Beef Au Poivre & Cheesy Potato Gratin
with a Pear & Pecan Salad
- Milk
- Tree Nuts
- Eggs
Post-holiday slump, be gone! Lean into cozy-season with this French-inspired fare designed for gathering and sharing. Premium beef tenderloin is seared, then simmered in butter and ground peppercorns to create the savory sauce of your Parisian dinner dreams. Meanwhile, potatoes are baked in layers of bacon, cream, and melty cheese for a classic potato gratin. Mixed greens, tossed with pear slices and pecans, round the meal for a winter feast worth celebrating.
Ingredients
1.5 cup
Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4 ounce
Bacon
½ cup
Parmesan Cheese
½ ounce
Pecans
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
8 tablespoon
Sour Cream
10 ounce
Beef Tenderloin Steak
0.15 tablespoon
Black Peppercorns
1 unit
Pear
1 unit
Beef Demi-Glace
(Contains: Milk)
1.5 ounce
Honey Dijon Dressing
(Contains: Eggs)
16 ounce
Potatoes
¼ ounce
Chives
2 ounce
Mixed Greens
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Slice potatoes into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place in a medium pot (use a large pot for 4 servings) with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender when pierced with a fork, 8-10 minutes. TIP: Cover pot with a lid to bring to a boil faster. • Drain and let cool slightly.
• While potatoes cook, place peppercorns in a zip-close bag and crush with a heavy- bottomed pan or rolling pin. Halve, core, and thinly slice pear. Finely chop chives.
• Slice bacon* crosswise into ¼-inch pieces. • Heat a large, dry pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon in an even layer; cook, undisturbed, until crispy on bottom, 2-3 minutes. Stir bacon; cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 2-5 minutes more. • Turn off heat; using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, crumble bacon into small pieces. Wash out pan.
• While bacon cooks, in a medium bowl, combine sour cream and garlic powder. Add water 1 TBSP at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper. • Once potatoes and bacon are done, in an 8-by-8-inch baking dish or small ovenproof pan (use a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or large ovenproof pan for 4 servings), arrange half the potatoes in a single, slightly overlapping layer. (TIP: Use tongs if potatoes are still hot.) Evenly layer half the sour cream mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with half the cheddar and half the crumbled bacon. Repeat process with another layer of potatoes, remaining sour cream mixture, and remaining cheddar. Sprinkle with Parmesan and remaining crumbled bacon. • Bake on top rack until edges are brown and bubbling and cheese is melted, 10-12 minutes (12-15 minutes for 4). Let cool until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, pat beef* dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for bacon over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook to desired doneness, 4-7 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board to rest. Wipe out pan. • Return same pan to medium-low heat and add demi-glace, ½ tsp crushed peppercorns (1 tsp for 4 servings), and ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4). (Be sure to measure peppercorns—we sent more). Simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. • Remove from heat and stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) until melted.
• In a large bowl, toss mixed greens with pear and honey Dijon dressing to taste. • Thinly slice beef against the grain. • Divide beef, salad, and potato gratin (you may have some left over!) between plates. Top beef with sauce. Sprinkle salad with pecans. Garnish everything with chives and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The cheesy potato gratin and pear-pecan salad earned consistent praise; opinions on the beef and au poivre sauce were more divided.
- Ease of prep: This meal has more steps than most, but reviewers agreed the extra effort is well worth it for a special dinner at home.
- Suggestions: Some found the demi-glace too sweet or overpowering — skip it or use it sparingly if you prefer a lighter finish on the beef. A few noted that adding water to the pan sauce is essential; leaving it out makes the sauce too thick. Consider using Gruyère instead of cheddar in the gratin for a milder, more classic flavor.
- Leftovers: The potato gratin keeps well and makes a satisfying lunch the next day — some reviewers had enough for two extra servings.
- Beef tips: Cook the tenderloin to the lower end of the suggested time range to keep it tender; overcooking was the most common reason for toughness. Uneven steak sizes can affect cook time, so check the smaller piece first.
- Potatoes: A few found the gratin dry — add a splash more liquid or a little extra sour cream to keep it creamy throughout. Make sure to measure the crushed peppercorns carefully, as the recipe sends more than needed.
Reviews from our home cooks
Recipe was great, potatoes were delicious, the salad was a home run with the dressing. Pear was dried out and the beef was tough. I cooked it medium rare but not happy with quality of the beef at all. Demi glaze had a weird taste.
The cheesy bacon potato gratin was phenomenal. The beef tenderloin was very tender and the pear added a lot to the salad. Only complaint is that the bacon was very fatty.
Loved the beef and the sauce. The pear and pecan salad was great because it was so fresh and a change of pace. I never think to put pears in my meals, good choice. The potatoes were really good but kinda heavy.
This was hard to cook and had a LOT of calories, but boy-o-boy was the potatoes au gratin TASTY. The pear salad turned out great. The meat was a bit CHEWY.
The beef and the salad were very good. I liked the pear in the salad. Usually there are generous amounts of ingredients, but this time the potatoes were an issue. The potatoes were very small and only covered the 8x8 pan in one layer. I switched to a 6x6 pan and it sort of worked, but mostly it was cheese. Too bad as I was looking forward to the dish.
Beef was tender and potato recipe a keeper! Pear salad pairs (Lol) perfectly. Dressing and pecans icing on the cake!
I always love it when side salads are an option. The pear and pecan salad didn't disappoint. The potato au gratin was rich and tasty! We had extra for another meal.
Steak was amazing. Potato Gratin not so great. The sour cream broke during baking. The recipe also called for too much cheese. The bacon portion was a bit on light side. The side salad and dressing was quite good. If I order this again, I would modify the potato recipe. Be sure to read measurements on the recipe for proper amounts when serving size is for two and not four.
That pecan and pear salad was everything! Do you hear me? The beef was tender and tasty, and the potatoes were delicious. This has been one of my favorite meals so far.
Any time this meal kit comes through, I will most likely put it in my cart! The potato gratin is a huge hit and it's one of my favorite dishes. The steak tenderloin and sauce is perfect and the pear salad compliments it all perfectly. It's relaxing to make and enjoyed by all. Highly recommended!!
