Turn Leftover Beef Bourguignon Into The Most Comforting Pot Pie

Beef bourguignon is a glorious serving of tender beef in a rich wine sauce comprised of mushrooms, onions, and other aromatics. It's the type of dish that usually warrants preparation in large batches, so leftovers will not only be anticipated, but appreciated. And no matter which beef bourguignon recipe you follow, you can zhuzh up those leftovers by turning them into a mouthwatering pot pie.

Sure, the stew is classically accompanied with a serving of potatoes rather than in pie form. However, beef bourguignon is decadent, thick, and flavorful — the ideal combination of factors for a pie filling. And when using leftovers, the flavor of the stew will likely even intensify overnight, making it even more suitable for a pie in subsequent days.

All you need are some frozen puff pastry sheets and some eggs to apply a wash. Roll out the dough, and place into a spacious ceramic vessel just a bit larger than your leftovers. Add the beef bourguignon, and seal with a second layer atop, as well as a small circle removed for ventilation. Then crimp the edges, apply an egg wash, and you'll be ready to bake. Don't fear dryness: Since the beef stew is liquid and fatty, it can endure the cooking duration until the dough turns into a beautiful golden brown pot pie.

In France, where beef bourguignon was born, you won't find the stew in pot pie form. However, French cuisine isn't a stranger to savory puff pastry dishes like poulet en croûte, which bear a strong resemblance to chicken pot pie. Tackling a beef bourguignon variation of the pie from scratch may seem like an intimidating endeavor, but since you'll be using leftover stew that you already made, the assembly is less daunting.

Instead of stewing the beef and baking the pie all in one go, the enjoyment will be more spread out. The process requires the stew to be cooled when it's added to the pastry anyway, so using leftovers offers another extra benefit.

Plus, you can craft the pot pies to your specifications. The process is malleable — an essential for leftovers. When it comes to what container to make your pie in, a classic ceramic vessel measuring around two quarts in volume is a common choice (you could repurpose your best casserole dish). However, if you have less stew or want to serve the pies in a more personal way, you can reach for individual vessels, too. Just make sure your puff pastry sheets can cover the dish with around one inch of overhang, and are cold right until baking (a common pie crust mistake) and you'll be set to make delicious pies.