The whole is greater than the sum of its parts…

…never has a truer word been said, especially in the case of this Chilli Burger Wellington Recipe!

My husband and I are big burger lovers and Seattle does nothing to help dampen the flames of our burger passion. With a Red Robin, Johnny Rockets, Great State Burger, Steak ‘n Shake and a great made-to-order burger station at our local Whole Foods, we are never more than a couple of blocks away from a satisfying burger “fix”.

On Sunday afternoon, due to weather that only ducks could enjoy, we decided it was an opportune time to enjoy an afternoon of movies on the sofa. Having added a couple of flicks to our watch list, we settled onto the sofa and gorged on our movie fest. It wasn’t until our stomachs started to audibly rumble that I realised the time. Panic stricken, I rummaged around in the freezer (which is jam packed full of meat from an Omaha Steaks shopping binge) totally mad at myself for not having taken something out to defrost earlier – meat, meat everywhere, but not a bite to eat!

After much deliberation I concluded that our only viable (non-defrost) options were burgers, a box of ready-made pastry, or an “emergency” can of chilli that was in no way able to satisfy the hunger of two fully grown adults. However, this seemingly dire situation was actually a burger lovers blessing in disguise. Simply combine these three ingredients to create one delicious Chilli Burger Wellington. Warm, comforting and fantastically delicious, this dish was like arriving home to find Paul Hollywood in the kitchen, Bradley Cooper on the sofa and James Dornan in the bedroom – well we can all dream, can’t we?!

Just in case this recipe isn’t fulfilling enough for your demanding needs, you can also add a handful of bacon bits, or some grated cheese to the Wellington filling. For simplicity – and out of necessity – I used canned chilli. However, this recipe would also be perfect for using up any leftover home-made chilli. See my post for Slow-Cooked Spicy Beef Chilli to find inspiration.

To make the Chilli Burger Wellington you’ll first need to pre-heat the oven to 350°F (160°C). Then on a lightly floured surface, roll out the sheet of pastry dough and place one of the burger patties at the centre. Now top the burger with a big helping of chilli.

Repeat the previous step to make a lip-smacking stack of two burgers and two layers of chilli. Then cover with a good helping of bacon bits or grated cheese – or both if you’re feeling extravagant!

Brush the outer edges of the pastry with egg wash and fold them over the burger stack, pinching or pressing the edges to seal. Now brush the top of the wellington with a little more egg wash so you get that shiny, golden finish after baking.

Sprinkle over with a little pepper and some red chilli flakes – this step doesn’t do much to the final taste, but I think it looks so much prettier!

Place your Chilli Burger Wellington onto a non-stick baking tray and bake for around 1 hour, or until the pastry is golden brown and the meat is cooked at the centre. This Chilli Burger Wellington is perfectly sized for sharing between two people, but will also make a generous serving for one person with a “healthy” appetite!

As well as writing this food blog, I also own the Arugula & Rocket Online Cook Shop – please visit and take a look around. With ingenious kitchen gadgets, super cute ice pop moulds and a range of popular craft ice moulds, you’ll find irresistible gifts for the man, lady or children in your life – and yourself, of course!

Do you have a recipe that you’d like to see on the blog? Have you made one of my recipes that you would love to share? Or have you discovered a great product that you cannot find in the shops? Email me at: info@arugulaandrocket.com – I’d love to hear from you!