Make-Ahead Mini Beef Wellington Bites

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These Mini Beef Wellington Bites are perfect for a party because you can make them ahead and freeze them and then simply bake them off when ready to serve.  This recipe saves time with store-bought puff pastry, and the easiest mushroom filling with the beef filet.

Warning!  This recipe is irresistible and crazy-addictive.  These Mini Beef Wellington Bites are flaky and buttery on the outside, meaty and succulent on the inside.  Baked flaky puff pastry is filled with a creamy mushroom and parmesan filling and tender beef filet.  My version of this classic is approachable, easy and taste ridiculously delicious. 

They are perfect for a party because you can make them ahead and freeze them and then simply bake them off when ready to serve.  Talk about a time-saver!! They are also great for kids as a fun dinner option.

Easy and Approachable Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington is an English recipe.  It traditionally has a filet of beef layered with pate or foie gra and a duxelle, which is a chopped mushroom mixture.  It’s all wrapped in puff pastry and baked.  Now, this can be intimidating!  So, back when I was catering, I set out to create a more approachable version.

‘Mini’ is definitely more approachable!  If you mess one of them up, you still have 19 more.  You can also be confident that the slice of meat will be cooked through vs. with a large roast.

I eliminated the pate and added parmesan to the mushrooms.  I love mushrooms and parmesan just enhances the salty, nutty flavor so perfectly.  It also adds the creaminess that you would have gotten from the pate.  And frankly, there is already so much flavor from the puff pastry, the beef filet, and the mushrooms, that pate seems like overkill.

Check out just how easy these are to make!

Here are a few more decadent recipes made more approachable to try!

• Easy Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker
• Super Cheesy Cauliflower Rice
• Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

Easy Equipment for Wellington Bites Recipe

For this recipe, I used a food processor to do all the chopping work on the mushrooms. You can certainly do this by hand, but my go-to mini food processor was the perfect for the job.

For both searing the beef filet tips and for cooking the mushrooms, I used my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.  It comes with a glass lid, which is perfect for watching your dinner cook!.

Lastly, you will also need a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11) for baking the mini beef wellingtons.

Simple Ingredients for Mini Beef Wellingtons

Mushroom Filling

• White Button Mushrooms
• Olive Oil
• Finely Diced Onion
• Garlic, minced – To save time, you can buy pre-minced garlic in the vegetable section!
• Oregano, dried
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Milk – I used 1% milk, but you can also use half and half or heavy Cream
• Parmesan Cheese, grated

Other Ingredients

• Petite Beef Filet – Petite Filet comes from the shoulder and is so incredibly tender.  It tastes very similar to filet mignon, but is much less expensive. You can also use filet mignon.
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets
• Egg

Prep-Ahead Steps for these Beef Wellington Appetizers

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)

Puff Pastry can be found in your freezer section of the store.  Keep it frozen and put it in the fridge to thaw a day before you plan to use it.

This recipe starts with Petite Beef Filet.  It’s one of the most tender cuts without the most expensive price tag.  The Petite Filet comes from the shoulder and is so incredibly tender.  It tastes very similar to filet mignon, also known as beef tenderloin, but is much less expensive.

You can make the beef a day or 2 early as well. You will be par-cooking the beef as it will finish cooking in the pastry later. Preheat oven and then season the beef with salt and pepper and a very light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Then sear the outside of the filets in a pan on high heat for about 5 minutes on each side to get a nice brown crust. Then move it to the oven center rack and cook for 15 minutes.

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When the beef is done cooking, transfer it to a plate to rest and cool down.  

For the Mushroom filling, start by chopping the mushrooms into small pea-size pieces.  You can do this by hand, but it is much easier in a food processor.

Finely Dice the Onion. Mince the garlic. You can store these in the fridge together until ready to cook.

Add the mushrooms to a preheated large frying pan or large skillet over medium to high heat with olive oil.  Add the finely chopped onions, minced garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and oregano. Mix to combine and cook for 5 minutes. Then mix and spread into a layer and cook for another 5 minutes. When the mixture has cooked down and the onions are translucent, transfer it to a bowl to cool for a few minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon milk or cream and the parmesan cheese to the mushrooms and quickly mix through so it doesn’t start to melt and clump. Store in the fridge to cool until ready to assemble.

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ASSEMBLE & BAKE YOUR MINI BEEF WELLINGTON BITES 

When you are are ready to assemble, start by beating an egg in a small bowl.  Put your beef filet on a cutting board and slice into ¼ inch thick slices. It’s ok if it looks really pink or even rare in the center as the beef will cook inside the pastry.

Using a large cutting board, sprinkle with flour. Carefully open up a puff pastry sheet and place on the floured board. Roll it out evenly so that it grows in size about an inch in every direction.

Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 10 even rectangles.

Using a pastry brush or your finger if you don’t have one, brush the egg mixture along the edges of each pastry rectangle.

Place a slice of beef in the center of the rectangle, then scoop a small amount of the mushroom mixture on top. Fold the sides of the pastry over and press to seal. Then turn the beef ‘package’ over so the seal is on the bottom.

Using a fork, press the sides together to seal the sides.

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Place all of the mini beef wellington bites on a large sheet pan and brush with the remaining egg mixture. At this point, you can place the sheet pan in the freezer and then transfer them to a freezer container once frozen. They will last in the freezer for 3 months.

Bake in the oven on the center (and top rack if you have 2 pans) for 10-12 minutes or until the pastry has puffed and the tops are golden brown. (if you are baking from frozen state, add about 5 minutes to the cooking time, but DO NOT THAW BEFORE COOKING)

Mini Beef Wellington Bites Recipe FAQs

How do I freeze these?

Once the mini beef wellingtons are assembled, you can place them on a sheet pan and put in the freezer to flash-freeze.  Once frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer container. They will last in the freezer for 3 months.  You will bake them directly from the freezer.

Can I use Chicken instead of Beef?

You can replace the beef filet with chicken breast. Precook the chicken chicken breast in the oven 375 F degrees for 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken breast reaches 165 F degrees. Then slice and follow the instructions in the recipe.

How do I make these Vegetarian?

If you want to make these vegetarian, you can double up on the mushroom filling ingredients. Or you can replace the steak with a slice of zucchini about the same size.

What can substitute in for the mushrooms?

If you don’t like mushrooms, you can replace them with another vegetable finely diced, such as zucchini or onion.  You could also use cooked quinoa to give a similar texture and nutty flavor.  

Can I use another cheese?

Sure, you could replace the parmesan with shredded cheddar, jack, or even gruyere.

ENJOY!  😍 Carrie

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!