Smokey, rich and creamy beef stroganoff makes a delicious dinner in its own right, but the leftovers are perfect in pies!
We generate a lot of leftovers. For some reason I only seem to be able to cook meals to feed four adults, though there are only two and a half of us eating dinner. Generally we have at least one lunch sized serving left after many of our meals. I’ll admit I’m not very good with leftovers. They can be a real saviour when time is short, but often I just don’t feel like the same thing we had for dinner reheated for lunch the next day. To minimise wastage we try to come up with interesting ways of using our leftovers so that they are still appealing tomorrow or the next day. And that’s where these pies come in. Who doesn’t love anything wrapped in puff pastry?
The beef stroganoff – succulent beef with rich mushrooms in a smoked paprika and sour cream sauce – inside these wonderful puffed little pies is a delicious recipe in its own right. It makes a delightful dinner served over steamed rice or perfectly cooked pasta. Left in the fridge overnight then lovingly encased in crisp buttery pastry, the flavours intensify and it gets elevated to a whole other level making it an amazing lunch.
We had enough beef stroganoff left over for me to make four pies – more than enough for four for lunch with a nice fresh side salad – but my lunch guest and I enjoyed them so much we polished off the lot! It seems I’ve discovered that puff pastry is the secret to ensuring the leftovers in our house actually get eaten.
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Serves: 4 pies
- 600g beef schnitzel or rump steak
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp oil
- 500g button mushrooms
- 40g butter
- 1 brown onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 heaped tbsp flour
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cream
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sheets pre-rolled puff pastry - 4 extra tsp sour cream
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Slice the beef into very fine strips, the thiner the better.
- Note: it will be easier to slice the beef thinly if it is partially frozen when you cut it - if using pre-frozen meat cut it when its not quite defrosted, or if using fresh beef, wrap it in clingfilm and place it in the freezer for around 30 minutes before slicing.
- Heat the oil in a fry pan over a high heat and toss in the beef strips. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Finely slice the mushrooms and add these to the same fry pan. Cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Peel, quarter and slice the onion. Reheat the same fry pan over a medium heat and add the butter. When melted, add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes until very soft and translucent. Peel and slice the garlic and add this to the onions. Cook for a further minute. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Pour in the beef stock and stir well to combine. Allow the stock to bubble for a minute. It will form a thick sauce with the flour. Add the tomato paste, dijon mustard, and sour cream to the sauce and stir well. Stir in the cream and lemon juice, then add the beef and mushrooms back into the pan. Cook gently for a few minutes to heat through. Remove from the heat. Roughly chop the parsley and stir through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- At this point the stroganoff can be served as a main meal with steamed rice or fresh pasta. If using to make pies, allow the stroganoff to cool completely, preferably leaving it overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Lay two sheets of pre-rolled puff pastry on to the work surface. If frozen, allow to defrost for 15 minutes.
- Cut four 12 cm circles from each sheet of pastry. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and lay four of the pastry circles on to the paper. Brush the pastry with a little beaten egg. Spoon half a cup of cold stroganoff into the centre of each pastry circle making dome shapes, leaving about 2 cm around the edge. Top each with a teaspoon of extra sour cream.
- Take the remaining pastry circles and carefully lay them over the top of the stroganoff, gently pressing the pasty on top of the meat to remove any air bubbles. Using a fork, press down to crimp around the outside edge of each pie, joining the two pieces of pastry together.
- Gently roll up the edges of the pies. Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch around the edge of the pastry every centimetre or so to ensure a good seal.
- Use a sharp knife to prick a hole in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape. Decorate with flowers or leaves cut from the pastry off cuts, then brush well with the beaten egg.
- Set aside to rest for a minimum of 15 minutes, or up to an hour in the fridge.
- Before cooking, brush each pie again with the beaten egg. Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving with a crisp side salad.
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