit on paper towels. You don’t want juicy tomatoes weighing down or steaming up the inside of the hand pies.

When ready to bake. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lay out your crusts in a circle (or square). Cut them in half, put down a layer of tomatoes (about 3 slices), then top with a few slices of cheese—don’t let cheese get too close to edges.
Fold over the other half of the pie crust, seal all edges; crimp with a fork. Place a slice tomato on the top of the hand pie, brush with a little extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make sure to prick a few holes on top to let any steam escape during baking.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges are nice and crispy brown. I like them a little overdone. Do what you like.