Beef Tenderloin Fillets with Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce
Beef Tenderloin Fillets with Spinach Cambozola Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce is entree and side dish all in one. You might call this dish seriously “over-the-top!”
The inspiration behind this recipe:
Even this veggie-loving girl needs a good steak every now and then. Beef tenderloin fillets are what we do at home when we’re craving steak.
To me, the perfect filet mignon is cooked to medium doneness and is served with either a creamy horseradish sauce, a creamy cognac sauce or hearty red wine sauce. Filet mignon is a mild cut of beef so it often needs the help of a sauce. When we make it with a red wine sauce, a good blue cheese crumbled over the steak is a must!
Creamed spinach is a classic side dish for steak that’s often on the menu in steakhouses. Here, that concept is stuffed into hearty, meaty-textured Portobello mushrooms served atop the steaks for all the elements that go along with a great steak.
How to make Beef Tenderloin Fillets with Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce:
Start with the sauce:
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and let that simmer on low heat while working on the mushrooms and steaks.
Work on the mushrooms:
- Scrape the gills and remove the stem.
- Mushrooms contain a lot of water so it’s important to bake them before filling to extract some of it. Five or six minutes in the oven is all it takes.
- After baking, flip them over to drain while cooking the spinach.
- Spinach also contains a lot of water. After the spinach is cooked, prop one side of the pan on a folded kitchen towel or on some potholders to drain that excess liquid away.
- Then comes the Cambozola. OMG. Cambozola is one of my favorite cheeses! It’s got the creaminess of brie or camembert, however, the “blue” flavor is fairly delicate. Often referred to as a “gateway” blue cheese, it’s perfect for people who are not big fans of blue cheese. That doesn’t describe me–I could live on blue cheese!
- The cheese will soften and melt slightly when mixed with the spinach. The mushrooms are perfectly fine enjoyed this way. However, place them in the pan with the steaks when it’s time to finish them in the oven so the cheese gets super melty.
Cook the steaks:
- I let beef tenderloin fillets sit at room temperature a little so they’re not too cold when they hit the pan. Serious Eats provides some information on why this is not necessary, however, I’m old-fashioned. It can’t hurt.
- Whether you let them sit at room temperature or not, be sure to season generously with salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Use a good, heavy skillet such as cast iron to sear the fillets to brown them.
- Be careful not to turn them too quickly—give them a couple of minutes per side.
- When you have a deep brown crust on all sides, place the stuffed mushrooms in the pan then transfer to the oven for the steaks to finish cooking to your preferred doneness.
Are these beautiful or what?
- With experience, it’s possible to estimate doneness simply by pressing down on the steaks.
- Food 52 has a quick and easy way on how to tell when your steak is done simply by using your face.
- If they are soft to the touch, they’re close to rare.
- If they yield slightly to the touch but are beginning to feel firm they are close to medium.
- Firm…. well…. if you must….
The beef, the mushrooms, the cheese, the red wine sauce for the perfect bite!
More quick and delicious beef recipes you’ll love:
- Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak with Peperonata
- Buttery Blackened Steak Bites with Gorgonzola
- Indian-Style Beef Kabobs with Cilantro – Coconut Sauce
- Japanese Beef and Shishito Pepper Skewers
- Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps with Mint Dressing and Vegetable Slaw
- Steak au Poivre and Broiled Lobster Tail with Roasted Asparagus
- Lighter Beef Stroganoff
Beef Tenderloin Fillets with Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce
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Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter - cut into small bits
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Mushrooms and Steak
- 2 Portobello mushrooms - gills scraped
- 5 tablespoons olive oil - divided
- 1 container (5-6 ounce) baby spinach
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 4 ounces Cambozola cheese - torn into small pieces
- 2 (8-ounce) beef tenderloin fillets
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Sauce
- Combine red wine, broth and tarragon in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer while making the steaks.
- Whisk the butter into the red wine sauce. Season with salt and black pepper if desired. Top steaks with mushrooms or serve alongside. Serve sauce with steaks.
Mushrooms and Steak
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place mushrooms on a baking sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until some of the water is released. Flip them over and allow the water to drain out while doing the spinach.
- While the mushrooms are baking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet or saute pan. Add the spinach and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes or until wilted. Prop one side of the pan up on a folded kitchen towel or several potholders and allow any excess liquid to drain off. Pour off the liquid or wipe out with a paper towel.
- Stir in the Cambozola cheese, then divide mixture evenly in the Portobello mushrooms. Set aside.
- Pat steaks dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Heat butter and remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet or sauté pan until it shimmers. Add steaks and brown well, approximately 2-3 minutes per side, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent fat from smoking. Place the stuffed mushrooms in the skillet along with the meat and transfer to the oven. Cook 5-6 more minutes for rare which is approximately 120 degrees in the center. Tent with foil to keep warm.
Recipe Notes
- Use a good, heavy skillet such as cast iron to sear the fillets.
- Be careful not to turn them too soon—give them a few minutes per side.
- The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
- The mushrooms can be assembled 1 day ahead of time and refrigerated.
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Is the tarragon a must? Itโs not a flavor I care for. Otherwise it looks great!
Hi, Dianne, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, tarragon can be a little off-putting for some folks. How about some fresh thyme instead? Otherwise, you can leave the herbs out entirely and add some minced shallot which will bump up the flavor. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
This may sound sacrilegious, but I must ask as there are people in my household who detest blue cheese. Is there another cheese I could substitute? Thanks!
Hi, Rebecca, Not sacrilegious at all! Everyone has different palates. I would substitute brie. Thanks so much and hope everyone enjoys!
I made this for motherยดs day and was a sensation. Easy, super easy and a flavour that is fenomenal. I added to the cheese and the spinach some nuts and the flavour was elevated.
Trying to figure out how to follow. What am I missing? Love all the recipes I see.
Ahh, Sheila! You made my day!!!! There’s a set of social icons on the top of each page on my website. I would be ever so thrilled if you would follow me! Or, if you subscribe, I’ll send you updates each week along with some other goodies like links to some great information and a menu with shopping list! Thanks again!