Mini Beef Wellington Bites (15 Minutes!)
Easiest Super Bowl app ever?
Hell Yes!
Truth be told, I’ve actually got tons of easy appetizers for all your Super Bowl needs. They include:
Extra-Crispy Honey Teriyaki Cauliflower Bites
Buffalo Quinoa Bites w/ Mozzarella + Blue Cheese
Six-Ingredient Philly Cheesesteak Crostini
Honey Sriracha Quinoa Chicken Meatballs
Philly Cheesesteak Pull-Apart Bread
I know. What. A. Lineup! You could make them all, obviously. But if you only make ONE, here’s another for your consideration: Mini Beef Wellington Bites.
If you’ve had Beef Wellington before, then you know it’s freakin’ delicious. And if you haven’t — hello! Get on board the train.
Traditional Beef Wellington is a beef tenderloin coated in pâté and duxelles, then wrapped in puff pastry. It’s a decadent, sumptuous, and unsurprisingly, time consuming masterpiece. So for this app-friendly rendition I streamlined the process by skipping the pâté, simplifying the duxelles, and swapping the puff pastry in favor of quick and easy mini filo cups.
You start by searing precise 3/4″ cubes of beef wellington in olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Cast iron is best because it achieves the sexiest sear (yes I said that) so if possible, use it. These cubes cook quickly — about 2 minutes total — so you’ll need to work efficiently. It’s a rapid, slightly demanding process, but luckily it’s over just as fast as it started. Once the beef is seared — you’re aiming for a medium-rare finish — transfer to a clean bowl or plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Next, deglaze the pan with some cold white wine, the add butter, mushrooms, shallots, and rosemary. Sauté for several minutes until fragrant, then lastly stir in heavy cream + a touch of flour for thickening. This is my idea of a deconstructed duxelles, and damn is it tasty.
Once the mushrooms are ready, it’s time to serve. Add a cube of beef to each filo cup, top with a heaping spoon of mushrooms, and eat! Creamy, salty, luscious bites of texture-rich heaven are on the way.
And as a final note: these stay nicely at room temperature for about 2 – 3 hours, so they’re perfect for Super Bowl feasting. xo
Mini Beef Wellington Bites (15 Minutes!)
Ingredients:
- 20 – 25 mini filo shells
- 1 lb beef tenderloin, cubed into 3/4″ cubes
- a pinch of salt & pepper
- 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
- a pinch of salt & pepper
- 3 tbsps cold, dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
- 2 tbsps salted butter
- 10 oz cremini mushrooms, finely minced
- 1 1/2 shallots, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsps fresh rosemary, diced + more for garnish
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsps flour, sifted
Directions:
- Thaw mini filo shells to room temperature. Salt & pepper the cubed beef.
- In a large cast iron skillet warm the olive oil over high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Next, add the cubed beef to the pan and sear until just browned, about 1 minute on either side — Your goal is a medium-rare finish. I like to arrange the cubes in a circular design working from the outside towards the center. This way, by the time the last rare piece of beef is placed in the middle, it’s time to flip the first piece over. Once cooked, transfer to a clean plate or bowl and cover with a towel to keep warm.
- Reduce the flame to medium-high, then pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom as you do to incorporate any brown bits of flavor. Next melt the butter, then add the mushrooms, shallot, and rosemary. Sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes, then again reduce the flame to medium-low before lastly stirring in the heavy cream and flour until incorporated. Allow this mixture to simmer for another 5 minutes.
- When ready, place a cube of seared beef inside each mini filo cup, then top with a generous spoonful of mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.
This looks awesome. Would you be able to freeze them or make in advance or would the pastry becomes soggy?
I don’t see why not! I’d simply compose them with room temperature beef + filling (nothing hot!) to avoid any potential sogginess, then freeze! I’d reheat at 325F, covered w aluminum, for about 15 – 20 mins till warm. Xo!