Slow-Cooker Beef and Mushroom Potpie
Let the braised beef and vegetable filling simmer in your slow cooker while you are at work, then just pop it into a baking dish, cover with purchased pie dough and bake for 30 minutes. Your guests will think you spent all day creating this comfort-food favorite.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 1/2 lb. (1.25 kg) boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
- 2 Tbs. canola oil, or as needed
- 1/2 lb. (250 g) fresh cremini mushrooms, brushed clean, stem ends trimmed, and thickly sliced
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 Tbs. tomato paste
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) lager-style beer
- 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) beef stock
- 1/2 lb. (250 g) store-bought frozen all-butter pie dough, thawed according to package directions
Directions:
On a rimmed plate, stir together 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) of the flour, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Working in batches, toss the beef in the flour mixture, coating the pieces evenly and shaking off the excess. In a large, heavy fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the beef and sear, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 minutes per batch. (Add more oil to the pan if the pan seems dry.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a slow cooker. Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
Return the pan to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onion, carrots, celery and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the thyme and oregano. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Stir in the tomato paste. Slowly add the beer followed by the stock while stirring constantly, then continue to stir until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
Pour the vegetable mixture over the beef and mushrooms (the combined ingredients will look fairly dry, but the mushrooms will release quite a bit of liquid). Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, stirring once halfway during the cooking time if possible. The meat should be very tender.
Using tongs, transfer the beef pieces to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred the beef into bite-size pieces, removing any large bits of fat. Using a large spoon, skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Return the meat to the slow cooker and cover to keep warm.
Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly dust a work surface with flour, then roll out the pie dough into a round about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter and 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut a few vents into the center of the dough.
Pour the beef mixture into a 9 1/2-inch (24-cm) deep-dish pie dish. Place the dish on a baking sheet. Place the dough round over the filling, trim any excess overhang and then crimp the edges decoratively. Bake the potpie until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Everyday Slow Cooking (Weldon Owen 2018)
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