Beer makes everything better. Including soup. And with all the cold we’ve been having I’ve been eating soup non-stop. I usually crack a can of some edible and “pretty well passes for soup” Healthy Choice soup for lunch (don’t judge me, Weight Watchers here!), but as of late – I’ve needed more. More chunks of meat and vegg, thicker gravy-like stew, and that warm sensation as it heats you from the inside out.

Me and soup have a thing going on. And I don’t care who knows it. And if it is served with a slice of baguette to wipe up all the left-behind, you’ve got my heart.

As a Christmas present from the future in laws, I received a subscription to Eating Well magazine. And I love it. No, really. It’s amazing. This isn’t a “yeah, my in-laws gave it to me and it’s nice” – it’s fantastic! It’s not a magazine over brimming on a tangent of organic-everything, overtly-in-you-face hippie magazine, but one that highlights healthy living in a realistic and everyday way.

My absolute favorite part of the magazines is that it easily decodes the recipes into categories including, high fiber, low weight, healthy heart, gluten free, budget entree and “ready in 45 or less”. The six icons are included at the beginning of each recipe and in the front of each edition in the recipe index. It’s laid out so plainly and simply you can’t help but follow it.

So, go make this immediately and revel in the healthy, high-fiber, healthy-weight glory.

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Chicken and Stout Stew in a square dish

Chicken and Guinness Stout Stew

  • Author: Country Cleaver
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 hours
  • Total Time: 7 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

This is a healthy, hearty, high-fiber stew filled with chicken and vegetables and flavored with dark Stout beer.  A perfect choice for a chilly winter night!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
  • 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
  • 6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 pieces bacon, chopped
  • 1 2/3 cups Guinness beer or other stout (14-ounce can)
  • 1 pound whole baby carrots or large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 8-ounce package cremini or button mushrooms, halved if large
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 4 Red Potatoes, skin on, cut into 1/8ths
  • 1 (14oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

  1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together 6 Tbsp flour with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Dredge chicken thighs into the flour and set aside.
  2. Heat 4 Tbsp oil into a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add half of the dredged chicken thighs, cooking until browned, 2-4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and put into slow cooker.
  3. Add in remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and cook the remaining half of the chicken thighs. Place remaining into slow cooker.
  4. Add chopped bacon to skillet and allow to brown until cooked.
  5. With bacon still in the pan, cover with 1/2 cup of flour and stir frequently until all the oil is absorbed. Pour can of Stout beer over the flour/bacon mixture and stir any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow to reach a slight boil.
  6. Pour beer/bacon mixture over the chicken thighs in the slow cooker.
  7. Add diced carrots, halved mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme, distributing evenly over the chicken. Pour broth over the top.
  8. Cover and cook until the chicken falls apart, 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.