Mention pie and most people probably picture something sweet or fruity. But, savory pies have a long history of making wonderful meals. This Southern Zucchini Pie is topped with cheese for a spectacular finish to a tasty veggie dish. There are a few tricks we’re using to get the right flavor and texture and it all amounts to a super scrumptious pie. In the Southern style this pie is reminiscent of a tomato pie, but with crisp zucchini instead of soft tomatoes.

One of the shortcuts I love to use is to mix up my pie crusts in the food processor. Now you can use store bought crusts no problem, but I think the ones I make from scratch simply taste better. And, when it’s as easy as throwing the ingredients into a machine I figure “why not?”

This pie crust dough is buttery and crumbly and this makes a wonderful crust. Press the dough into the pan and then trim any excess from the edges. Dock the center gently with a fork to keep the dough from puffing up too much. Then a short bake time gives the crust a little head start in crisping up before we add the veggies and do the second bake.

For the vegetables were using onion and some zucchini, both sliced thinly. You can use a mandoline if you like, but I find that a sharp knife and steady hand are just as fast and make just as thin of slices.

The mandoline is known as the “finger slicer” in my household and for good reason. So the knife method is certainly a lot less scary. Depending on the size of the pie pan and the size of your zucchinis you’ll need 2 or 3 of them.

There are no eggs in this pie, so it doesn’t have a quiche-like flavor. Instead we’re making a sauce from cheese, spices, and some mayonnaise. It might sound strange, but it all works well together and doesn’t actually taste like mayo in the end.

Add the onions on the bottom then layer on the cheesy sauce and the zucchini. Arrange the zucchini slices in a pattern that looks good to you. I decided on a sprial pattern, overlapping each slice slightly to give a nice effect.

Then we’re ready for the topping which has another shortcut ingredient: Ritz crackers. They add to that buttery flavor and give just a little bit of crunch.

During the final bake the cheese gets all melty and the zucchini soften up. And, the onions cook down to become soft and sweet. It’s a match made in heaven and so good for a dinner treat.

This Southern Zucchini Pie is the perfect recipe to keep on hand for when zucchini is in full swing, but is also yummy in the winter.