Beef Pot Pie

puff pastry beef pie with hearty filling

5 from 3 votes

Beef pot pie is pure comfort food. The filling is melt-in-your-mouth tender, and it's topped with buttery and flaky layers of puff pastry. This is the perfect Sunday dinner!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 40

Total Time2 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 789kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

Ingredients

2.5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast excess fat trimmed
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 large carrots peeled and diced
2 stalks celery diced
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ⅓ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ cup red wine or beef broth
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2.5 to 3 cups beef broth plus more as needed
2 cups diced yukon gold potatoes
2 dried bay leaves
¾ cup frozen green peas
1 to 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed according to package instructions, see notes
2 beaten egg yolks for brushing

Instructions

Sear beef

First, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Cut the beef into ¾ inch chunks. Season beef with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
Heat a few drizzles of olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, sear beef until browned, without overcrowding the pot. Remove from the pot and set aside. Do not wipe the pot - you want to keep all those brown bits. Tip: if the beef starts to release excess moisture, absorb it with paper towel (use tongs).

Prepare the filling

In the same pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Then, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, scraping the brown bits with the moisture released. If needed, add a splash of wine or broth to deglaze.
Then, stir in minced garlic and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Then, add wine, scraping the remaining browned bits, and cook until reduced for about 2 to 3 minutes. Quick tip: use a wooden spoon to avoid scratching the pot.
Sprinkle the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Gradually add beef broth, breaking up any lumps. It will thicken as it heats up.
Return the seared beef into the pot, then add the diced potatoes and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Cover tightly with lid and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender.

Assemble and bake

Remove from the oven and stir in the peas. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Transfer the filling into a medium baking dish. Remove the bay leaves.
Roll out the puff pastry sheets and layer it on top of the filling, folding in any overhang (I used 1 sheet and a half). Brush puff pastry with the beaten egg yolks. Cut a few slits on the dough for ventilation.
Place the pie on top of a large sheet pan (to prevent any spilling) and bake at 400 degrees F for about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Puff pastry: My favorite brand is Pepperidge Farm. Each box comes with 2 sheets. I usually use 1.5 sheets - just pinch them together and roll out.
Make-ahead filling: The beef pot pie filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Warm it up a bit, and then assemble and bake as directed.
Make ahead pie: Assemble the entire pie, making sure the filling is completely cooled down before covering with puff pastry, and do NOT brush yet. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to make, brush with the egg yolks and bake as directed.
Freezing baked pie: Baked beef pot pies can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Freezing unbaked pie: Unbaked pies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen pie in the fridge overnight, then brush with egg yolk wash and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Wine choices: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Substitutions:

Red wine: Substitute with beef broth.
Puff pastry: store-bought or homemade pie crust, store-bought or homemade buttermilk biscuits.
Shortcut: If you don’t have time to wait for the beef to braise, feel free to use ground beef instead.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.

Nutrition