Autumn Ale Stew in Bread Bowls

Even though we still have warm temperatures here in Iowa, I’m in fall mode. Halloween decorations are up, leaves have been raked once, and the windows are open welcoming the breeze. The only thing I was missing were the smells of fall, and I took care of that over the weekend. A quick trip to Family Fare and my house smelled like Autumn Ale Stew in Bread Bowls! I partnered with Family Fare to create this delicious recipe.

Autumn Ale Stew in Bread Bowls

The smell of this Autumn Ale Stew filling the house is wonderful. Not only the smell, but the colors also make you think of fall. Look how bright and crispy those carrots and celery were that I picked up at Family Fare! I’m glad I didn’t have to use them all in the stew because they will make a great veggie tray for after school snacks!

Autumn Ale Stew Ingredients

• 1lb Stew Meat
• 12oz Dark Ale
• 4oz Beef Broth
• 3 TBL Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Onion – chopped
• 2 Celery Sticks – chopped
• 2 Carrots – chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves – dehydrated
• 1/2 tsp Sage – dried
• 1 TBS flour
• 2 tsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt and Pepper

How to Make Autumn Ale Stew

Start by adding olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, beef froth, sage, and bay leaves to the Crock Pot at high heat. While veggies begin cooking, brown the stew meat for a few minutes. Tossing the flour with the stew meat during this step, will help keep it from sticking together in the Crock Pot.

Once the stew meat is browned, pour in the ale and add brown sugar, and bring the mix to a boil. You can use any dark ale or stout beer for this Autumn Ale Stew. This time around, I went with a sort of local Kansas City ale. Two reasons I enjoy shopping at Family Fare are, they offer a Build Your Own 6 Pack section in the store, and they love supporting local businesses. You can pick up a few different ales or beers, and try them all out in stew throughout the month. Or just sample some new flavors!

Okay, back to that stew! When the stew meat and ale mixture begins to boil, add it to the Crock Pot and cook on high heat for 4.5 – 5 hours. Shortly before the Autumn Ale Stew is done, make your bread bowls. Hard round rolls were perfect for making bread bowls with. I picked them up at Family Fare, where there is a nice selection of breads. I love bread of all kinds, so this section is always a little piece of heaven for me.  To make bread bowls, simply cut a circle in the top and dig out the inside. Making sure to leave a decent layer across the bottom so it holds up to the stew.