Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies

by Cathy Barrow

James Beard Award Nominee 2019 for Best Baking and Desserts The delicious new food trend of slab pies that makes it easy to serve sweet or savory pastry to a crowd-or just your family! For those of you who aren't up on your Pinterest food trends, slab pie is just like regular pie-only better (and bigger)! Instead of crimping and meticulously rolling out a round crust, slab pies are an unfussy twist that are perfect for a potluck or dinner party or just a family dinner. Baked on sheet pans, slab pies can easily serve a crowd of people dinner or dessert. Pie Squared includes seventy-five foolproof recipes, along with inventive decoration tips that will appeal to baking nerds and occasional bakers alike. And this fresh, uncomplicated take on pie will surely pique the interest of those who have previously been reluctant to take out their rolling pin. Barrow didn't invent slab pie, but she definitely thinks outside of the crust. In addition to traditional pie dough, she offers more than a dozen crust recipes-from cracker crusts and cornbread crusts to cookie crusts and cheddar cheese crusts. Using these as a base, Barrow then entices readers with both savory and sweet slab pie creations, with recipes like Spinach, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Slab Pie and Curried Chicken Slab Pie to Sour Cream Peach Melba Slab Pie and Grande Mocha Cappuccino Slab Pie. The first book of its kind, this will appeal to lovers of easy food trends like sheet pan suppers and dump cakes. Don't be surprised when you start spying slab pies at your next potluck!

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food, Reference, Foodie, Food and Drink

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Cathy Barrow an award-winning cookbook author, gardener, knitter, traveler, and teacher. She is the author of Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish (Chronicle Books, 2021), When Pies Fly (Grand Central, 2019 ), Pie Squared (Grand Central, 2018), and Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry (W.W. Norton, 2014). Her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Serious Eats, Saveur, Food52, The Local Palate, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, NPR, and National Geographic. Her books have won the IACP Cookbook Award (Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry) and been nominated for the James Beard Award (Pie Squared). From her home outside Washington, DC, shared with husband Dennis and two irrascible terriers, Cathy cooks in a sun-filled kitchen just steps from the garden. Find her on Instagram (@cathybarrow), YouTube (Cathy Barrow), and her website, https://www.cathybarrow.com/

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a baker. I couldn't resist visiting the Central Market Cooking Tent at the Texas Book Festival.


Cathy Barrow, author of Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies, showed us how easy it was to make a slab pie.


What is a slab pie? you might ask. A slab pie is "just like regular pie---only better (and bigger)! An unfussy twist on pie, the slab pie lets you skip the meticulous rolling out and crimping required for a round crust." Barrow goes on to tell us in her book, "a slab pie can make enough dinner or dessert for a crowd." Barrow includes her versions of traditional pies including Yankee Doodle Dandy Sour Cherry Slab Pie, Easy-as-Pie Apple Slab Pie, and Chicken Pot Slab Pie, as well as her own creations including Hawaiian Pizza Slab Pie, Zucchini, Feta, and Kalamata Olive Slab Pie plus No-Campfire-Necessary S'Mores Slab Pie and Grande Mocha Cappuccino Slab Pie.


It was fun to watch how casual Barrow was when she cut out her crust.

I bought the book and I finally got around to making one of the slab pies from the book this week.


Ham and Gruyere Slab Pie with an All-Butter Crust

All-Butter Crust

2 1/2 cups plus 2 T. all-purpose flour

16 T. butter, cubed and frozen for 20 minutes

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup ice water

For the crust: In the food processor, pulse the flour, butter, and salt until the fats are in small pieces coated with flour, about 15 times. Add the water all at once and process until the mixture almost forms a ball. Form the dough into a 6-by-4-inch rectangle using plastic wrap and a bench scraper to firmly press the dough into a cohesive form. Wrap tightly and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger piece to 11 by 15 inches and place in the slab pie pan, pressing it into the corners of the pan and allowing the excess to drape over the sides. Refrigerate. Roll out the second piece of dough to 10 by 14 inches, place it on a lightly floured sheet of parchment, and refrigerate.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a baking stone on the center rack to heat.

Filling

5 large eggs

1 c. half-and-half

3 T. honey

1 T. snipped fresh chives

1 t. fresh thyme leaves

1 t. salt

3 T. Dijon mustard

8 oz. sliced smoked ham, chopped

8 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

For the filling: Whisk the eggs and half-and-half until frothy. Add the honey, chives, thyme, and salt and whisk again. Spread the mustard thickly across the bottom crust. Scatter the ham and cheese evenly across the mustard, and pour in the egg mixture. Cover with the top crust and crimp and slash. Bake on top of the stone until a knife plunged into the center of the custard comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Delicious!

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

My co-workers and I sat for far too long flipping through this book. I'm probably going to have to buy my rented copy now because I drooled all over it and my library doesn't like water damage to their books...

[viktoria]

pre-read note: borrow this if only for the Moroccan shepherd's pie recipe, what.

[Pearse Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This got the James Beard nom but not win? OK! Well, it fucking deserved the nom at least, I loved it! 10/10 you Goodreads fucks, you should this if you want to make spinach Gorgonzola pie, coconut cream Atlantic Beach pie, cappuccino cream pie, Hawaiian pizza pie, cheese danish pie!!! This book will make you happy because it's wonderful, and the recipes are easy enough to follow and well written (although I would love some prep and cook time recommendations at the beginning). Flourishes like recommending ingredient swaps, crust swaps, explaining what can be done in advance, how well it freezes, why certain additions have been made, etc.. There's sections in the beginning about pie techniques and ones in the back about how to serve, store, consume. This is the best cookbook I can remember, because I am not a chef or a good cook, but this book has really turned me into the Pie Man of the Oberlin Summer, and God bless that. It is a great introductory read and teaches me a lot of skills.

Thank you Cathy Barrow!
-p

10/10

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book to buy for retirement. I don't often have time to make dough ahead and refrigerate for at least four hours before making a pie, but I will one day!

Great recipes and it includes a concord grape pie recipe, so I'm a fan overall!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grandfather used to say, "Patient waiting brings pie." No one in our family was much of a pie baker, but we enjoyed many pies from the legendary Horn & Hardart's and Hanscom's, both originally Philadelphia firms. Horn & Hardart's was widely known for their Automat restaurants in New York, which featured those great fruit pies, as well as individual chicken pot pies.

The overall premise of this cookbook is generally to demystify pie-baking, and to use a rectangular shallow form the author calls a "slab pie." The idea is a larger, easier to cut pie with more servings that takes the same or less effort than the traditional round pie or tart.

Piecrust, in particular, can be daunting for some home cooks, and except for graham and chocolate wafer crusts, and because I can be impatient in the kitchen, I usually buy mine, along with commercial phyllo dough and puff pastry. This cookbook makes crusts easier to manage, and includes some interesting options.

There is an overall Southern cooking style influence to a lot of the recipes, and a few recipes the inclusion of I'd question, but there are enough interesting options for fillings for savory main-course items. Just about every ethnicity's cooking style and spices have made it into this book. It's a good overview for those who are just getting into international cuisine.

Quite frankly, it's not a cookbook I'd add to my collection, but I'd recommend it for novice cooks and bakers.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over the weekend at the "Pie Camp" I attended where author Cathy Barrow taught us her tried and true methods of making the perfect pie dough. But this book goes beyond that. She includes 9 rolled pie crusts. (each of us made 2 in our "camp.") and 6 press in crusts. Then she guided us through her terrific recipes, both sweet and savory, with which to fill the crusts. I cannot believe that I absolutely loved the Mushroom Kale Slab Pie!

And, oh my, the chocolate pecan is fabulous!

The book explains in detail everything Cathy showed us in class. I may not make all of the pies, but I know I will make a lot of them.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

[liked by Diana Henry]
[liked by Dorie Greenspan]

[Myrna Gottlieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to win a copy of the new cookbook" Pie Squared." I had recently seen a slab pie for sale at Trader Joe's; and had no idea what it was. It was displayed on a table, packaged in a flat brown bag that looked more appropriate for a bread than a pie. And you couldn't open the bag to see what was inside. At home I checked out a Martha Stewart cookbook on baking pies and tarts, where I found one recipe for a slab pie with a picture.

A slab pie is easier to make than a conventional round pie. For a slab pie you don't fuss making a delicate pastry dough with butter, lard, or shortening and then carefully rolling and re-rolling it out. The crust of the slab pie is laid in a baking sheet like a jelly roll pan and then worked by hand , patted into an oblong shape, You spoon on and spread the filling; then you place more crust on top, which is shaped into strips for example. A slab pie is more about the crust than the filing. It's a dish you'd bring to a potluck to serve lots of people.It's easy to cut and serve from the pan, unlike a round pie where cutting and serving the first slice is often dicey.

Ms Barrow has taken the concept further. Not only is she making sweet slab pies; she is also baking savory slab pies- made with carmelized onions vegetables , whatever-suitable for a casual family meal or a potluck-like a casserole only baked in a sheet pan and served directly from the pan in which it was baked. .

Ms Barrow is an excellent writer, who offers tips and guidance along with her recipes. I am looking forward to baking my first slab pie.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook was the November cookbook in the Food 52 Baking Club, and it was a real hit. It is a collection of creative and ambitious-yet-approachable recipes that, in aggregate, argue that just about any dish can be turned into a slab pie. Presented are large-format pies, from biscuits and gravy with a Ritz cracker crust to giant strawberry and chocolate Pop-Tarts, alongside classics like chicken pot pie and pumpkin chiffon pie.

The first two chapters are instructive, from latticework tutorials to troubleshooting different types of crusts (the recipes call for everything from classic all-butter crusts to hash brown crusts), setting the home cook up for success. I appreciated the detailed instructions, the pictures, and the addition of a gluten free crust into the mix. She says that she got the idea from the Moosewood Cookbook, which I got when it came out in 1977. The two recipes I have made to date were clearly written and easy to follow, and there are so many that I want to try! If you have fear of pie, this will cure it once and for all.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book as the smaller sizes are perfect for my life right now. But the one recipe I made was a disaster. I normally like to make at least 3 recipes from a cookbook that I'm going to review but I'm in my student apartment at the moment and finals are coming. I'll pick this up again in the fall and try with a few more recipes.

For now though, I made the Good Morning Cheese Danish Slab Pie from page 299. First, the cheese mixture made twice as much as needed. I don't like waste so I froze it. Second, my pastry burned on the bottom after only 20 minutes (the short end of the time recommended.) Third, the cheese mixture didn't have nearly enough taste. Would have been so much better with lemon instead of orange. So I did retry with the other half of the cheese mixture and a shorter time in the oven and it was just ok.

[Miss Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Favorite Chili Frito Slab Pie with a Cornbread Crust
Beefy Empanada Slab Pie with a Cream Cheese Crust
Cowboy Beef Stew Slab Pie with a Lard Crust
Ham and Gruyere Slab Pie with an All-Butter Crust
Christmas in London Slab Pie with a hotwater crust
Sausage and Biscuit Slab Pie with a Ritz Cracker Crust
Any-Season Raspberry Slab Pie with an All-Butter Crust*
Frosted Strawberry Slab Pie with a Cream Cheese Crust
Yankee Doodle Dandy Sour Cherry Slab Pie with an All-Butter Crust
Concord Grape Slab Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie with a Chocolate Crust
Lemon Cream Slab Pie with a Speculoos Crust*
Good Morning Cheese Danish Slab Pie with a puff pastry crust

[SueK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing the square pie trend on Pinterest, I was intrigued. However, I realized I didn't want recipes that are randomly posted there, but something definitive to go by. Because - as I've mentioned before - I can read a cookbook like a novel - this book was perfect for me. Techniques, equipment, and rationale were all well explained - in an interesting way - before I ever attempted one pie. I've now made three from the book, and they've all been excellent. It's worth noting there are actually more savory than sweet recipes here.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Make a pie, make a friend."

I've been making pie for a while and I can't believe it didn't occur to me until I picked up this book that A) Pies can be square or B) Pie crusts can be whatever flavor you want them to be.

There are a lot of great recipes in this book from savory pie crusts to unique sweet pie fillings. There's lots of tips in here on how to make "slab pies" and the best way to measure and store them. These recipes sound like more work than traditional pies, but I'm excited to try them out.

[Teawench · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the picks of an online cooking group I'm in. I didn't actually cook from it but I would probably make the majority of the recipes in it. The biggest reason I didn't make any is because it's just me & my SO and all the recipes are for 8-12, at a minimum. I asked if they would take well to being halved & didn't get a response (the author was participating for the month this book was used). I may check it out from the library again to try it once the holidays are over. I'd also probably buy a copy from a used bookstore.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many delicious pie options, savory and sweet. Two possibilities towards my grandmothers elusive slap apple pie - a recipe that existed only in her head, no matter how hard we tried to get it written down. A bissel of this, she would say, and a handful of those, and sprinkle this on the top. No real measurements, and no one in the family has ever successfully made one without her. This lovely bit of drool worthy reading for the holiday might hold the answer - and even if it doesn't the experiments will be delicious!!

[Scott Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this type of book, and more importantly, I love that the recipes are all pretty good.

To be more specific: this type of book I would not put too far away from a Junior league collection that was edited by someone with a culinary school background.

The price of the book is paid back in the easy access to the dough types and the quite fun finished dishes.

I guess the question you should put to this type of book is: is it useful? Will I ever make any of the recipes?

I think you will.

Excellent effort Ms. C. Barrow.

Next time, just leave out the kale.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummmmm! I love this book! It offers savory and sweet slab pies both as meals and desserts! There's something for every palate in here. What I liked best about these is that they could made for pot luck or crowd meals. And no fussiness like the round pies (I'm awful at those...) And the photos are wonderful! I love that they show steps in photos throughout the book and all of the finished meals. Great book!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cathy Barrow's Pie squared : irresistibly easy sweet and savory slab pies introduces many of us to a new world of making square or oblong pies as she covers the history of pies themselves by letting us know that for many years the British used pies for more than desserts. I was surprised by the sheer volume of pie-type recipes and the variety of crusts available for the making. The book even contains some Kosher ingredient pies.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I love this idea, however there was so much information it just blew my mind. Then there weren’t enough pictures for all of the recipes that were in the book. I think there were just too many recipes. My suggestion would have been cut the recipes and add more pictures. We eat with our eyes first right?! So final answer good idea needed a better execution.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I drooled over the many different ways to prepare slab pies. I'm partial to the savory ones. I really liked the section where good points are made on how to make the best crusts and the many types of crusts. I need to spend more time reading through this cookbook. What a fantastic way to make a meal. Thank you much to the publisher for sending me this book.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice way to spend an afternoon was browsing through the interesting recipes in this book. Can’t say I am a convert to slab pies which has more crust than filing and my preference is the opposite but at a different time in my life I would have been interested in trying a few of the author’s mixtures but these days cooking and baking for one means a slab pie is way more food than I can use.

[Shana Pare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendously Tempting

This is a marvelous cookbook, filled not only with scrumptious pie recipes, but also great tips on utilizing your baking pans and, indeed, your rolling pin. Who would have thought that you would need help in using a rolling pin? However, I learned a lot.

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great recipes!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't miss making the Turkey Chili Frito Pie.

[Karin Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only are the pictures delicious...so is the pie

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you decide to move past or add to the simple (but classic) apple pie that you make only on Thanksgiving, this is the book for you. I am considering purchasing this for my personal collection.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I was so happy to win this cookbook. There is several recipes that I can't wait to try.

[Marianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The majority of the savory pies use pork in some form. A little more creativity would have been good.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I just don't like pie.