Rich Beef Bourguignon gets a golden puff pastry makeover in this decadent Beef Bourguignon Pot Pie. The stew is tucked underneath buttery puff pastry and every bite has a mix of braised beef, savory mushrooms and crisp pastry.
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About This Recipe
If you’ve made a pot of Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, you already know it’s a bit of a labor of love, but one that is absolutely worth the effort.
Tender beef slowly braises in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions and herbs until the sauce is rich, savory and full of deep flavor. And while I could happily eat it straight from the pot, turning the leftovers into a pot pie is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it all over again.
This Beef Bourguignon Pot Pie takes that rich French stew and tops it with flaky puff pastry that’s baked until golden and bubbly.
Serve the beef pot pie it with a simple arugula salad and a glass of red Burgundy wine to balance all that richness. And if you’re planning a French-inspired dinner, this would be a delicious way to use leftover Beef Bourguignon.
📋 Ingredients
- Beef Chuck: Look for a well-marbled chuck roast and cut it into 2-inch cubes yourself, so that the pieces stay uniform in size.
- Bacon: Julia Child calls for lardons, but regular bacon works beautifully. Cook it until the fat renders and the bacon starts to crisp, then use that flavorful fat to brown the beef.
- Mushrooms: Button or cremini mushrooms both work well. I prefer cutting them into quarters, rather than slicing so they hold their shape and add a hearty bite to the finished pot pie.
- Pearl onions: Frozen pearl onions are my go-to because they’re already peeled and cook quickly. If using fresh pearl onions, peel and braise them in butter and red wine before adding them to the stew.
- Red wine: Use a dry, medium- to full-bodied red wine that you enjoy drinking. Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or Cabernet Sauvignon all work well. Avoid sweet wines.
- Cognac: This is optional, but I love the subtle sweetness and depth it adds to the stew and pairs especially well with the mushrooms and herbs.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh thyme and bay leaves add that classic French flavor. Tie them together with kitchen twine to remove them more easily.
- Puff pastry: Store-bought puff pastry makes this pot pie especially easy. Keep it thawed but cold, then give it a very light roll before cutting the pastry to fit your baking dishes.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Different Topping: For a more rustic version, top the beef stew with drop biscuits and bake until the biscuits are golden and cooked through. It’ll be more of a Beef Bourguignon cobbler-style pot pie.
- No Cognac: Leave it out. The stew will still have plenty of depth from the red wine, bacon, herbs, and the slow braise.
- Pork-free: Omit the bacon and use butter or olive oil to brown the beef.
⏲️ Instructions
Coat the beef. Pat the beef cubes completely dry, season with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with flour.
Brown the beef. Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned on all sides.
Sauté the vegetables. Sauté the vegetables until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another few minutes.
Flambé with Cognac. Carefully add the Cognac and ignite with a long lighter or match. Once the flame subsides, scrape up all those browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the wine and stock. Return the beef and bacon to the pot, then add the red wine, beef stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring everything to a gentle simmer before transferring it to the oven.
Make the mushrooms and pearl onions. While the stew braises, brown the mushrooms, then simmer with the pearl onions, red wine, thyme, and bay leaf until tender.
Braise the Beef Bourguignon. Cover and braise at 325°F until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir the mushrooms and onions into the finished Beef Bourguignon.
Cut the puff pastry. Use your baking dish as a guide to cut the pastry. Leave about 1 inch of overhang so you can trim and seal the edges.
Top and egg wash. Ladle the Beef Bourguignon into your baking dish, then cover with the puff pastry. Cut a few vents in the center and brush the pastry with beaten egg.
Bake until golden and bubbling. Place the pot pies on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Let them rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Make the Stew Ahead: The beef stew gets even better a day or two later and the leftovers are perfect to turn into beef pot pie.
- Roll the Pastry Lightly: Give the puff pastry a very light roll to make it slightly thinner. This makes it easier to fit over the baking dishes and gives you enough pastry to create a small overhang for trimming.
- Save the Pastry Scraps: Don't toss the puff pastry scraps! Cut them into strips, add cheese, then twist and bake for a quick cheese straw appetizer.
- If the Stew is Too Thick: As the stew cools in the refrigerator, it will thicken. Add a splash of beef stock while reheating to loosen the stew a bit.
- Use a Baking Sheet: Place the assembled pot pies on a baking sheet before baking. Just in case any filling drips or bubbles over.
Serving Suggestions
This Beef Bourguignon Pot Pie is substantial enough to be a meal on its own, but here are a few delicious additions that pair well with the pot pie.
- Baked Brie: Serve as an appetizer with crackers, toasted bread or bell peppers.
- Arugula Salad with Parmesan: The peppery greens and fresh acidity are especially good alongside the rich beef and pastry.
- Red Wine: A Burgundy or Pinot Noir is a natural pairing with the braised beef stew. A medium-bodied Côtes du Rhône would also work beautifully.
- Berry Clafoutis: A clafoutis is a lovely French dessert that is rustic and simple and can easily be made ahead of time.
More French-Inspired Favorites
Beef Bourguignon Pot Pie
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
- Souffle Mold
Ingredients
For the Beef Bourguignon
- 1-½ pounds beef chuck
- 4-5 slices of bacon cut into ¼ inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour for dusting the meat
- 1-2 medium carrots peeled and sliced into ½ inch pieces
- ½ yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Cognac
- 1 cup red wine
- 1½-2 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 2-3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
For the Braised Mushrooms and Pearl Onions
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms cut into quarters
- ½ cup frozen pearl onions
- ¼ cup red wine
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 small bay leaf
- salt and pepper
For the Pot Pie
- 1 sheets puff pastry thawed
- Flour for rolling
- 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. You’ll lower the temperature once the stew goes into the oven.
- Cook the bacon: Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat renders and the bacon begins to crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
- Sear the beef: Pat the beef cubes completely dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour. Increase the heat to medium-high and sear the beef in batches for 2–3 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer the beef to a plate with the bacon.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the carrots and onion to the same pot and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Deglaze with Cognac: Carefully add the Cognac and ignite with a long lighter or match, if desired. Once the flame subsides, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the wine and herbs: Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Pour in the red wine and enough beef stock to nearly cover the meat. Add the thyme and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Braise the stew: Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Immediately lower the temperature to 325°F and braise for 2½–3 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Braise the mushrooms and onions: While the stew cooks, heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, until deeply browned and their moisture has cooked off. Add the pearl onions, red wine, thyme, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer until the wine has reduced and the onions are tender.
- Combine the stew: Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf from the beef stew. Stir in the mushrooms and pearl onions. If using leftover Beef Bourguignon, gently reheat it and add a splash of beef stock if the sauce has thickened too much.
- Prepare the puff pastry: On a lightly floured surface, gently roll each sheet of puff pastry just until slightly thinner, about ⅛-inch thick. Don't over-roll or the pastry may become difficult to handle and won't puff as well.
- Cut the pastry: Use your baking dishes as a guide to cut pastry rounds, leaving about 1 inch of overhang around the edges. Save the scraps for cheese straws or another puff pastry recipe.
- Fill the baking dishes: Add the Beef Bourguignon to the baking dish, leaving a little room at the top for the pastry.
- Top with pastry: Lay the puff pastry over the dish and gently press the edges to seal. Trim any excess pastry, as needed, then cut a few small vents in the center of the crust.
- Brush with egg wash: Brush the puff pastry with egg wash, making sure to avoid pooling the egg wash around the edges. Sprinkle with a little Kosher salt.
- Bake the pot pies: Place the baking dishes on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and let the pot pies rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. The filling will be very hot.
Notes
- Make it ahead: Beef Bourguignon gets even better after a day or two, and leftovers are perfect for pot pie.
- Keep the pastry cold: Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions and keep it chilled until ready to use.
- Roll lightly: Roll the pastry just until slightly thinner, about ⅛-inch thick, so it’s easy to fit over the baking dishes without becoming too thin.
- Thick stew: Refrigerated stew will thicken considerably. Add a splash of beef stock when reheating if needed.
- This stew was enough for a 4-cup souffle mold and 1 cup individual mold.
Sally says
Making these right now and I wonder how they freeze. Should I thaw before baking and at what temp do you recommend?
Thanks!
Samantha says
Hi Sally! Apologies for the late reply. If the entire pot pie is already baked and frozen, I would thaw first then gently reheat in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit with foil over the puff pastry to prevent it from browning too much. If you haven't yet, I'd suggest making the filling and placing the unbaked pastry on top, then freeze and bake as usual.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Your pot pies sound wonderful and look like something you would find in a little French bistro.
Samantha says
Thank you so much Karen! They are delicious...but isn't everything with a layer of puff pastry?? haha
Marc says
This looks great!!
Love Julia Child too. 🙂