I'm an Irish girl, what can I say? If I can find an excuse to cook with bourbon and beer, I'll find it! The idea for this dish actually came from my love of St. Patrick's Day and also my love of these Healthified Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings, which I made a bit over a year ago and many many times since then.

I basically took the same structure of the Chicken & Dumpling recipe and made it into a hearty Irish inspired Beef & Dumpling recipe instead. This stew is packed full of bold flavor and lots and lots of chunky beef and vegetables. I promise, you won't feel like you're eating anything healthified, but you are. It's definitely a meal in a bowl.

Who knew that Beef & Dumplings would just as awesome as Chicken & Dumplings?

I wasn't sure this would work out, but in the end I'm extremely happy that I tempted the fates with this one.

Now, I used Stubb's Smokehouse Bourbon Cookin' Sauce in this recipe, which you can find online and in many stores. However, if you cannot find it near you or don't have time to wait on snail mail - never fear!

To make WITHOUT Stubb's Smokehouse Bourbon Cookin' Sauce, substitute instead with: 1/4 C. Water, 1 Tbsp. Bourbon, 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar, 1/2 Tbsp. White Vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Tsp. Liquid Smoke, 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder, 1/4 Tsp. Onion Powder. If you like a little kick, add a little bit of prepared horseradish to it too.

Yum. If there was going to be time for me to make this again for St. Patrick's Day, I definitely would. It's so so good. I'm excited to have leftovers for my lunch today, and who knows, maybe I'll have it for dinner as well!

If you're feeling extra Irish, as I often am, feel free to swap out the sharp cheddar for an Irish cheddar instead.

Crock Pot Irish Beef Stew & Cheddar Herb Dumplings
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: About 1 1/2 Cups • Calories: 318.5 • Fat: 10.2 g • Carb: 29.7 g • Fiber: 5.5 g • Protein: 26.3 g • Sugar: 5.1 g • Sodium: 623.1 mg

Ingredients:
Stew:
1 1/2 Lbs. Top Cut Beef Roast, Cubed (Such as Top Round Roast.)
3 1/2 C. Reduced Sodium Beef Broth
1 Pkg. Stubb's Smokehouse Bourbon Cookin' Sauce + Spice
1 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped
4 Carrots, Sliced
3 Celery Stalks, Sliced
8 Oz. Mushrooms, Halved
1 (14.5 Oz) Can 'No Salt Added' Diced Tomatoes
1/2 C. Guinness (Or other dark stout beer.)
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Cheddar Herb Dumplings:
1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Dried Parsley
1/2 Tsp. Crushed Dried Rosemary
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/8 Tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 C. Light Butter (Room Temperature), Cubed
1/3 C. Fat Free Sharp Cheddar, Shredded
2/3 C. Fat Free Milk
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Toss everything for the soup into the crock pot.

Cover and set to cook for 6-8 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.

Once nearly done, set the crock pot to high now if you've been cooking this on low.

Combine the flour, baking powder, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper for the dumplings together in a medium bowl.

Cut in the butter using two forks or your hands until it begins to form a grainy mixture (resembling corn starch.)

Add in the cheddar and milk.

Mix just until a thick dough forms and all lumps are out.

Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls into the crock pot.

Try to do this quickly as to not let much heat escape from the crock pot.

Cover and cook on high for 30-60 minutes.

Once done, the dough will still look a little wet on top, but will be soft, fluffy, and cooked through on the inside.

Divide evenly among bowls and serve warm. Enjoy!