Beef Wellington, on the quick
I wanted to do something with ground beef, but I wanted to get fancy, so beef wellington on the quick(er) and cheap it is!
Grab a large bowl for your ground beef, large enough that the beef fits in it and you give yourself ample room to mix ingredients. Set aside. Chop the onions and the mushrooms and place in a (separate) bowl. Since you’re already chopping things, go ahead and chop the fresh parsley, throw that on top of the beef. Chop the fresh basil, throw that on top as well. Beat two eggs and the cream together in a small bowl, set aside. Add crushed saltines on top of the beef, add a little salt and pepper, dump the egg mixture on top (save bowl for the last egg). Next get your hands in that beef and mix evenly, set aside.
Heat a large pan over high heat, add butter, onions and mushrooms. Cook till onions are translucent. Reduce heat to medium, add salt, pepper, (dried) basil & fresh garlic, mix till garlic is fragrant. Pour the wine into the mushrooms, once blended, turn heat back to high. Mix continuously till wine has reduced, place back in the same bowl, let mixture cool.
Before wine is reduced
After wine is redued
Lightly flour the surface and open one sheet of the puff pastry, cut in quarters, with a knife or pizza cutter. Add a spoons-worth of (cooled) mushroom mixture over the four pieces of puff dough, eyeball that you used half the mixture on the 4 pieces.
Measure out 1/3 cup meat and make into a ball, flatten a bit into a patty and place on top of the mushroom mixture.
Start by folding opposite ends in and pinch together, do the same with the other two ends. Pinch each long end together and pinch and fold all ends after to ensure its sealed.
Add the wellingtons to a large greased baking sheet seam side down, cut X’s into each puff ball. Beat the last egg in a bowl and egg-wash each puff ball.
Place in the 400°F oven for 30-40 minutes. Let cool before serving, pair with gravy of your choice, choose any side you like.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 eggs (divided)
3 tablespoons butter
1 small white onion
4-8 cloves of garlic (use your garlic preference, I <3 garlic)
8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 cup red wine
salt & pepper to taste
2 sheets of puff pastry (thaw out to package, or place in fridge that morning and remove pastry from fridge when you gather ingredients.)
