Slow Cooker Irish Stew

St. Patrick's day is always a great celebration in our family.  Not with green beer and corned beef, but with adaptations of wonderful, truly Irish recipes like Salmon with Colcannon, Braised Beef in Guinness and Rhubarb Fool with Oatmeal cookies for dessert.  This year we had a wonderful and super easy Irish Stew.

Irish Stew is traditionally made with lamb, which is expensive and difficult to find in our area.  And, since we don't buy lamb, it's an unusual taste to my palate.  This year I tried a new recipe and the family loved it so much that they asked me to toss out my previous stew recipe and always use this one.  Now that's saying something!

Slow Cooker Irish Stew

1- 1/2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup flour (save out 1 Tbsp for thickening at the end)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic (1-1/2 teaspoons from a jar of minced garlic)
3 cups beef broth (3 cups water & 3 cubes beef bouillon)
3 or 4 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
4 carrots, peeled & cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
and added in the last 1/2 hour of cooking:
1 cup frozen peas
1 Tablespoon flour (saved above) blended into 2 Tablespoons cold water

Peel and dice the carrots and potatoes. Set aside. 

I usually have to cut the stew meat from the butcher in half again to get 1-inch size pieces.  Toss the beef stew meat in flour to completely coat the beef chunks.  Discard excess flour that has touched raw meat.  Heat olive oil in a frying pan.  It is totally worth the extra effort to brown the meat, onions and garlic in a frying pan with the olive oil before putting them into your slow cooker. 

Add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce to the beef broth.  Deglaze the frying pan with the beef broth and pour it all over the meat in the slow cooker.

Add potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker.  Give everything a stir to blend.  Add up to another cup of beef broth if needed to just barely cover the stew ingredients.

Cover and cook on low heat all day, about 8 hours.  Stir once or twice if desired.

A half-hour before serving, add peas and flour/water mixture.  Set cooking temperature to high to bring the gravy to a boil to thicken.  Stir as needed.

Serve with freshly baked Irish Soda Bread and butter.


May you always be blessed with 
Walls for the wind, A roof for the rain,
A warm cup of tea by the fire.

Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire.

Third Week in February

Monday
Chicken casserole
Rice and mushroom pilaf
Beets or asparagus

Tuesday
Ham
Boiled potatoes and cabbage
Carrots
Apple pie

Wednesday
Chicken
Mashed potatoes
Orange salad
Peas

Thursday
Pork roast or leftover ham
Sweet potatoes
Fried apple rings
Cauliflower
Cherry pie or cobbler

Friday
Macaroni & cheese
Green beans
Fruit cup
Lemon pie

Saturday
Port roast leftover
Sweet Potatoes
Apple slices
Corn
Lettuce Salad

Sunday
Chicken
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Broccoli

Second Week in February

Monday
Ham
Sweet Potatoes
Tomato salad

Tuesday
Pot Roast
Potatoes
Cabbage
Apple Crisp

Wednesday
Leftover roast
Mashed Potatoes
Green Vegetable

Thursday
Ham
Au Gratin Potatoes
Green beans
Sliced Tomatoes

Friday
Fish
Baked potatoes
Carrots
Cucumber salad
Rhubarb sauce on ice cream

Saturday
Pizza
Lettuce Salad

Sunday
Chicken
Sweet Potatoes
Brussels sprouts or green vegetable
Cranberry sauce

First Week of February

Monday
Chicken or turkey casserole
Peas
Tomato and cucumber salad

Tuesday
Leftover pork roast
Mashed potatoes
Carrots
Apple crisp

Wednesday
Leftover pork and noodles
Lettuce salad
Fried apple rings
Corn
Pumpkin pie

Thursday
Hamburger hot dish (casserole)
Lettuce salad
Mixed vegetables

Friday
Baked fish
Scalloped potatoes
Green beans
Cranberry sauce

Saturday
Ham
Sweet potatoes
Green vegetable
Orange jello salad with fruit

Sunday
Chicken
Potatoes
Carrots
Celery and apple salad
Ice cream

Fourth Week in January

Monday
Pork chops
Mashed potatoes
Vegetable salad
Broccoli

Tuesday
Beef skillet casserole
Noodles
Beets or corn
Green salad

Wednesday
Shepherds pie
Mashed potatoes
Sliced tomato
Roll & butter

Thursday
Turkey breast
Sweet potatoes
Corn
Lettuce salad

Friday
Tuna casserole
California mix vegetables
Green salad

Saturday
Creamed turkey or chicken
Biscuits
Fruit salad
Green beans

Sunday
Pork roast
Sweet potatoes
Fried apple rings
Lemon pie

Third Week of January

Monday
Chicken vegetable stew
Noodles
Green salad
Roll & butter

Tuesday
Steak
Baked Potato
Onions and mushrooms
Red jello salad with fruit

Wednesday
Sloppy Joes
Chips
Fruit salad

Thursday
Hamburger rice hot dish (casserole)
California mix vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
Apple salad

Friday
Fish
Hashed brown potatoes
Green beans
Cole slaw
Grapefruit and orange cup

Saturday
Ham
Scalloped potatoes
Broccoli
Lettuce salad
Baked apples

Sunday
Baked chicken
Mashed potatoes
Candied carrots
Lettuce salad
Ice cream

Second Week in January

Monday
Chicken and rice casserole
Peas
Apple & celery salad

Tuesday
Roast beef
Mashed potatoes
Pear salad
Carrots

Wednesday
Shepherds pie
Lettuce salad
Roll & butter

Thursday
Baked ham
Scalloped potatoes
Broccoli
Banana and orange salad

Friday
Fish
Parsley buttered potatoes
Green beans
Orange salad

Saturday
Pizza
Lettuce salad

Sunday
Baked chicken
Squash
Brussels sprouts
Cranberry sauce
Boston creme pie