Every problem this month can be solved with Guinness pot pie.
Can food really taste this good? Yes — and this pot pie proves it.
Although my family is very Irish, we don’t cook many traditional dishes or throw big Saint Patrick’s Day parties. Well, except for the college days filled with parades and green beer — memories I’d rather not repeat.
It’s March, though, and any excuse to cook with dark beer and Irish flavors is a good one. Enter Guinness pot pie — rich, comforting, and something you’ll want to make again and again.
If you want more Irish-inspired ideas this month, there are plenty of riffs to try: lucky cereal cupcakes, milk-chocolate soda bread, soda bread French toast, Guinness short ribs, pub cheese spread, Irish ale potato soup, or whiskey iced coffees. But first — pot pie.
I’ll take one of each.
Let’s talk Guinness pot pie. I need to convince you this should come out of your kitchen — maybe twice before Saint Patrick’s Day. I’m a big fan of beer bread: crunchy on top, tender inside. Once I learned you brush it with butter for that perfect crust, I was hooked.
I’ve made many beer breads and recently experimented with a Guinness version. Then a thought hit: beer bread biscuits on pot pie. Beer bread with beef pot pie? Yes, please.
There’s also a biscuit-topped minestrone that inspired this idea — the biscuit finish is phenomenal on hearty stews and pies.
Chicken pot pie is a family favorite, so I make it often. I hadn’t made a beef pot pie before, and I wanted to keep it hearty without being heavy, so I omitted potatoes and added mushrooms for juiciness and extra texture. If you don’t love mushrooms, you can leave them out.
Holy cow.
The mushrooms are a great addition — juicy and meaty. The beef becomes incredibly tender after braising in Guinness and stock, producing a deep, gravy-like sauce clinging to soft, flavorful vegetables.
This dish delivers serious flavor. It’s a bit time-consuming and needs some love while you cook — expect a messy kitchen during prep — but every spoonful makes it worth the effort. The beef should be cut into small, one-inch pieces so it cooks through and becomes fall-apart tender.
When I first made this, my partner came home and loved it. The next day he was still talking about how good it was. It may not be glamorous, but it’s comfort food heaven — a warm, cozy bowl to serve on chilly, rainy nights. Leftovers improve overnight as the flavors meld even more.
Convinced yet?
Guinness Pot Pie with Beer Bread Biscuits
Guinness Pot Pie with Beer Bread Biscuits
4 to 6 people
45 mins
1 hr 15 mins
2 hrs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1/3 cup sliced carrots
- 1/3 cup diced celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2/3 cup frozen peas
- 8 ounces Guinness beer
- 12 to 16 ounces beef stock or broth
Beer Bread Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces of your favorite beer
- 3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Measure all beer bread ingredients before you start. While the vegetables soften, mix the biscuit batter (directions follow).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Toss with flour to coat evenly.
- Heat a 5-quart enamel skillet or large cast iron over medium-high heat. Add oil; when shimmering, sear the beef in a single layer until golden brown, 2–3 minutes per side. You may need 1–2 batches. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter, then stir in onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add thyme and cook until softened, about 5–6 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the pan.
- Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
- With heat at medium, pour in the Guinness and scrape the pan. Return the beef to the skillet and add beef stock. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and stir in the peas.
- Spoon the beer bread batter on top in ½-cup biscuit-like drops. Drizzle melted butter over the batter.
- Bake for 65–75 minutes, until the bread is golden and set at the bottom. Gently check under the biscuits to ensure the dough is cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Beer Bread Biscuits Batter
- Sift together all-purpose and whole wheat flours in a large bowl. Stir in baking powder and salt.
- Pour in the beer and stir until a thick, bubbly batter forms. Let rest about 5 minutes before spooning on top of the pot pie.
Notes
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