The Best Tool To Bake Pie For A Crowd Is Probably In Your Kitchen Right Now

Pie is a classic dessert, beloved by millions and certainly popular in America. In fact, if you're ever tasked with bringing dessert to a function or get-together, you really can't go wrong in bringing a pie. The one drawback is that a circular pie typically can't serve a large group of people, so if your party is large, you might be looking at baking several pies. Otherwise, consider digging out your sheet pan, which is the perfect tool for making pie for a crowd.

Also called slab pie, sheet pan pie is made in a large, rectangular baking pan, including jelly roll pans, baking sheets, slab pans, and baking dishes. Once baked, sheet pan pies are usually cut into square-shaped portions instead of the triangles that circular pies are cut into. While a standard pie tin will yield servings for six to eight people, a sheet pan pie can serve 20 or more. You get all the goodness of your favorite pies, from cream, fruit, custard, or even savory pies, along with flaky butter crust, just in a larger form, which is never a bad thing.

One of the best things about sheet pan pies is that you can create multiple flavors in a single pie, if desired. If you want a giant apple or banana cream pie, have at it. Working with a larger pan means you can split it into two, three, four, or even more sections for several flavors at once. To assemble a pie like this, you can either make your own pie dough and roll it out to fit your pan or use premade dough. The latter typically comes in boxes with two or three round, rolled-out pastry portions, which you'll have to overlap and roll out to fit in your pan. You can even use your favorite breakfast cereal to make a delicious pie crust. And, if you plan to top with more pastry or create a lattice top crust, you'll need additional dough. You can also crown the pie with a streusel or crumble topping.

For the simplest fruit pie, you can use canned pie filling or make your own. For a creamier pie filling, try combining your fruit with condensed milk. Of course, with larger sheet pan pies, you'll need more filling than you'd normally use, whether you're using canned or making your own. If you're making multiple flavors, it's fairly easy to create separators in the pie. On the bottom crust, assemble barriers made of pie dough scraps. Place them where you want the separation to be and trim off the excess. This will allow you to pour in several fillings without them seeping into each other.

Finally, since sheet pan pies bake in shallow pans, you won't need to bake your confection as long as standard pie tins or dishes. This means it will cool faster as well, letting you and your guests enjoy your pie much quicker than usual.