I think the only way to find out is to make it with both a pre-made crust and a homemade one, and then send both to me and I will let you know how they are.

There are no flaws in this plan.

I'm a pie person.

I don't think 15-20 minutes is sufficient to cook that crust. When you blind bake a pie crust (that is, when you pre-cook the shell before filling is adding -- an important step with some pies), you bake it for 15 or 20 minutes. That's without filling. I think maybe they left that step out of the recipe.

If it were me, I'd follow the recipe, but pre-bake the crust. You'll want to poke it with a fork lots of times before it goes into the oven, or cover it in parchment paper and weight it down with dry beans. (You won't be able to cook them afterwards.) Look up instructions for blind-baking pies if you want specific steps to follow.

You *could* use a pre-made crust. Lots of people swear by them. They taste like chemicals to me, but I've been making pie crusts since I was 12 years old, so I'm a little spoilt.

punchtothehead, I would love to send you delicious pie!

The potential flaw is that I am a much better eater than cook. This would be a huge undertaking for me. I half want to be talked out of the idea.

That's what I thought, too, mudpuppie, they forgot that part. Thank you.

Yep -- I just spot-checked a bunch of pie recipes, and I can't find a single one that doesn't have a 40+ minute baking time when the pie shell is uncooked.

Actually, it's not a traditional PIE pie, but at our local chain Ian's Pizza [note: overzealous Flash], the best seller by far is the mac and cheese. And it's gooooood. It's like love on a paper plate. I have it twice a week and it's TOTALLY in my diet plan, thank you.

The funny thing is that anybody over the age of 35 reacts like they're being offered cockroaches a la mode. And I'm like, "Hello: it's MACARONI AND CHEESE. With an ALFREDO SAUCE BASE." And they actually use quality ingredients, too, which results in a mac and cheese that has replaced the casserole version from my childhood in my heart.

If you're in Madison (downtown), Milwaukee (kinda by Lake Park) or Chicago (Wrigleyville), you are soooo in luck.

Madamina: I always get the mac and cheese pizza at Ian's. I keep telling myself that I'll try something new, but I never do. Ian's is one of the few saving graces when having to go to a Cubs game.

Madamina, yes, the whole concept just sounds like it would fire love receptors in my brain. Like deep fried twinkies but I'm wired different and want. Mac n cheese + Pie.

Data point, over 35, would eat the slice.

Would the crust and filling interface be potentially dry though? I'm tempted to brush it with mustard or . . . something, but that might ruin the whole thing?

I'm a pie person.

Noted. Someday, perhaps in the distant future, this little factoid will serve me well. . . .

Would the crust and filling interface be potentially dry though? I'm tempted to brush it with mustard or . . . something, but that might ruin the whole thing?

I wouldn't think it necessary. The mac/cheese part of the recipe is pretty standard for baked mac & cheese. Baked mac & cheese doesn't get dried out -- especially after only 15-20 minutes in the oven.

You could add a touch of mustard (I'd say brown mustard) to the mac & cheese recipe for flavor -- very British -- but I wouldn't use it as a glaze.

No mustard glaze. That's a rule that I just made up but am going to stand by.

I'm over 35, and I'm squarely in the 'over-35 reaction' crowd. I'm glad y'all are happy, but it makes me shudder.