Looking for Slab Pie Recipe Recommendations Good Questions

Q: Friends of mine are getting married in a couple of weeks, and dinner is a potluck. I've been assigned to make two "slab pies" (in jelly-roll pans) and I'd love some ideas. The wedding is two hours away, so these pies need to be okay at room temperature for a bit. I'm hesitant to make a fruit pie because they often feel ordinary to me (and mine often end up soggy), but I'm open to suggestions.

Any fabulous pie recipes that would translate well to a slab format?

Sent by Ann

Editor: Ann, we have been wanting to try Smitten Kitchen's sour cherry slab pie for a long time. We also wonder if the crumb-topped apple pie pictured above might be a little less likely to get soggy over a long period of time. And finally, the peach ginger filling from these hand pies is really delicious and worth a try.

• Sour cherry slab pie at Smitten Kitchen
• Crumb-topped apple slab pie at Better Homes and Gardens
• Individual Peach Ginger Hand Pies You Can Pack for Lunch

Readers, any recommendations or tips for Ann's slab pies?

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(Image: BHG.com)

Comments (16)

my mother makes a slab apple pie (or two) every year for thanksgiving since our family is so large, and it has never been soggy. And she's done it for outdoor church events without any soggy crust complaints. in those outdoor cases, however, she's frozen it about halfway in her deep freeze so it holds up better over the course of a few hours. do a pie dry run, and see what works best with your crust recipe! take it into the office to see how it is received before feeling like you've pie-failed your good friends' wedding.
also, she does a full bottom and top crust, however i'd suggest trying a good crumble like the one pictured above. two full crusts with a thinner amount of filling can sometimes seem like crust overload. you also don't need to fuss over making the crust look perfect if you use a crumble.

I can't answer your question about the slab pies BUT I just have to say that I love the idea of a potluck dinner for a wedding!

Put dates down in the crust first, then food-process some pecans and pour them over the fruit. Find a simple recipe for molassis pie base (like for pecan pie) and pour that over the nuts and fruit and bake. Yum!

http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2010/08/peach-slab-pie.html

I've made the Smitten Kitchen cherry slab pie, BUT I made it with Trader Joe's jarred Morello cherries instead of fresh, which are totally not in season right now. I used 2 jars in my slab pie, and used tapioca (not cornstarch) as a thickener per America's Test Kitchen's cherry pie, and it turned out wonderfully. Left it at room temp for a couple of days until it got eaten, and it wasn't at all soggy.

That pie still stands out in my mind as one of the best I've ever made/eaten, so definitely consider the cherry slab pie!

I'm struggling to think of other pie options that you would be okay leaving out for a number of hours. I really think fruit is your best option.

I've never made a slab pie before so I can't really comment on that, but as for fruit pies there are several things that you can do to keep the crust from becoming soggy.

First, bake the pie until the bottom is browned. This seems so simple but I've seen many pies that could have used another 5-10 minutes in the oven. Browning is made easier (and certainly easier to see) if you use a glass pan but if you are looking to make a slab pie, I don't think that glass would be option.

Second, macerate your fruit. Mix the fruit with the sugar and allow it to sit for at least 20-30 minutes. The sugar will cause the fruit to left go of some of its juices, which you can then reduce and add back to the pie. Less moisture = firm crust.

Finally, DO NOT cover the pie. All that does is trap the moisture underneath the plastic wrap and contribute to soggy crusts.

Pumpkin squares (as they are known in the bakeries 'round these parts) immediately sprang into my mind. Although I have no firsthand experience, I would concur with bens on browning the crust first to avoid sogginess.

I made 4 blueberry slab pies and 4 chocolate sheet cakes for a party for 150 people. People went bonkers over the desserts.
The blueberry pie was perfect - not soggy at all. I used the Cherry Slab Pie recipe from Smitten Kitchen with the icing drizzle.
Another idea for this season might be a pecan pie...

As someone else noted, I just wanted to say I thought the idea of a potluck for this event is wonderful. So nice to hear of some practical-minded folks! And what a wonderful way to let everyone really be a part of the day.

I'm thinking of making this jelly roll apple pie from The Splendid Table. The recipe calls for crushed cornflakes to be sprinkled over top the bottom layer of dough...that may help with the soggy factor.

You can check it out here: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/special_rodgers_pie.shtml

if i was making them, i would try a version of a chocolate or caramel pecan pie. that would be perfect for fall and a little more unique than a traditional pecan pie.

These ideas are great! The wedding was actually a couple of weeks ago now, but I wish I had read your suggestions beforehand! I ended up making a version of Molly Wizenberg's Hoosier Pie (a pecan pie with chocolate and bourbon) and it was fantastic. I posted the recipe here:

http://boydsnest.org/news/2010/pecan-slab-pie-with-chocolate-and-bourbon/

And the potluck reception was, indeed, terrific! It really helped that the bride was VERY organized about assigning particular dishes to people. There was wonderful variety and great food!

How about the famous Crack Pie? I've made it several times in bar form instead of the round pie form.

What about Chess Pie? It was my husband's groom's "cake" at our wedding. Delicious!

OMG, CRACK PIE +1000 People will freak out over the deliciousness of it.

A custard pie would work well in that format - proper, thick baker's (egg) custard, with grated nutmeg on top.