Beef Pot Pie

Warm and comforting, my beef pot pie is like a hug for the belly on a chilly evening. Prepared with a rich, hearty, slow-simmered beef stew filling that's brimming with earthy parsnips, carrots, potatoes, celery and peas, my beef pot pie recipe is topped with a simple and flaky puff pastry crust, no homemade pie crust required!

A Cozy Pot Pie with a Beefy Filling and Flaky Crust

What could be more enticing, comforting and belly-warming on a chilly autumn or winter evening than a hearty, fresh-out-of-the-oven pot pie?

Just the thought of that makes my mouth water!

Pot pies are the epitome of rustic home cooking, the kind that is filled with simple, earthy ingredients lovingly put together in a way that's meant to bring pleasure to the one partaking, making them feel cozy and loved.

In our household, we really enjoy this classic chicken pot pie with biscuits, and this season, I thought I'd tweak things a little bit by creating a beef pot pie recipe, filled with the most comforting ingredients fit for this time of year.

Because we love a hearty, rich beef stew, my beef pot pie recipe is prepared with a slow-simmered beef stew filling which boasts slices of carrots and parsnips for a touch of natural sweetness, baby potatoes to create a little extra heartiness, plus celery, onions, peas and fresh thyme for flavor and texture.

And the topping? I'm keeping that simple and easy by using good quality, store-bought puff pastry which results in a tender, flaky and lightly-crisped lid—no homemade pie crust required!

My Recipe For Beef Pot Pie

While the preparation for this comforting pot pie recipe is actually quite simple, a little bit of time and patience is required...

Because I like rich, beefy flavor in the filling for this beef pot pie, I like to use organic beef chuck roast which I cut into medium-large pieces and allow it to simmer in its sauce for about 2 ½ hours until tender, giving it a stir every so often.

And if you're pressed for time the day day you'd like to serve this pot pie?

Then here's a terrific tip, one which I use myself: prepare the beef stew filling a day or two before you plan on baking and serving the beef pot pie, to keep things quick and easy the day you serve.

This ensures that the beef filling is cool, and then all that is needed is to thaw and lightly roll out the puff pastry sheet, cover the filling with it and egg wash it, then bake—simple!

Of course, everything can be prepared the day of as well, you'll just need that bit of patience with allowing for the beef stew filling to cook, then cool a little bit before topping with the thawed puff pastry sheet and baking it off.

Here's a glance at my beef pot pie recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my beef stew filling, then allow the filling to cool to room temperature (the fridge can expedite this). If preparing the filling ahead, then I'll prep it and keep it in a covered container in the fridge.
2. Next, I'll spoon the beef filling into a medium-large baking dish, then top with my thawed puff pastry sheet, tucking in or crimping the edges.
3. I egg wash the puff pastry sheet, and cut 4 small slits in it to allow for venting during baking.
4. Then, I bake the beef pot pie for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the puff pastry crust is golden brown and crisp.

Recipe

Beef Pot Pie

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This beef pot pie features a hearty, slow-simmered beef stew filling topped with a flaky puff pastry crust, making for an extra cozy meal!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 741 calories per serving

Prep Time: 30 minutes (does not include cooling time for stew)
Cook time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ to 2 ½ pounds organic beef chuck roast, cut into medium-size chunks
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 5 level tablespoons flour, divided use
• Olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into medium-large chunks
• 2 ribs celery, sliced into medium-large chunks
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and sliced into medium-large chunks
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 small bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup red wine (your favorite drinking wine will work)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 8 ounces yellow baby potatoes, halved or quartered
• ¾ cup petite frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 sheet puff pastry (keep frozen until ready to roll out)
• 1 egg yolk, whisked, for egg wash

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above (except for the puff pastry sheet—keep that frozen) to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the beef pot pie filling, add the beef pieces to a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, plus the paprika, and toss to coat. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of the flour, and toss once again to coat.
3. Place a large, deep pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and drizzle in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once hot, work in batches adding the seasoned beef pieces into the hot pot and allowing them to sear for a few moments until deeply browned. Remove beef from pot with slotted spoon and repeat with any remaining beef. Set the browned beef aside for a moment.
4. Into the same pot add a drizzle more oil if needed, then add in the onion, carrot, celery and parsnip, and saute for a couple of minutes to slightly soften. Then, add in the garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, thyme and white pepper, and stir to combine for a couple of moments until aromatic.
5. Next, add in the tomato paste and stir to incorporate, then pour in the red wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for a couple of minutes. Once mostly reduced, sprinkle in the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour evenly, and stir to incorporate for a moment.
6. Add in the seared beef, the beef stock and the baby potatoes, and stir to incorporate. Bring the beef stew filling to a vigorous simmer/boil, then reduce the heat and very gently simmer it, uncovered, for about 2 ½ hours or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. (You can cover the stew the last 15 to 20 minutes if you find that the sauce is evaporating too much.)
7. To finish the beef stew filling, sprinkle in the peas, fresh parsley and thyme, and allow the stew to cool to room temp. (Beef filling can be prepped the day before, or, the chilling process can be expedited by placing the stew into the fridge to cool.)
8. Once the stew has mostly cooled, remove the frozen puff pastry sheet from the freezer and allow it to thaw for 30 to 45 minutes (or according to package instructions), depending on how warm your kitchen is.
9. Preheat your oven to 400°, and prepare a large, deep baking dish (about 2 ½ quart size, roughly 2 inches deep).
10. Pour your beef stew filling into the baking dish.
11. Roll out your thawed puff pastry sheet to fit your baking dish (it can be slightly bigger to tuck the edges in to the stew for a more substantial crust), then place the puff pastry sheet over the beef stew filling, lightly tucking the edges in around the stew.
12. Brush the puff pastry lightly with the whisked egg yolk to create an egg wash, then cut 4 slits into the top to allow for venting.
13. Place the beef pot pie into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden-brown and puffed.
14. To serve, sprinkle with thyme leaves or parsley to garnish, and serve hot.

Tips & Tidbits for my Beef Pot Pie recipe:

• Beef chuck roast, or beef stew meat: Whenever making beef stew, I typically like to use beef chuck roast and cut it into medium-large chunks myself. I like the fat marbling throughout, which offers richness with nice, beefy flavor. Opt for grass-fed, organic, if possible. You can also use beef stew meat, if you prefer.
• Flavor from the root veggies: The combo of carrots, celery, parsnip and potatoes works really nice in this beef pot pie, with the parsnip and carrots offering a bit of natural sweetness, and the potatoes and celery some texture and earthy flavor. You could also sub rutabaga, sweet potato, or even use butternut squash if you'd like!
• Allow the filling to cool before topping with puff pastry: For the best flaky and puffed results, make sure that your beef filling is cool to at least room temp before rolling out your puff pastry sheet crust and topping the filling. If it is too warm, the puff pastry will become too warm and you will not get as nice a “puff” and flaky result while baking.
• Prep the filling a day ahead for convenience: To expedite things the day I'd like to bake and serve my beef pot pie, I will typically prepare my beef stew filling a day (or even two) ahead. This way, it is already completely cool (you can take it out of the fridge and bring it to room temp), and all that you'll need to do is to thaw and roll out the puff pastry, lay it over the filling in the baking dish, egg wash, and bake.

Craving more ultra comfy-cozy recipes like this one? Check out this Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits, these Savory Hand Pies, this Braised Beef with Mushrooms, this Beef Goulash, or this Chicken with Mushroom Sauce!