Ground Beef Wellington

When I think of a Beef Wellington, I remember my very first attempt. No – it didn’t turn out well at all. My pastry was soggy and my meat was overcooked – go figure. Over the years, I haven’t given up on my quest for the ultimate homemade Beef Wellington. However, for a recipe to be ultimate, it must be easy to prepare and deliciously fit for a diabetic. We are all crazy busy, pulled in a million different directions, so simple home cooked goodness is a must. In the case of my Beef Wellington craving, ground beef to the rescue!

What is Beef Wellington?

Historically, Beef Wellington is a fillet steak coated with a pâté (often, pâté de foie gras) and duxelles. Duxelles is a finely chopped (minced) mixture of mushrooms or mushroom stems, onions, shallots, and herbs that are sautéed in butter, and reduced to a paste. Sounds fancy eh? It is. This fillet is then wrapped in a puff pastry and baked. Apparently, some recipes suggest wrapping the steak with a crepe to retain some of the moisture (to prevent making the pastry soggy as I experienced). I wish I had known that trick!

Variations

The traditional Beef Wellington is of English origin. You may either wrap the entire tenderloin in the pastry and bake it OR you may prefer to pre-slice the steak and wrap each serving individually.

Additionally, there are a variety of seasonings that can spice the meats. Common spices include allspice and ginger while I enjoy adding fennel seed and red pepper flakes. You also aren’t limited to using beef – chicken, lamb and salmon are excellent alternatives.

A Simplified Beef Wellington

So, there I was, craving a good Beef Wellington, not wanting to go to the fuss and also not wanting to spend the money on a good cut of beef. Rob and I live with extreme frugality. Ground turkey is a much more affordable option for us. It can be spiced to take on whatever flavor is preferred as well. I love making my ground turkey breakfast sausages on weekends – you’d never know that they aren’t pork!

Overtime, I came up with this recipe. It’s so simple to prepare and absolutely delicious. When Rob and I feel like being extra naughty, we’ve been known to drizzle our Wellingtons with a little Buffalo Ranch Dressing for a little extra flavor. Regardless, this recipe is always a hit in our home and a much simpler way to prepare a traditional Wellington.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Take a picture and comment below to let me know how yours turns out. AND, don’t forget to hashtag #tabletvboston when you share the awesomeness on social media. I love to follow my fans!

Ground Beef Wellington

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup fennel, chopped
• 3 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1/4 tsp bread crumbs, crushed
• 1 eggs
• 1 lb ground beef, or turkey
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp parsley, dried
• 1 tsp himalayan salt
• 8 crescent rolls, (8 oz package of refrigerated crescent rolls)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheet or cover with parchment.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, fennel, and garlic. Cook until fennel and onion are is tender, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add fennel seed and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Set aside.
4. In large bowl, combine egg and ground beef/turkey, bread crumbs, parsley, and salt. Add the cooked vegetable mixture, and stir until combined.
5. Make individual Wellingtons by separating the crescent roll dough into four sections (each section is composed of 2 triangles). Divide the meat mixture among the crescent roll squares, then seal the dough around the meat. Place seam-side-down onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry has turned golden-brown, and the center of the pastries registers 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) on a kitchen thermometer, about 30 minutes.
7. Slice and serve.

Notes

If desired, drizzle prepared Ground Beef/Turkey Wellington with Buffalo Ranch Salad Dressing.