This Beef Pot Pie with Puff Pastry is a delicious, savory, comforting dish that works well on gloomy or chilly days. Featuring juicy bits of ground beef, flavorful bacon, veggies, and a flakey puff pastry crust, this will be your new favorite make-ahead meal.
This yummy beef pot pie with puff pastry is a hearty dish everyone in your family will love! In each bite, you’ll find a delicious savory sauce, bacon and beef bits, and veg, all with an airy puff pastry crust. By using puff pastry instead of pie crust, the dish feels even more decadent.
Here are a few other comforting savory pie dishes to try during the week: Dutch Oven Shepherd’s Pie and Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful – This yummy beef pot pie with puff pastry has tasty ingredients like bacon, garlic, and seasoning to help create a tasty flavor.
- Hearty – This dish is satisfying and filling with ground beef, bacon, and a mélange of veggies, making it the best beef pot pie.
- Flakey crust – One of the best parts of this recipe is the delicious, buttery, crispy puff pastry crust.
- Perfect for family meals – This yummy beef pot pie dish makes eight servings, so it’s an excellent option for family meals during the week.
- Great way to sneak in veggies – With the delicious bacon, ground beef, and sauce flavors, picky eaters won’t notice the veggies inside this pot pie.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Mushrooms: White or baby bella mushrooms work well in this beef pot pie with puff pastry recipe.
- Dry Red Wine: This easy beef pot pie with puff pastry is best with a dry red wine, like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. If you want to avoid alcohol, you can use extra beef broth as a substitution.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Beef Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Quick Overview
- Sauté bacon, ground beef, onions, mushrooms.
- Add seasoning and tomato paste.
- Add broth and boil.
- Cut puff pastry.
- Add veg to beef mixture.
- Layer in baking pan.
- Bake.
Step by Step Instructions
Cook the bacon first in a pan until crispy, then remove.
Step 1: In a large stovetop & oven safe skillet (about 11-12 inches wide), sauté the bacon over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Step 2: Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Sauté until it is almost cooked through.
Step 3: Add the onion and mushrooms. Sauté for about 12 minutes or until all of the water has cooked off.
Step 4: Add the tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Step 5: Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Reduce until the wine has cooked off.
Step 6: Stir in the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to light boil. Reduce for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Check the puff pastry at 18 minutes; it will be golden brown and not doughy when done.
Step 7: While the meat mixture reduces, cut the puff pastry with a sharp knife into small squares about 2-2.5 inches big. These do not need to be perfect. Set aside.
Step 8: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Set aside.
Step 9: Once the meat is done, turn the heat off. Stir in the peas and carrots. Smooth the mixture into an even layer.
Step 10: Arrange the pastry squares on top of the meat mixture, overlapping slightly. Be sure the pastry spans the whole pan. You can arrange some of the squares slightly going up the edge of the pan. They will shrink towards the middle when baked.
Step 11: Brush the pastry lightly with the egg wash.
Step 12: Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffy. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish this beef pot pie with puff pastry with fresh thyme sprigs or sesame seeds.
I love serving this old-fashioned beef pot pie recipe with a potato-based side to make it a heartier meal. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Thaw pastry according to package. Puff pastry must be at room temperature before using it in this beef pot pie with puff pastry recipe. If you don’t allow puff pastry to thaw completely first, it will crack as it’s baking. You can lay it out on the counter to come to room temperature; it should take about 30 minutes to thaw.
- Use a wide pan. This old-fashioned beef pot pie with puff pastry is best in a wide, shallow pan. If you use a deeper pan, the pastry will overlap too much, and you’ll have undercooked and doughy sections.
- Reduce the filling. An essential step in this recipe is reducing the filling. If the beef filling is too soupy, the pastry will sink. Also, too much liquid can lead to a soggy crust, especially for leftovers.
- Bake until golden. The puff pastry layer is done when it’s golden brown. It should also have a flakey appearance. If the pastry is pale or feels doughy to the touch, it’s not done yet.
Make Ahead & Freezing
Use the below tips when making beef pot pie with puff pastry for meals during the week or to be frozen for future meals.
- To make assembly easier, you can create the filling 1-2 days in advance and store it in the fridge. Then, when ready to assemble, roll out the pastry dough on top of the filling.
- You can assemble the pie the night before baking to save you time on the day of. If you’re baking the ground beef pot pie with puff pastry the next, do not apply the egg wash until right before you bake it. It’s also necessary to completely cool the pie filling before adding the pastry.
- There are two ways to freeze this yummy puff pastry recipe. Freeze leftover pie once it has completely cooled. Or freeze uncooked, assembled pie. When ready to eat, thaw the pie in the fridge overnight.
Additions & Variations
- Individual pies – Turn this yummy dish into individual beef pot pies with puff pastry by using eight smaller pans. This option is great for those who want easy meal prep during the week. Or, if you are having guests for dinner, individual pies offer a fun way to serve this recipe.
- Use beef stew meat – This beef pot pie with puff pastry is also great with stew meat instead of ground beef. When using stew meat as a substitution, expect juicy, tender pieces of beef in the pot pie. Depending on the size of the pieces, you may need to sauté the stew meat for slightly longer than the ground meat.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use puff pastry as a pie base. It will not be as puffy as when used as a topper since the ingredients will push the air out of the pastry layer. However, it will be as tasty as using any other pastry as the pie base.
You can put puff pastry on top of a pie a few ways (as with homemade pie crust). If your pastry is round, lightly roll it onto a rolling pin. Then, lay the pastry at one edge and gently unroll it until it covers the pie. If your puff pastry is in squares (like this beef pot pie with puff pastry), you can place the squares over the pie until it covers the filling in a single layer.
Yes, you can cook puff pastry separately if you want it to have more of a “puff.” Then, place it on top of the cooked pie. However, you can also cook it on top of the pie to save time.
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Beef Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, diced
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt*
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 14-ounce package frozen puff pastry
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
Instructions
- In a large stovetop & oven safe skillet (about 11-12 inches wide), sauté the bacon over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.5 slices bacon, diced
- Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Sauté until it is almost cooked through.1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt*, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add the onion and mushrooms. Sauté for about 12 minutes or until all of the water has cooked off.1 large yellow onion, diced, 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.1/4 cup tomato paste, 8-10 cloves garlic, minced, 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Reduce until the wine has cooked off.1 cup dry red wine
- Stir in the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to light boil. Reduce for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- While the meat mixture reduces, cut the puff pastry with a sharp knife into small squares about 2-2.5 inches big. These do not need to be perfect. Set aside.1 14-ounce package frozen puff pastry
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Set aside.1 large egg, 1 Tablespoon water
- Once the meat is done, turn the heat off. Stir in the peas and carrots. Smooth the mixture into an even layer.1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- Arrange the pastry squares on top of the meat mixture, overlapping slightly. Be sure the pastry spans the whole pan. You can arrange some of the squares slightly going up the edge of the pan. They will shrink towards the middle when baked.
- Brush the pastry lightly with the egg wash.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffy. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Mushrooms: White or baby bella mushrooms work well in this beef pot pie with puff pastry recipe.
- Dry Red Wine: This easy beef pot pie with puff pastry is best with a dry red wine, like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. If you want to avoid alcohol, you can use extra beef broth as a substitution.
- Thaw pastry according to package. Puff pastry must be at room temperature before using it in this beef pot pie with puff pastry recipe. If you don’t allow puff pastry to thaw completely first, it will crack as it’s baking. You can lay it out on the counter to come to room temperature; it should take about 30 minutes to thaw.
- Use a wide pan. This old-fashioned beef pot pie with puff pastry is best in a wide, shallow pan. If you use a deeper pan, the pastry will overlap too much, and you’ll have undercooked and doughy sections.
- Reduce the filling. An essential step in this recipe is reducing the filling. If the beef filling is too soupy, the pastry will sink. Also, too much liquid can lead to a soggy crust, especially for leftovers.
- Bake until golden. The puff pastry layer is done when it’s golden brown. It should also have a flakey appearance. If the pastry is pale or feels doughy to the touch, it’s not done yet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very rich. Next time I will cut down on the salt.
Thank you! My recipes are definitely heavier on the seasoning.
I was very impressed with this dish. So delicious. I will definitely make it again.
I made this exactly as written and it’s absolutely delicious! I plan to make it for my family for the night before Thanksgiving. Thanks for a great recipe!
What do you do with the diced bacon once it is cooked?