Paddy’s Day Special: Guinness Stew for You

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I’m not Irish but I am a huge fan of Irish fare. Shepards/Cottage pie and the Irish breakfast are some of my favorite meals but I’ve never taken the time to actually make anything on my own. So, with Paddy’s Day coming up this weekend I decided this stew would be a perfect and festive adventure for the week. What a better time to try to put my twist on an Irish classic, Guinness Stew, in my trusty crockpot? I seriously considered using my Instant Pot for this dish but I didn’t want to press my luck and ruin this recipe. I decided to go with old reliable, my slow cooker, and I’m so glad I did.

Making a beef stew in the slow cooker is not totally new for me, but using Guinness beer and mushrooms changed the game for me. I’m generally not a fan of mushrooms. I think it’s another instance of deciding as a child that they weren’t for me. I’m honestly not really sure, but I felt inspired and hopeful that maybe these little baby portobello’s would tickle my taste buds. I was not disappointed in the slightest and dare I say I’m a mushroom fan now. If we are being honest, maybe my new love of mushrooms lies in the Guinness and wonderful marrying of flavors that made me a mushroom believer.

Ultimately the preparation of the stew was simple. No crazy mishaps like with my Instant Pot recipe last week, just a cold winter weeknight spent listening to music and cooking a new dish. After four hours in the slow cooker, the Guinness stew was hearty and everything I had hoped for but what really made the stew- leftovers the next day. The seasonings had settled and the flavors had permeated the meat and potatoes completely. It was divine. Get into the spirit of Paddy’s Day and try this stew! Happy St. Patrick’s Day, from DCDishes!

Slow Cooker Guinness Stew

What You Need:

8 red potatoes, skin on, quartered
6 carrots, peeled, sliced into thick chunks
3 stalks celery, cut in chunks
3 bay leaves
3 lbs stew meat, cubed (I used chuck)
1⁄2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, halved
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
10 3⁄4 oz. beef broth
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 tsp. dried thyme
1⁄2 tsp. black pepper
1⁄2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. creole seasoning
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
12 – 14 oz. Guinness beer, draught or stout
1 cup frozen peas

Instructions:
Click here to Cook With Me!

Put potato, carrot, and celery chunks in the bottom of crockpot and top with 2 bay leaves.
In a separate bowl, season flour with a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat the beef with the flour mixture.
Heat a couple of tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat in a large skillet and add 1 bay leaf.
Sauté beef until just until browned. Add more oil to pan as necessary for each batch.
Remove and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to the same pan and sauté over med heat for a few minutes.
Add half the can of beef broth to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add meat and onions to crockpot and top with mushrooms.
Mix remaining beef broth with tomato sauce, onion soup mix, and remaining seasonings in the crockpot.
Pour in most of the can of Guinness beer.
Cook 8 hours on low heat or high heat for 4 to 5 hours.
Stir in frozen peas when done – they’ll heat up on their own.
Serve and enjoy!

Cook With Me:

Put potato, carrot, and celery chunks in the bottom of crockpot and top with 2 bay leaves.
In a separate bowl, season flour with a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat the beef with the flour mixture.
Heat a couple of tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat in a large skillet and add 1 bay leaf.
Sauté beef until just until browned. Add more oil to pan as necessary for each batch.
Remove and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to the same pan and sauté over med heat for a few minutes.
Add half the can of beef broth to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add meat and onions to crockpot and top with mushrooms.
Mix remaining beef broth with tomato sauce, onion soup mix, and remaining seasonings in the crockpot.
Pour in most of the can of Guinness beer.
Cook 8 hours on low heat or high heat for 4 to 5 hours.
Stir in frozen peas when done – they’ll heat up on their own.
Serve and enjoy!