How To Modify An Ordinary Pie Recipe To Create A Slab Pie

Have you ever planned everything to make the perfect pie, only to put it all in the pan and realize you'll only be able to squeeze five or six slices out of the measly thing? Even if you pulled out a second nine-inch pie dish, it might not be enough to feed the guests at your holiday party, and you don't even own a third pie dish to try making more if you wanted to. This is the perfect opportunity for a slab pie, which doesn't require scraping your original plans, just some slight modifications.

Slab pies can come in two sizes: the classic 15x10-inch jelly roll pan (here are 11 of the best jelly roll pans for your budget) or a 13x18-inch half sheet pan. When turning your original, single-crust pie recipe into a 15x10-inch slab pie, you'll want to double the recipe for the crust, but for the 13x18-inch size, you'll want to make two-and-a-half times the recipe. When it comes to filling, the 15x10-inch size will generally work with one-and-a-half times the normal amount, while the 13x18-inch size will do best with between two and two-and-a-half times the amount, but you can always experiment until you find the right proportions. Prepare the pie like normal on its larger baking surface and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes less than you normally would. Though it wouldn't hurt to start checking for doneness after about 30 minutes.

A slab pie is essentially the bigger, more economical version of a regular pie. Jessie Sheehan at Taste describes it as a pastry that "call[s] for double the amount of filling of a round pie but provide[s] three times as many servings," which is a pretty accurate summary. Think of it as serving 20 people with one sheet versus serving only eight people with a single pie. It might require a bit more work than an ordinary pie recipe, but that rectangular shape means it can be sliced into more rows of evenly squared pie than you could ever wrangle out of a nine-inch pie dish.

Slab pies have been around for decades, since any pie can technically become a slab pie. An ideal addition for that backyard barbecue, try whipping up a mixed berry slab pie, made with only puff pastries and various summertime fruits. When your family is deciding which pie to bring to Thanksgiving dinner, don't bother buying four or five meager pumpkin ones from the grocery store, just double your homemade recipe and make a pumpkin slab pie that makes enough to feed a small army. Surprise your in-laws with a slab version of their favorite cannoli cream pie or switch to the savory side and make a slab pie with ricotta and tomatoes. At the end of the day, you just can't go wrong with more pie.