I don’t know about where you live, but it’s getting chilly here.

And when that happens, I like to eat warm meals that fix the situation from the inside out.

Beef Wellington always comes to mind.

It’s hearty. It’s beefy and flaky. And it’s so, so good.

My fave is a Bake and Serve version that I can pop in the oven and then just enjoy. There’s not a lot of preparation on my part, just heat . . . and serve.

That’s the way I like it.

This one’s a luscious filet mignon with mushroom duxelles wrapped in a flaky crust. Magnificent.

My family loves it and I don’t have to expend a lot of energy on my part. Awesome. I need to save that energy for keeping warm!

Click here to try some for your next family meal this winter!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Ready to have some guests over and get all “fancy-pants” on them?

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make your own Beef Wellington. Using the ever-popular, to-die-for Filet Mignon, no one will ever invite you over for dinner again . . . they’ll all be coming to YOUR house from now on!

Individual Beef Wellington

(Serves Four)

4 oz. Filet Mignon

2 Tbsp. English Mustard

8 oz. Mushrooms (any sort)

1 Shallot, minced

¼ tsp. Chopped Thyme

8 slices Proscuitto or other thinly sliced ham

4 six inch square pieces of puff pastry

1 Egg

3 Tbsp. Water

Salt and Pepper

Season the filet with salt and pepper and sear in a heavy bottomed pan over high heat until nicely browned on all sides, about three minutes total.  Combine the thyme, shallot and mushrooms in a blender and process until finely minced.  Cook the mushrooms in a dry pan until all of the moisture has been released.  Lay two pieces of proscuitto overlapping on a piece of plastic wrap.  Spread one quarter of the mushroom mixture over the ham. 

Brush one of the cooked filets with the mustard and place in the center of the ham.  Fold the ham and mushrooms over the filet ensure it is completely covered and wrap tightly with the plastic wrap refrigerate for twenty minutes.  Repeat this step with all three filets.  Gently beat the egg with the water and set aside.  Lay the pastry out flat and remove the filet from the plastic wrap and place in the center of the pastry.  Brush the edges of the pasty with the egg wash and seal completely.  Stretch the puff pastry a little if you need to, to completely cover the filet.  Refrigerate another twenty minutes.  Brush the outside of the pastry with egg wash and bake in a 350 degree oven until the pastry is nicely puffed and browned.

The scene:  it’s just a run-of-the-mill Tuesday night here.

The kids are coloring, throwing the football in the house and fighting. They’ve already eaten since they’re on the 5:30 pm chicken-nuggets-every-night track.

But my husband will be home soon and the adults crave more than dino-shaped poultry can provide.

What to do?

I decided it was time to pull from the freezer the Beef Wellington I had ordered for just such an occasion. It’s heat & serve, but it smelled and tasted like I made it from scratch.

First, I opened up the box of Beef Wellington. They’re individually vacuum-sealed bundles of heaven . . .

Then, I unwrapped them and followed the instructions in the Gourmet Guide that came with the package. I sprayed a stainless steel rack with cooking spray and arranged the pastries on the rack on top of a cooking sheet. That’s so they won’t bake up soggy on the bottom. It’s a very important step.

Don’t they look like the perfect bakery-fresh pastries?

Then, I put them in a 400-degree oven for about 40 minutes according to the instructions. At about minute 6 I started smelling something really wonderful — probably the duxelle.

This is what they looked like after baking to my liking . . .

Oh, yeah. Crispy pastry goodness filled with filet mignon and a mushroom duxelle that is exquisite!

Can you see the amazing mushroom and herb mixture that surrounds the filet? Oh, mixed with the flaky goodness of the pastry and the juiciness of the beef, it is unbelievable.

Now, you can keep yours in the oven for a bit longer if you like a little less pink — or keep it in for less time if you like more pink. You decide.

But I know that this was just right for a wintry weekday evening where a can of soup was looking like it was going to make an appearance.

And this was just as easy! Serve with your favorite vegetable or a wild rice. Yum!

Hooray for heat & serve! Here’s where I ordered mine. Now I’m all out. I need to stock up again ’cause it looks like it’s going to be a long winter.

And this will definitely take the chill off.