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 as needed • 1 medium onion, diced • 4 large cloves garlic, minced • 1 (10.75-ounce) can beef broth • 8 ounces 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 dark beer, such as Guinness or another stout • 1 cup frozen peas, optionalDirections
Put the potatoes, carrots, and celery into a slow cooker.
Place 2 bay leaves into the slow cooker.
Season the flour with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste.
Coat the beef in the flour mixture.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet on the stove-top.
Add the remaining bay leaf to the hot oil.
In batches, sauté the beef in the skillet until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Transfer the beef to a plate and set it aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Pour about 1/2 of the beef broth into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom.
Add the beef and the onion mixture to the slow cooker.
Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining beef broth, tomato sauce, onion soup mix, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, creole seasoning, and Italian seasoning.
Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker.
Add the dark beer to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook for 8 hours on low heat.
Once the 8 hours have passed, stir in the frozen peas.
Serve hot!
