Creamy Sweet Pepper Beef Bruschetta Pastry

What and how are all the elements of this super savory, ultra creamy, and sensationally delicious Creamy Sweet Pepper Beef Bruschetta Pastry Pie made?

 

Puff Pastry, also known as pâte feuilletée, is a flaky light pastry made from a laminated dough composed of dough and butter or other solid fat. The butter is put inside the dough, making a paton that is repeatedly folded and rolled out before baking. – Think: “flattened” croissant. It’s basically the same thing.

 

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese. In Italy, bruschetta is often prepared using a brustolina grill.
HOWEVER, bruschetta can also be classified as simply grilled or roasted veggies, in olive oil, salt, and garlic, served over toasted bread – or “however.” In THIS case, I’m using roasted sweet peppers, for the tasty, Italian “bruschetta” flavor.

 

Mascarpone is a soft Italian acid-set cream cheese. It is recognized in Italy as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale. 
Mascarpone has a looser, velvety-er texture, and richer mouthfeel, similar to a double-crème brie, than American cream cheese. It also has a higher butterfat content of 75%, vs. 55% for cream cheese. This makes it just SO much better in every way! It’s just creamier and so much more delicious.

 

So, now that you have all the essential Italian elements, let’s combine them with ground beef for an amazing Creamy Sweet Pepper Beef Bruschetta Pastry Pie. Serve with fresh arugula, tossed with olive oil and sea salt and pepper to accentuate all the savory pastry pie flavors.

 

 

And PUFF pastry is right! 
Look 👀 at this amazing PUFF! 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

Creamy Sweet Pepper Beef Bruschetta Pastry

2 sheets frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed and covered with a damp paper towel

1 lb. ground meat (bison or beef)
sea salt and pepper
16 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups Spicy Sweet Pepper Cashew Bruschetta (or jarred pepper bruschetta)
3 large eggs + 1 yolk (1 egg white reserved)
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

fresh arugula
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

 

In a large Dutch oven or sauté pan, brown the meat, along with sea salt and pepper.

Breaking apart with the back of a spatula, allowing the fat to render.

Once cooked through, add the creamy and tart mascarpone cheese. 

 

Stir until melted.

Next, stir in the Spicy Sweet Pepper Cashew Bruschetta.

Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs and egg yolk (reserve the one egg white).

 

As the creamy beef bruschetta mix is cooking, line a large round baking/casserole dish with one sheet of puff pastry, rolled out.

 

Fill with the finished filling.

Top with grated cheese.

Top, again, with the second layer of puff pastry.

Fold the sides under in a decorative fashion.

Brush with the remaining egg white.

Create several decorative slits in the top of the pastry.

 

Bake for 45 minutes, or so, until golden brown. 

 

Remove from the oven and chill for several hours, allowing all items to set. (Overnight, with next-day oven reheating is great too).

 

Slice and serve with fresh arugula leaves tossed with olive oil and salt and pepper.

 

Perhaps we’ll call this “Mediterranean Shepherd’s Pie?”