Bratwurst & Beer Stew

My German roots were showing!  We had some Bratwurst that needed to be used up, so I threw together this great hearty stew...perfect for the dreary day we had.

* 3 lbs. of bratwurst
* 2 large onions, chopped
* 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
* Two large carrots, chopped
* Bottle of beer (I used a 22 ounce Fat Tire)
* 32 ounces beef broth
* 5 cans white kidney beans (canellini beans) - drained and rinsed
* Three fresh bay leaves or 1 dry bay leaf
* 1 Tbs. dried thyme or 2 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
* Salt & Pepper to taste

You can use either a crockpot or a stew pot, whichever makes you smile. *Ü*

Brown bratwurst in a pan on medium heat.  When bratwurst is browned, cut it into bite-size pieces.  Add bratwurst to stew pot or crockpot.  Add onions, garlic, thyme, carrots and a few good "glugs" of beer to the pan you browned the bratwurst in.  Cook until garlic and onion are tender (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.  While the garlic and onion are cooking, you can drain and wash the cans of beans.  Add the flour to the garlic/onion mixture and stir well.  Add the beans, and garlic/onion/beer mixture to the pot with the rest of the beer and the beef broth.  Add the bay leaves.

Cook on the stove at a simmer for about an hour - until the beans are tender.  The crock pot takes about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.  Just be sure to check the beans to be sure they are tender before serving.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Vegetable Beef Stew

We had a lovely veggie beef stew for dinner last night. It was thick and rich and meaty...loved it!

2 pounds stew meat
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick celery, chopped
3 zucchini, sliced
6 potatoes, washed, chopped
Handful of baby carrots (or a couple of peeled, diced carrots)
4 Bay Leaves
1 large box of beef broth
1 cup flour
1 tsp. Granulated garlic
1 tsp. Granulated onion
Couple of Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Put flour, granulated garlic and granulated onion in a Ziploc bag. Coat stew meat in flour and brown in a large saucepan in a little bit of olive oil. Don’t put too many pieces in the pan. It should be a single layer of meat. Brown the meat with the chopped onions and minced garlic.
Spray large casserole dish with cooking spray. Put the potatoes on the bottom and then add the meat, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, & squash. Sprinkle a bit of salt over it and add the beef broth. Pour beef broth in the casserole dish until it is about ¼ full. Stir a little bit. Put bay leaves in and COVER. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until the meat is tender and the veggies are cooked. Be sure to check the broth every once in awhile. Add more if necessary. Delicious!! Enjoy...