Beer, Bacon and Chicken Stew... Oh My!

It's fall here in Central Pennsylvania and with fall comes beautiful leaves, the delicious scents of
baked goods, apples, pumpkins, and the lovely crock pot.  I love my crock pot; it is one of my best friends.  There is something so lovely about putting in all the ingredients, seasoning it, setting it, and leaving it to do its thing all afternoon or evening.  Then, when I come home the house smells like heaven.  This recipe was no exception.  I wanted something warm, comforting, and stew-like but healthy.  I wanted to feel warm, comforted and happy as I devoured dinner, especially since we've finally gotten into fall like temperatures.  This recipe from Eating Well did require quite a bit of prep work on the stove in a frying pan, but I used the same frying pan for all the things, and let me tell you, the stew is totally worth it.  The only change I made in this stew was to use a lighter beer.  I did this because I'm not a huge dark beer/stout fan and also because I already had it in my 'fridge versus having to buy more beer.  It made my stew a lot lighter in color, but the flavor is still good and comes through in the stew broth.  Use chicken thighs in this recipe too, not only are they cheaper, but they remain juicy throughout the longer cooking process.  Definitely give this stew a try, it will warm your heart, soul, and bowl!

Beer, Bacon, and Chicken Stew

6 tbsp plus 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp salt, divided, plus more for taste
1/2 tsp of pepper, plus more to taste
2 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 tsp of your favorite oil (I used 2 tsp butter and 2 tsp olive oil)
3 pieces of bacon, chopped
1 2/3 cup of Guinness beer or stout (I used a glass bottle of Coors Light since I had it)
1 pound of baby carrots or 5 large carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
1 8-ounce package of cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
2 cups of chopped onion
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 tsp of dried thyme
1 cup of reduced sodium chicken stock
2 cups of frozen baby peas, thawed
4 small, cubed potatoes (these are totally optional)

First, combine 6 tablespoons of flour with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Dredge chicken thighs in the mixture to coat completely, transfer to a plate.  Heat 2 tsp of your oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add half the chicken and cook until well browned, about 2 to 4 minutes.  This is the base for the delicious broth, so don't cheat!  When they are done, transfer to the bowl of the slow cooker.  Repeat with the remaining thighs until all the chicken is in the slow cooker crock.  Next, add the chopped bacon to the skillet and cook until brown and crispy.  Stir the remaining flour into the bacon and cook for 2 minutes.  This will remove the raw flour taste.  Then add the beer and scrape up the bits in the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.  Pour the mixture over the chicken.  Add the remaining oil and saute the onion until translucent, add the garlic and cook until just fragrant.  Add the carrots, mushrooms and thyme.  Saute for about 5 minutes and then dump into the crock pot with the bacon and beer broth.  If you want, add the optional potatoes at this time.  Cover and cook until the chicken falls apart, approximately 4 hours on high and 7 to 8 hours on low.  Before you serve, add in the peas and stir.  Allow the peas to be heated through, about 10 minutes.  Taste and then add more salt and pepper as needed.  Mine needed about 1/4 tsp of pepper and about 3/4 tsp of salt.

Makes 8 servings approximately 1 1/3 cups per serving
365 calories *
13g fat (3 sat or 6 mono)*
88 mg cholesterol *
28 g carbohydrates *
0 added sugar *
30 g protein *
4 g fiber *
570 mg sodium *
650 mg potassium*
* Without potatoes and using stout