Get ready to fall in love with these Mini Beef Wellington appetizers with mushrooms and savory gravy in flaky homemade tartlet shells. They are a tasty appetizer that comes together in about an hour. They’re perfect for a bite-sized hors d’oeuvre for a holiday party or festive gathering.

the mini beef wellington appetizers on a silver platter

This post was published on January 5th, 2014. I have updated the images to share them with you today.

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Why We Love This Recipe For Mini Beef Wellington Bites

This recipe was inspired by Beef Wellington, which is a classic British steak recipe. I wanted to make a tasty little appetizer version of the dish to serve at dinner parties and holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Traditional Beef Wellington is usually made with filet mignon, topped with sautéed mushrooms and pate and wrapped in puff pastry. This dish is a labor of love, as it requires lots of chilling, rolling, egg wash—the whole nine yards.

The classic dish is also incredibly hearty and isn’t the best for you, which is why I decided to make this into the perfect mini (portion-controlled) savory appetizer!

Key Ingredients For This Appetizer Recipe

the ingredients for this recipe with text overlay
  • White whole-wheat flour- This one from King Arthur’s is really great. I used it to make the pie shells.
  • Cold unsalted butter- I used less butter than a normal pie shell recipe here.
  • Neufchatel cheese- This is basically just reduced-fat cream cheese.
  • Olive oil- You’ll need olive oil for the pie shells.
  • Lean ground beef- I used lean ground beef.
  • Veggies- You’ll need chopped garlic, onion and mushrooms for the filling.
  • Seasonings- Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
  • Beef or chicken broth- You can use either but I went with beef for this recipe.
  • Worcestershire sauce- This helps add depth to the filling.
  • Tomato paste- To make the sauce for the filling.
  • Brown sugar- You could use white sugar if you don’t have brown.
  • Corn starch- This helps thicken the filling.  

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Mini Beef Wellingtons

making the dough and portioning it

Step 1: Make shell dough

Process white whole-wheat flour, butter and ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add Neufchatel and drizzle oil over the flour mixture, and process until the mixture comes together as a dough.

Step 2: Portion Dough and Press into Pan

Roll while squeezing into a log, and cut into 24 even pieces. Lightly coat 2 mini muffin tins with cooking spray (24 cups) Press each dough ball into and up sides of the muffin cups.

the dough in the pan and then the beef mixture

Step 3: Refrigerate Dough and Preheat oven

Refrigerate tins while you prepare the filling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375ºF.

Step 4: Cook filling

Coat a medium skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add beef and garlic, and cook, breaking up and stirring until the beef is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion, mushrooms, paprika, pepper and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often until the mushrooms and onions are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

making the sauce and filling the shells

Step 5: Make Sauce

Whisk broth, Worcestershire, tomato paste, cornstarch and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Stir into the beef mixture and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the liquid bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes.

Step 6: Bake pie shells

Divide the beef mixture among the muffin tins, using a dinner fork, and bake until the pie shells are browned and the filling is bubbling, 15 to 18 minutes.

the wellingtons in the muffin tins after they are baked

Step 7: Let cool & serve

Let cool for about 10 minutes before gently removing pies from the tins. Serve warm. 

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four of the mini wellnigtons on a tray from a side angle

FAQs and Expert Tips

How to make these mini beef Wellington appetizers taste their best

My first tip is to try not to overwork the dough, otherwise, your pot pie crusts will be tough! Secondly, when making the filling, make sure to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan once you add the liquids in—there’s lots of flavor at the bottom of the pan!

Make-ahead instructions

Make the pie shells and the filling a day ahead and assemble right before serving.

Storing instructions

Store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Carefully store the pie shells in a large sealable plastic bag at room temperature (best eaten within the first day or so as they can lose their crunch quickly).

How to store leftovers

If you think there might be leftovers, only assemble as many as you’ll need. If you store leftovers already assembled, the filling might make the pie shell soggy and they won’t taste as fresh.

overhead of the appetizers on a silver tray

Additional Recipes to Try

Mini Taco Salad Appetizer Bites, Tacito Salads. Naturally gluten-free, vegetarian and loaded with sharp cheddar cheese flavor! on Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Taquito Salads ~ Mini Taco Salad Appetizer Bites
two of the wonton cups on a black plate from the side (closeup)

Sesame Chicken Wonton Cups
overhead of the chicken salad bites on a black sheet pan

15 Minute Chicken Salad Bites with Cranberries and Walnuts
How to make crispy wonton cups for appetizers or hors d'oeuvres on healthyseasonalrecipes.com

How to Make Wonton Cups

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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mini beef wellingtons on a silver platter

Mini Beef Wellington {Appetizer Bites}

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Description

Get ready to fall in love with these Mini Beef Wellington appetizer bites with mushrooms and savory gravy in flaky homemade tartlet shells. They are tasty hors d’oeuvres that come together in about an hour.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
  • 1/4 cup mild olive oil
  • 1/4 pound lean ground beef, preferably grass-fed
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 3/4 cup finely diced onion
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon paprika, hot if desired
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup reduced sodium beef or chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoons corn starch

Instructions

  1. Process white whole-wheat flour, butter and ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add Neufchatel and drizzle oil over the flour mixture, process until mixture comes together as a soft dough. 
  2. Roll while squeezing into a log, and cut into 24 even pieces. If necessary use additional flour to make the dough workable. Lightly coat 2 mini muffin tins with cooking spray (24 cups) Press each dough ball into and up sides of the muffin cups.
  3. Refrigerate tins while you prepare the filling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375ºF.
  4. Coat a medium skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add beef and garlic, and cook, breaking-up and stirring, until the beef is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion, mushrooms, paprika, pepper and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often until the mushrooms and onions are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Whisk broth, Worcestershire, tomato paste, corn starch and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Stir into the beef mixture and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the liquid bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes.
  6. Divide the beef mixture among the muffin tins, using a dinner fork.
  7. Bake until the pie shells are browned and the filling is bubbling, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before gently removing pies from the tins. Serve warm.

Notes

Storing Instructions: Store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Carefully store the pie shells in a large sealable plastic bag at room temperature (best eaten within the first day or so as they can lose their crunch quickly). Reheat on a baking sheet until heated through. 

  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: British

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece
  • Calories: 78
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Sodium: 94 mg
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 2 g

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