There are many ways to keep the winter’s chill at bay: a homemade scarf, a roaring fire, and a bowl of thick, hearty stew. For the latter, it’s hard to get much heartier or more delicious than Slow Cooker Guinness® Stew. Infused with the malty, hoppy, roasted flavors of stout, this stew is truly loaded with warming chunks of potatoes and tender beef. Slow Cooker Guinness Stew is a hot and herbaceous dish that will leave you in high spirits. This is a great example of low-and-slow cooking that welcomes you home with open arms and a bowl of savory satisfaction.
Ingredients
- 8-10 red potatoes, skin-on, quartered
- 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
- 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup flour
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- 3 pounds stew meat, cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more, to taste
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can beef broth
- 1 (8-ounce) carton baby portabella mushrooms, halved
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (1-ounce) envelope onion soup mix
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle stout beer, such as Guinness
- 1 cup frozen peas, optional
Directions
Step 1 –Put the potatoes, the carrots, and the celery into a slow cooker.
Step 2 –Place 2 of the bay leaves into the slow cooker.
Step 3 –Season the flour with the salt, the extra black pepper, and the garlic powder.
Step 4 –Coat the beef in the seasoned flour mixture.
Step 5 –Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet on the stovetop.
Step 6 –Add the remaining bay leaf to the hot oil.
Step 7 –In batches, sauté the beef in the skillet until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side, adding the extra oil as needed.
Step 8 –Transfer the beef to a plate and set it aside.
Step 9 –Add the onion and the garlic to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Step 10 –Pour about 1/2 of the beef broth into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom.
Step 11 –Add the beef and the onion mixture to the slow cooker.
Step 12 –Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker.
Step 13 –In a separate bowl, mix the remaining beef broth, the tomato sauce, the onion soup mix, the thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper, the garlic powder, the creole seasoning, and the Italian seasoning.
Step 14 –Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker.
Step 15 –Add the stout beer to the slow cooker.
Step 16 –Cover and cook for 8 hours on low heat.
Step 17 –Once the 8 hours have passed, stir in the frozen peas.
Step 18 –Serve hot!
