Beef Pot Pie Puff (Printable)
Hearty beef and vegetables slow-cooked in savory gravy topped with crisp puff pastry.
# What You Need:
→ Beef and Marinade
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into ¾-inch cubes
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Vegetables
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 large onion, diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 ½ cups frozen peas
09 - 1 ½ cups baby potatoes, diced
→ Sauce
10 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
11 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
12 - 2 cups beef stock
13 - ½ cup dry red wine (optional)
14 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
15 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
16 - 1 tsp dried thyme
17 - 1 bay leaf
→ Crust
18 - 1 sheet (about 9 oz) ready-made puff pastry, thawed if frozen
19 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches, setting aside browned pieces.
03 - In the same pot, reduce heat to medium. Add butter, then sauté onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
04 - Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, mixing well.
05 - Pour in red wine (if using) and deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits. Add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Return beef to the pot.
06 - Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender.
07 - Discard bay leaf. Stir in peas and cook 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
08 - Transfer beef mixture to a large baking dish (about 2 quarts).
09 - Drape puff pastry over the filling, trimming excess and pressing edges to seal. Cut a few small slits for steam to escape. Brush pastry with beaten egg.
10 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crisp.
11 - Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The puff pastry creates this impossibly flaky golden lid that everyone fights over
- It makes the house smell incredible while it bubbles away on the stove
- Leftovers taste even better the next day, if you're lucky enough to have any
02 -
- Browning the beef in batches is absolutely worth the extra time, those browned bits become the foundation of all the flavor
- Letting the filling cool slightly before topping with pastry prevents that dreaded soggy bottom
03 -
- Make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate, the flavors deepen overnight
- Place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips and save your oven from messy overflow