Just because I’m a food writer it doesn’t mean everything I cook is either fancy or comes out tasting delicious. The other night, for example, I made a chuck roast and it was terrible. It was tough and I didn’t particularly like the seasonings I had tried.
But there I was stuck with it. I wasn’t about to throw out 3 pounds of meat.
So I cut some of it up and cooked it into a beef pot pie. Easy and simple enough. I made a fairly standard recipe but I included a small amount of beef bacon which really amplified the flavor.
Ed declared it “great” and had thirds.
BEEF POT PIE
3 carrots, sliced about 1/2-inch thick
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
2 ounces beef bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups cooked, cut up beef
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
frozen puff pastry
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the carrots and potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain and set the vegetables aside. Cook the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the pieces are beginning to crisp. Pour in the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown. Add the flour, mix it in and cook for 1-2 minutes. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring constantly until the liquid is smooth and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the carrots and potatoes, the beef, peas and parsley and mix to distribute the ingredients evenly. Spoon the contents of the pan into a baking dish. Cover with puff pastry. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Makes 4-6 servings