Craving cozy comfort food as the chill of winter lingers? These Beef & Stout Pot Pies with a flaky, blue cheese crust are the answer! Imagine tender beef simmered in rich stout broth, all nestled beneath a perfect flaky crust. These individual pot pies are an excellent choice for those days when you want something cozy and warm.
Tender chunks of beef mingle with a medley of vibrant vegetables, all simmering in a rich beef and Irish stout broth. Since these pot pies are already packed with protein, carbs, and veggies, round out your meal with a crisp green salad or a light and vibrant starter like this Butternut Squash Soup. It's the perfect balance of cozy comfort and fresh flavors.
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Contents:
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Lean beef: Any type of steak you like will work for this recipe. I prefer to use something relatively lean, like a NY Strip Steak.
- Puff pastry: While another brand will work, I'd recommend using Dufour if you can find it! It's an all-butter version and just a little bit flakier than other options!
- Stout beer: I often use Guinness as I can buy single cans at my grocery store. Any very dark beer will work for this recipe.
- Tomato paste: Buying tomato paste in a tube makes it much easier when a recipe only calls for a small amount. You can find it in this packaging at most grocery stores.
- Egg: You can also use liquid eggs or egg whites. If you use liquid egg whites, the crust won't be quite as shimmery.
- Crumbled blue cheese: I use blue cheese in salads so I buy the pre-crumbled version. You can also buy a block and crumble it yourself.
Recommended tools
Mini Gratin Pans – I love these little pans! I decided to use them because they give you a good sized pot pie and are oven friendly. If you don't have them (or want to buy them) any oven-safe dish that holds 8-10 ounces of liquid will work.
Silicone spatula – A silicone spatula is essential to ensure you don't scratch your pans. This one from Williams Sonoma is my favorite. I prefer the wood handle so it doesn't get hot, though if you lean it on the side of a very hot pan you can get some burn marks on the handle.
How to make this recipe
The full printable recipe card is below, but let’s walk through the details before you start cooking.
This recipe involves a few steps, so let's talk strategy! Think "mise en place"—the French secret weapon for stress-free cooking. It's all about getting everything organized before you even start prepping. Trust me, prepping your ingredients and having everything at your fingertips will make your life much easier!
Step 6 | Make the crust. When you are ready to start the crust, preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the puff pastry into two even pieces and roll each lightly with a rolling pin. Sprinkle one half of each piece with blue cheese. Fold the unsprinkled side over the sprinkled side. Lightly roll each piece with a rolling pin again. At this point, you can just use the rectangular pieces as they are. They will hang over the edges of the pans as you see in the photos. If you prefer a neater presentation, you can cut the sheets into rounds slightly larger than the pan. I like this option, but sometimes as it cooks, the puff pastry sinks into the pan a bit, so it doesn't puff as nicely. Either way works just fine!
Make Ahead Tips
If you want to make them in advance, the best option is to make the stew mixture and then add it to the gratin pans. Cover the pans and refrigerate until you are ready to cook. Remove the gratin pans from the refrigerator when you pre-heat the oven and then top each with the prepared puff pastry and bake according to the recipe instructions.
More comfort food recipes
If you are looking for other comfort food recipes, check out these reader favorites:
- Bolognese Sauce. Homemade Bolognese Sauce creates comfort food in a bowl. This version combines ground beef and pork for a hearty sauce that's perfect on a cold winter day!
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup. This rich and creamy loaded baked potato soup gives you all your favorite baked potato flavors packed into a comforting and warming meal. It's the perfect recipe for a chilly day!
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Mini Beef & Stout Pot Pies
Ingredients
For the stew:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ pound lean beef, cut into about 2" cubes
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups red potatoes, about ⅓ pound, cut into small cubes
- ½ cup peeled and chopped carrots
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- ½ cups Irish stout or other stout beer
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup chopped baby bella mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
For the crust:
- 1 (14 ounce) package puff pastry, this should be 1 sheet, defrosted
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Brown the beef. Heat oil in a 5 quart or larger dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and brown for 1 minute per side (4 minutes total). Remove the beef from pan and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the base + deglaze. Add onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add a small amount of the beef broth and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots, potatoes, thyme and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute until the herbs are fragrant. Add the remaining broth, beer, mushrooms and tomato paste. Stir to incorporate.
- Season the beef. Sprinkle the beef with salt, pepper, cornstarch and flour. Return the beef to the pot.
- Simmer the stew. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while you assemble the crust.
- Prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 400°F. While the stew is cooling a bit, cut the puff pastry into two even pieces and roll each lightly with a rolling pin. Sprinkle one half of each piece with blue cheese. Fold the unsprinkled side over the sprinkled side. Lightly roll each piece with a rolling pin again. Place the puff pastry sheets back into the freezer until you are ready to top the pot pies.
- Assemble the pot pies. Divide the stew mixture between to mini gratin or other small oven-safe pans. Each pan should be able to hold 8 - 10 ounces of liquid. When the oven is heated remove the puff pastry from the freezer and cover each pan with a sheet of puff pastry.
- Make the egg wash. Mix the egg and water together. Brush the mixture onto the puff pastry before placing the pies in the oven.
- Bake the pies. Place pans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 35 - 45 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- If you want to save one of the pot pies for another time, cover tightly with aluminum foil after it cools and refrigerate. When you are ready to reheat it place in a 250° oven for 20-30 minutes until the desried temperature is reached.
- I've made this recipe with two different brands of puff pastry and the cooking time does vary a bit by brand so keep a close eye on it while baking. You want a nicely puffed, golden brown pastry crust.
This post was originally published in February 2018. It was updated in February 2025 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.
laura@motherwouldknow
I absolutely love the combination of blue cheese and beef, but never thought of this creative way to combine them. I must try it - and even my husband who doesn't like blue cheese can enjoy it if I make one half with the cheese and the other half without. His loss:) But we both get the stout, so he's not going to mind in the slightest.
Lisa @ garlicandzest.com
OMG - did you really stuff the puff pastry with blue cheese? Over the top!
Kylee
OMG, this looks superb! I especially like the gorgeous little pans you used!
FoodieGirlChicago
Thank Kylee - I love those pans. I use them all the time!
Bella B (xoxoBella)
You are genius with the blue cheese! I love the container these are cooked it. Perfect for this.
Jill
Wow! Those pans are fabulous and this recipe sounds perfect! Especially love that blue cheese puff pastry top...
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Jill. The blue cheese puff pastry is really yummy!
Ashley Nicole
I love the mix of ingredients and the use of blue cheese. It looks so delicious and perfect with the pan!