A cross between a stew and a pot pie, this indulgent beef hybrid with stout beer and smoked Cheddar is topped with flaky puff pastry. It makes a stunning main dish that will win you lots of “oohs” and “aahs” when you bring it the table.
Recipe tags: beef base, moderate difficulty, main, beef, roast
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 2 tbsp | Better Than Bouillon® Roasted Beef Base |
| 2 lbs | stewing beef, patted dry with paper towel |
| ¼ cup | all-purpose flour |
| ¼ cup | butter |
| 2 stalks | celery, cut into 1-inch chunks |
| 1 large | carrot, cut into 1-inch chunks |
| 1 | leek, sliced into half-moons, rinsed and drained |
| 8 oz | cremini mushrooms, quartered |
| 4 sprigs | fresh thyme, divided |
| 2 cups | stout beer |
| 1 cup | frozen peas |
| 2 tbsp | finely chopped fresh chives |
| 1 cup | cubed smoked Cheddar cheese (cold) |
| 1 | sheet puff pastry (about 10 inches square) |
| 1 | egg, beaten |
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In large bowl, rub beef with 1 tbsp Roasted Beef Base and coat with flour.
In ovenproof Dutch oven or large saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. In 2 batches, cook beef, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to plate.
In the same Dutch oven over medium heat, melt remaining 2 tbsp butter and cook celery, carrot, leek, mushrooms and 2 sprigs thyme for 4 to 6 minutes or until just starting to soften. Return beef to the pan and add remaining 1 tbsp Roasted Beef Base; stir until combined.
Continuously stirring, slowly pour in stout, making sure to scrape up bits from the bottom of the pot; bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to oven.
Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is fork tender (leave oven on).
Cool beef filling slightly and remove thyme sprigs. Stir in peas and chives, then transfer to 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle Cheddar evenly over mixture.
Increase oven temperature to 425°F.
On lightly floured work surface, roll puff pastry sheet to measure 13 x 10 inches. Top baking dish with pastry, tucking in edges in a decorative pattern, as desired. Brush with beaten egg. Cut out steam vents in center of pot pie, and decorate top with remaining thyme sprigs.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and puffed up, and filling is hot and bubbling. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips: Alternatively, make individual pies in ramekins, trimming puff pastry to cover the filling and adjusting the final bake time as needed. Blue cheese lovers, substitute smoked Cheddar with Stilton cheese.
