Stew-La-La Soufflé
Baked Ground Beef and Vegetable Stew with a Fluffy Egg Soufflé Topping, Served with Pasta
1 hour 10 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerFrenchNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Borrowing a page from the French bistro playbook, this dish fuses a classic beef-vegetable stew with a dramatic soufflé crown. You'll learn how to create a deeply flavorful base, then finish with a cloud-like egg topping that puffs up for a show-stopping, spoon-able dinner.
Equipment needed
- Oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (for egg whites)
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- 02Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and set aside. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
- 03Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- 04Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
- 05Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until aromatic.
- 06Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 07Pour in the beef broth, add the thyme and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly.
- 08Taste and season the stew generously with salt and black pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- 09In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux.
- 10Gradually whisk in the milk, cooking until the mixture thickens into a smooth béchamel, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 11Transfer the béchamel to a mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and grated Gruyère cheese until smooth.
- 12In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer or very clean whisk to beat the egg whites to firm, glossy peaks.
- 13Gently fold about one-third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest just until no streaks remain. Take care not to deflate.
- 14Spoon the soufflé mixture evenly over the hot beef-vegetable stew, spreading to the edges.
- 15Bake the casserole uncovered for 18-22 minutes, until the soufflé topping is puffed and golden.
- 16Divide the cooked pasta among four plates. Spoon generous helpings of the hot soufflé stew alongside or over the pasta.
- 17Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Want your own recipe?
Toss me some ingredients in the Recipe Lab and I'll invent three recipes on the spot. Just for you.