Meat Napoleon
Description
A delicious appetizer for any gathering. I will shape the appetizer from puff pastry, but you can buy special ready-made pastry shells at the grocery store. A beautiful, original, and tasty appetizer cake "Napoleon" will be the highlight of any festive table. The filling can be anything you like; the cake holds its shape well and looks elegant when sliced. From the amount of ingredients listed, I got eight portion-sized pieces. Give it a try—it is easy to make and many people will enjoy it.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the ingredients according to the list. Take the dough out in advance and thaw it; I use unleavened puff pastry. You can replace the minced meat with boiled chicken breast.
- 2
Step 2
Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes.
- 3
Step 3
Then take them out and let cool.
- 4
Step 4
Meanwhile, dice the mushrooms and place them in a heated skillet. Once the mushrooms release their juices and the liquid evaporates, add 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and brown for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sautéed mushrooms to a plate for now.
- 5
Step 5
Place the diced onion and grated carrot in the same pan. If the onion is small, use a couple of bulbs. Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil and sauté the vegetables until cooked through. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a plate.
- 6
Step 6
Place the ground meat in a skillet. Add oil if necessary and cook, breaking up the meat clumps with a spatula, for about 15–20 minutes. During cooking, add salt and spices to taste.
- 7
Step 7
When the filling is ready, cut each square of dough in half. Don't discard the crumbs; they can be used for decoration. I also removed the top golden crust. It is crispy and crumbles easily by hand.
- 8
Step 8
Place the ready puff pastry base on a plate. Spread with mayonnaise.
- 9
Step 9
Place the ground meat on top and spread it evenly.
- 10
Step 10
Cover the filling with the second layer and press down firmly with your hands. Spread with mayonnaise and distribute the sautéed vegetables.
- 11
Step 11
Cover the filling with the next layer. Press down firmly again, spread with mayonnaise, and add the fried mushroom filling.
- 12
Step 12
Cover with another layer and press down in the same way. Spread the puff pastry layer with mayonnaise and sprinkle with cheese grated on a fine grater.
- 13
Step 13
If you're going to coat the snack cake with crumbs, spread mayonnaise on the sides all around. I used crumbs from the cake layers for decoration, but you can simply serve it as is or garnish it with herbs.
- 14
Step 14
After forming, let the savory cake rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to soak through. Before serving, I added parsley and cranberries to the garnish. The meat Napoleon is ready.
- 15
Step 15
The appetizer is ready. Serve to the table.