Beer & Paprika Beef Stew Bread Bowls

This weather has made it blatantly known that fall is really here. It seems like just a week ago it was in the upper 70s and I could still get away will wearing flip flops outside. Blah... I guess it was about time for me to accept that the summer sun and warmth will be taking a hiatus for awhile. Thankfully food has helped me transition to the weather a bit. These Beer & Paprika Beef Stew Bread Bowls especially made it easier to stay in, snuggle and get cozy with my boys. Slow cooked beef simmers in a savory bath of beef stock, beer, and paprika while carrots, potatoes and peas joins the party in a crusty popover bread bowl just before serving...

We loved this dish (although I enjoyed my beef stew sans bread bowl and with GF bread on the side instead. I used gluten free beer (Bard's brand made with sorghum malt) but you can use your favorite beer if GF is not an issue. It really lends itself to give the stew a nice complex flavor. The addition of paprika also works nicely with the flavor and adds some color too. I cooked the carrots and potatoes separately so they would retain their shape and color since the beef cooks for several hours in a slow cooker. It's a nice way of getting an aesthetically pleasing bowl of stew.

Beer & Paprika Beef Stew Bread Bowls

recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 (12oz) can or bottle (GF) beer

4 cups beef stock 

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt & pepper to taste

1-1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

4 whole potatoes, quartered

1/2 cup frozen peas

Minced parsley for garnish

Bread bowls or popover bowls for serving

In a large pot over medium high heat, add oil and butter. When hot, add half of beef and brown. Remove from pot and set inside a slow cooker; repeat with remaining beef. 

To the now empty pot, add diced onions, garlic and celery; cook until softened. Add beef stock, beef, Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 3-5 hours.

In a small saucepan, boil carrots and potatoes in water until softened. Once softened, add carrots and potatoes to the sauce pan.

Add carrots, potatoes and frozen peas to slow cooker, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. 

Serve in bread bowls or with crusty French bread. Sprinkle with minced parsley, if desired. We loved serving them in East Riding Farm Popover Bread Bowls for something light, buttery and perfect to pair with the stew! Definitely check them out, as they also have different sizes such as bite sized and regular sized popovers. They're convenient as a frozen item you can use as needed and warming them up in the oven is quick and simple too.