Irish Guinness Stew

A hearty beef stew is one of my family’s favorite comfort foods – I’ve been making it for years. Since none of us are big corned beef fans, I decided to give our stew an Irish flare this St. Paddy’s day. The Guinness and the “secret ingredient” (chocolate – trust me on this one) added a rich, bold flavor that had us going back for seconds…and thirds.

3 T olive oil, divided 

2 lbs. stew meat

Salt and pepper

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups Guinness, divided

1 tsp dried thyme

2 T semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 bay leaves

15-25 baby carrots, chopped in half

3 large parsnips, chopped

6-8 baby red potatoes, quartered

¼ cup flour

Preheat 2 T olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season stew meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to oil and brown until cooked through. Transfer beef to Crockpot. Add remaining 1 T of oil and chopped onions to the pot. Sauté onions until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add broth, 1 ¼ cup of Guinness, thyme, chocolate, and bay leaves to the pot and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, chop remaining vegetables and add to the Crockpot with beef. Season with ¼ tsp of salt and pepper. Add the broth mixture to the Crockpot and cook on low for 7-10 hours.

Whisk together flour and remaining beer. Add to the pot during the last hour of cooking and increase temperature to high. Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.

*Recipe modified from Blissfully Delicious