Welcome winter with Beef Bourguignon Pies with Parmesan Poppyseed Pastry.  Slowly simmering the beef in Burgundy wine the night before will render the meat tender and delicious, leaving you with little more to do than putting together the pastry (easier than you think) and popping the pies in the oven at the last minute. A foolproof people-pleasing dinner party entrée recipe to add to your favorites…enjoy!

Beef Bourguignon Pies with Parmesan Poppyseed Pastry

(serves 8)

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter

2 cloves garlic

2 cups button mushrooms

1-14-ounce bag frozen Petite Whole Onions, thawed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 pound chuck roast, cut in 1-inch cubes

1 cup flour

½ cup oil

½ cup brandy

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups Burgundy wine

2 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons oregano

5 bay leaves

2 cups flour

½ cup oil

½ cup cold water

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.             Preheat oven to 350 degrees.            

2.             Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

3.             Dredge beef in flour.

4.             Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat and sear beef, in batches, avoiding overcrowding in the pan. Remove beef from pan and set aside.

5.             Remove pan from heat briefly and deglaze pan with brandy, stirring to scrape up any browned bits.

6.             Return pan to heat and add tomato paste, wine, stock, thyme, oregano and bay leaves, stirring to combine.                                                               

7.             Put beef back in pan with sauce. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 1 ½ hours.

8.             Add mushrooms and onions and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

                (At this point, Beef Bourguignon can be refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the individual pies.)

For Parmesan Poppyseed Pastry:

1.             Combine flour, oil, water, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, poppy seeds and salt in a small bowl. Stir until combined and gather up in a ball.

2.             Roll out dough between two sheets of waxed paper to a thickness of ¼ inch.

3.             Using a pizza cutter, cut pastry into 4 inch squares. Cut slits in each pastry square for steam to escape during baking.

To assemble:

1.             Preheat oven to 425 degrees.            

2.             Remove Beef Bourguignon from refrigerator and ladle into small (3 1/2 -inch diameter) ramekin dishes.

3.             Brush the edges of each ramekin with water and drape a pastry square atop each filled ramekin.

4.             Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly.

5.             Garnish with fresh bay leaves.

                                                                                                Bon Appetit!

Knock-Your-Socks-Off Sweet and Spicy Brie Bites

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I am currently competing in the Ile de France Cheese Recipe Contest.

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Happy Cooking!

Sydne

Chicken Saltimbocca Lasagna

  With fall in high gear and winter just around the corner,

what you might enjoy is an updated lasagna recipe to wow your family and friends.

Why not try this twist on an Italian classic chicken dish layered into a do-ahead lasagna sure to please everyone at the table?

Chicken Saltimbocca Lasagna

(serves 12)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground chicken (or sliced cooked chicken breast)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Portobello mushrooms, chopped

2 teaspoons thyme

2 teaspoons oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup white wine

24-ounce jar Vodka sauce (pasta aisle)

2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

½ pound prosciutto, thinly sliced and sliced into strips

1 9-ounce package no-cook lasagna noodle sheets

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Freshly snipped thyme

Directions:

1.             Preheat oven to 375 degrees.            

2.             Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and brown until fully cooked.

3.             Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are lightly browned.

4.             Add thyme, oregano, salt, white wine and Vodka sauce. Simmer until reduced slightly, about 15 minutes.

5.             Brush a 15 x 9 inch lasagna pan with olive oil.

6.             Into the pan, layer:

                                1 cup sauce

                                4 sheets no-cook lasagna noodles

                                grated cheese

                                Prosciutto strips

7.             Continue layering until you have used all ingredients, ending with cheese and prosciutto strips.

                At this point, you may refrigerate lasagna until ready to bake, if desired.

8.             Pour cream over and bake for about 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

9.             Remove from oven and let set up for 10-15 minutes.

10.           Slice in squares and garnish with freshly snipped thyme.

Enjoy!