This year, you’re going to finally make that pie for Thanksgiving and it’s going to be great — and no big deal. Your family and friends are going to eat that pie, and they’re going to love it. They’re going to love it and they’re going to be impressed with how simple it was for you.

Martha Stewart and Ina Garten references will be made.

You’re going to start with this easy pie crust recipe. You’re going to make it whenever you want. You can make it right now and have it hanging out in the freezer for whenever you have time to get to it.

Or you can get up on Thanksgiving morning and make it while the turkey is in the oven and the Pikachu float bounces down Sixth Avenue towards Herald Square. No-stress.

I want you to believe in your heart of hearts that pie crust is super easy, no big deal — because my friend, it’s no big deal. It’s just pie. You can do this with your eyes closed, sorta. But seriously, there are no secrets or tricks here and you don’t need a culinary degree to perfect the pie crust.

It takes just as long to walk to the freezer aisle, dig through the stack of frozen pie shells to find the one that isn’t broken, and bring it home, as it does to whip one up with the simple ingredients you very likely have in your kitchen already.

The ingredients are simple. All-purpose flour, a touch of sugar, a pinch of salt, cold butter, and just enough water to bring it all together. That’s it.

Blind Baking your Pie Shell

If you’re baking a pie with filling that also needs to be baked (like an Apple Pie), you probably won’t need to blind bake the shell to start. If you’re baking a pie that’s a bit wet (like Pecan or Pumpkin Pie), you’ll probably want to partially blind bake the shell to start. If you’re making a pie that’s assembled in a pre-baked shell (like a Banana Cream Pie), you’ll want to blind bake the shell, remove the pie weights, and then finish baking the shell entirely.

To blind bake the shell, preheat the oven to 350F. Line the inside of the chilled shell with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, making sure the pie weights go up the sides of the pie as well as cover the bottom. I use dried beans or chickpeas in place of more expensive weights, which can still be used for multiple bakes. Bake the shell for 20-25 minutes until the edges are just light golden brown.

To completely par-cook your pie shell, you'll then remove the pie weights and parchment paper, then bake the crust for 4 or 5 minutes more — or until your shell is a lovely golden brown color.

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