The first and only place I have ever had Beef en Croute (De Boeuf en Croûte or Beef Wellington) was at Sassafras Bistro in downtown Greenville, SC. It is my favorite meal of all the great food they dish out. Almost over the top. A filet mignon, wrapped in a herby mushroom duxelle, gorgonzola cheese and puff pastry. My copycat adds a layer of prosciutto. What I made was:

Beef en Croute, Smashed Garlic Potatoes, Wilted Baby Spinach with Red Wine Pan Sauce and Horseradish Cream.

At the bottom there are a few photos of the dish served at Sassafras Bistro. Here is how they described the dish:

Beef en Croute

Beef Tenderloin, Gorgonzola cheese, & cremini mushrooms baked in a puff pastry, topped with bearnaise, served over sauteed spinach and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Beef en Croute

• 2 8-9 oz beef tenderloin filets (filet mignon)
• 1 8 oz package cremini mushrooms
• 12clove garlic, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 4-6 prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 3-4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• Olive oil
• 1-2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Red Wine Pan Sauce

• Rendering from the seared steak and duxelles
• Olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp AP flour
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper, if needed

Horseradish Cream Sauce Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sour cream, we used Tofutti
• 2 tbsp cream cheese, we used VioLife Vegan
• 2 tbsp grated horseradish
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Kosher salt

Ingredients for Smashed Garlic Potatoes

• 2-3 large Russet potatoes
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, smashed
• 1-2 cups lactose free half and half
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Wilted Baby Spinach

• 1 large bunch fresh spinach
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

How to make Beef en Croute

1. Thaw puff pastry.
2. Set the steaks out to come to room temperature.
3. Heat large skillet or pan over high heat and coat with olive oil. Season the steaks salt and pepper and sear on all sides. Remove the steaks and allow to cool. Place in the refrigerator.
4. Add the mushrooms, garlic, shallot ,parsley and thyme in a food processer and pulse finely.
5. In the same pan add a tablespoon of butter and olive oil reduce pan to medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture to the pan and sauté for 8-10 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Drain off an liquid and preserve for the sauce.
7. On a large cutting board, dust lightly with flour and lay out puff pastry sheet, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Add a layer of prosciutto large enough to cover the filets. Add a layer of the duxelles mixture. Sprinkle the gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Make sure to leave enough puff pastry to fold on either side. Add filet and gentle roll the pastry. Place the seem side down and pinch to seal. Fold the end down, pinch to seal and push the ends under. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
8. Preheat oven to 425F. Thirty minutes before serving place the beef in the oven and cook until the internal temperature reads 120-125° for rare, 5 more minutes for medium. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

How to make the Red Wine Pan Sauce

1. In the same pan, add the olive oil and flour and whisk. When the flour turns blonde, add the red wine and continue whisking until the wine cooks out a little and then add the beef stock.
2. At this point, I cooled, covered and placed in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before serving time.
3. Place the sauce and bring to simmer. Occasionally whisk the sauce, slowly reducing. Right before serving, bring to a boil then reduce back to a simmer. Whisk in the Dijon mustard and a tablespoon of butter. Keep warm.

How to make a Horseradish Cream Sauce

1. Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth. I used a liquify setting.
2. Cut with a little water or milk to adjust the consistency. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

How to make Smashed Garlic Potatoes

1. Cut the potatoes in chunks (I leave the skins on) and add to a large pot full of water.
2. Place on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Season with salt and add garlic cloves.
3. Once the potatoes are fork tender, using a colander, drain the potatoes.
4. Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Coat the pan with olive oil and at butter. Add the potatoes back to the pot and smash them thoroughly using a potato masher. I leave the garlic in and smash that up as well. This does leave a chance of getting a chuck of garlic.
5. Add half and half a little at a time until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

How to make Wilted Baby Spinach

1. Heat a large pan or pot over medium heat. Coat with olive oil. When the pan is hot and the oil is shimmering add the crushed red pepper. I say a pinch, but I like a lot.
2. Let the oil cook the pepper flakes for a minute then add the baby spinach. Toss to combine for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Serve immediately.

A few images from the restaurant.